Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 87629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
What the hell is wrong with me?
Is Ben right? Am I pining for Mandy on a subconscious level?
I mean…that night with her at Black Rose? It was fucking fabulous. Would she be open to kink? Even if she is, though, I’d eventually tire of her and everything would be ruined. I’ve never been able to commit to a woman. I’ve tried. Serena in high school. Susan in college. Julia last spring. Every single time, though, my interest eventually wanes. I start noticing things we don’t have in common, imagining fights we’ll one day have, wishing I were anywhere except with her. Some people just aren’t meant to be with the same person forever.
“Where are you working out?” I ask her.
“At Frankie’s gym. That one around the corner from Rossi’s.”
I chuckle. “Mandy Thomas, workout queen.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that…you’re not really the exercise type, are you?”
“Says who?”
“Says you. You don’t have a gym membership. You never played sports.”
I’m not sure why I’m picking a fight with her. It’s ridiculous anyway. Mandy does a lot of walking, so she gets plenty of exercise.
“What does playing sports have to do with it?” Ben asks, coming to her defense.
Now I’m getting angry. Why is he sticking his big nose into this?
“True,” Frankie says, agreeing with Ben, of course. “I work out all the time, and I never played any sports.”
“See?” Ben smiles at Frankie.
“I’ve been working out four times a week lately,” Frankie continues.
“Right,” I say. “To get in shape for your wedding.”
Then I glance at Frankie’s left hand. She’s not wearing her engagement ring.
She reddens.
Ben doesn’t seem to notice. He’s not interested in Frankie that way, no matter how much she would like him to be.
“Mandy wants to get in shape for my wedding, too,” Frankie continues.
I lift my eyebrows. “Oh?”
“Well, it won’t hurt me to lose a few pounds.” Mandy shrugs.
Except that her body is perfect as it is. I always thought it was, and now that I’ve seen her naked? I know it is. She’s the only one who doesn’t.
“I think you’re both beautiful,” Ben says, “but working out isn’t just for looking better. It’s for feeling better.”
“Absolutely,” Frankie agrees, dazzling him with her smile once more—or attempting to.
Mandy says nothing, just gives her total attention to Ben’s special smoothie.
Within a few minutes, she’s done. “Ready, Frankie? My appointment is”—she checks her watch—“soon.”
“Your appointment is in forty-five minutes, Mandy.”
“Sure, but I want to get there early. You know, I need to change. Maybe have a steam.”
“You have a steam after the workout,” Frankie says.
“I think I want one before my workout.” She rises, walks the fifteen feet to the trash can, throws in her empty smoothie cup, and returns. “Thanks so much for the smoothie. And…I’m sorry for the other day.”
“No worries. I totally understand.” Ben smiles. “Maybe next time we can actually share that meal.”
He’s flirting with her, but Mandy doesn’t seem to notice.
“Come on, Frank,” she says.
Frankie smiles, though it’s forced. Clearly she’d rather stay here and talk to Ben. “Okay, coming.”
Once they’re gone, I glare at Ben.
“You know, just because your brother signs my paychecks, I can still kick the shit out of you.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
Ben and I are pretty evenly matched. But damn, I’m pissed off.
“Now I’m convinced you have a thing for her,” he says.
“You’re full of it.”
“Are you kidding me, Jack? I just witnessed the twenty-nine-year-old version of you pulling on her pigtails at recess. You’ve got it bad.”
“You’re wrong. I just look out for her. She’s my best friend.”
“She won’t be your best friend for long if you keep treating her that way.”
But he’s wrong. Mandy and I will be best friends forever.
Well, as long as I don’t fuck it up—and fuck her again.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Amanda
“Why didn’t you tell me you had lunch with Benjamin Black?” Frankie demands.
I shrug. “I guess it didn’t seem important.”
“Not important? He’s filthy rich and more handsome than a Greek god.”
“And you seem to be minus your engagement ring…again…”
“It’s in my purse. I took it off when we were trying on clothes.”
I could catch her in the lie. It would be easy, but what would be the point? I saw her slip it into her purse as soon as she saw Jack and Ben at the juice place.
Is this wedding even going to happen?
Probably not. Penn and Frankie have been on-again, off-again so many times, and now she’s worried that he didn’t come home last night.
At least she’s got someone. Sort of. I’ve got no one, and my best friend—my Jackson—has been treating me like complete crap.
Which means I go my own way.
I’ll start with Michael and the workout. Then maybe I’ll change the bio on my Lustr profile.
Or…maybe I’ll try to get back into Black Rose.
Whatever I decide, I don’t have to make my decision now. Now, all I have to do is go to the gym. Meet Michael. Have him work my butt off. I hope he’s not one of those intense trainers who will kick my ass and make me sore for the next week. I hate that, though it’s probably what I need.