The Bet (The Bet #1)(30)

“Did you see him?” Sandy, a friend from senior year nudged her in the ribs. “He was hands down the hottest piece of man candy I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

“I want to lick him,” another girl piped up.

“I’ll lick him all day,” a guy shouted from across the room.

Good to know this guy, whoever he was, could bat for both teams. He probably was gay. All the good ones were gay.

“No offense, Kacey.” Joy reached across the table and patted her hand. “But he’s even hotter than Jake!”

Gasps were heard all around. “No! Are you kidding me? You don’t say?” people kept saying over and over again. Absolute silence took over as a man in a tight black t-shirt walked out of the restrooms and made a beeline straight for their table.

His eyes focused only on Kacey.

Her heart nearly stopped in those few seconds.

His bright smile was for her, and only her.

Damn him.

“Kacey, why is he looking at you? Kacey?” Sandy nudged her, but Kacey kept her eyes focused on Travis, her smile getting wider and wider.

When he reached her side he hunched on his knees in order to be face to face with her. He reached in to kiss her cheek, lingering an extra second before pulling back.

“I figured you may need rescuing.”

Sandy cursed next to her.

Joy giggled.

Another woman said, “How does she do it? Jake and the mystery man?”

“Thank you.” Kacey swallowed her pride and took his offer for what it was, a way to get out of that place, away from Jake’s admirers.

“Sorry, ladies.” Kacey pushed out of her seat and gathered her purse and sunglasses. “I forgot that Travis and I were going to go to…”

“The park,” he finished for her. “I hope I’m not stealing you away too soon.”

“No,” Kacey answered when everyone else said “Yes!” at the table.

“Wait,” Sandy interjected. “Travis? Travis, you look kind of familiar.”

“Bro!” Jake shouted. “Get over here!”

Kacey rolled her eyes.

Gasps were again heard around the table.

“You’re Travis Titus! Oh my word! Oh my word! Look at them both!” If Sandy didn’t watch it, she was going to have a heart attack.

Just then her husband came around the corner, his pudgy stomach all the more evident next to Travis’s perfect physique. “Hey, baby.” He tried to kiss her on the cheek, but Sandy pushed him away.

Kacey pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

“Hey, Kace, where you going? Travis, what are you doing here?” Jake tried to act happy. Kacey could tell because his lips were twitching like he wanted to scowl and then punch his brother in the face.

“Grandma wanted me to take Kacey to the park, something about the wedding or something.”

Well, that was a lie. On both accounts, but Kacey wasn’t going to argue.

“Oh, well, um, I guess I’ll go too.”

“No!” The girls all but yelled. “Jakey, stay with us.” A girl came up to his side and pouted. “She’ll be fine. We haven’t seen you in years!” She rolled her eyes.

Kacey wanted to pull her hair out.

Jake opened his mouth to speak, but another girl looped her arm with his. “Please Jake, you still haven’t told us about your trip to Africa to help the nomads.”

Seriously? They were buying this? Really? Kacey wanted to scream. He chuckled and nodded his head. “Sure, I’ll stay, but only for a little bit.” His eyes turned back to Kacey. “I hate to be away from my love for too long.”

Kacey wondered if slapping him or choking him would be more satisfying.

Jake leaned in and kissed her cheek. “See you soon.”

“Yup.” Kacey gave him a lame side hug and attached herself to Travis’s person like a leech.

Once they were outside she mumbled, “I’m still mad, but thank you.”

“Of course.” He put on his sunglasses.

“And I didn’t need saving.”

“I know.”

“Okay, I just want you to know that I was handling things fine and—”

“Kace, I know. Now, do you want to go have fun or sit here and argue?”

“Fun,” she mumbled.

He laughed. “Right. Well, let’s see what I can come up with.”





Chapter Seventeen


Jake watched their disappearing forms. Well, actually he watched Kacey’s. His brother could go to hell for all he cared.

What was he doing here anyway? It wasn’t his high school reunion.

Just as he was ready to go after them, a hot blonde tugged at his shirt and smiled up at him as if to change his mind. “Are the rumors true, then?”

“Rumors?” He gave her a dazzling smile.

“That girls cry when you leave them in bed because they want you so badly.” She was trying to be sexy, but honestly the minute she said cry and bed together, he lost all his sexual appetite in one giant rush.

Kacey.

God, he was stupid.

He should have apologized.

Or at least done something, anything other than just sit there with his head in his hands, ready to burst into tears over ruining the most important friendship in his existence.