Mr. Wrong Number(79)

“Whew.” He gave a little laugh. “It’s really been bugging me, just so you know.”

“No worries.” I cleared my throat. “Let me ask you this, by the way. I totally understand Colin’s reasons, but why did you agree to the whole thing?”

He looked concerned again. “Well—”

“I’m assuming you just felt bad and wanted to protect me from feeling rejected. Like Colin.”

He nodded, happy for the lifeline. “I did. Colin was telling me how you’d been through a lot with losing your job and everything, and he said you were like a sweet, adorably klutzy little puppy and he just didn’t want you to be destroyed by getting stood up.”

“Wow.” Klutzy little puppy. I clenched my fists and simpered, “You’re so nice.”

He lowered his voice and said, “Well, he did have to buy me a bottle of scotch, so I’m not that nice.”

Did he think I’d find that funny?

He leaned down a little closer. “I actually wanted to ask you out after that, but Colin wouldn’t let me. So please don’t be mad that I didn’t call.”

“Really.” I gave an Oscar-worthy performance of a genuine laugh. “You must not have wanted to very badly, if he was able to talk you out of it.”

“Well, I’m asking now.” He looked pleased with his answer. “Can I take you out sometime?”

“Colin not stopping you anymore?”

He grinned. “Let’s just say I’ve figured him out. He claimed you were batshit crazy with a truckload of issues, but I should’ve known he was lying to keep me out of his territory.”

“You do realize that referring to any woman as someone’s territory is offensive, don’t you, Nick?” Batshit crazy. Truckload of issues. I wanted to kick stuff down all of a sudden as rage started blooming inside of me. I’d actually come to terms with my emotions and decided to consider Colin’s apology for the sake of possible true love.

And it was a joke. I was a joke to him, just like I’d always been.

“Whoa.” Nick ran a hand over his beard and said, “I am really sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you, I was just saying that I think Colin was jealous.”

Always with the impeccable timing, Colin walked through the door. He hadn’t seen us yet, and I was physically pained by how handsome he was as he walked inside like a movie star. Those expressive eyes, that mouth that I knew for a fact tasted like blue Altoids 99 percent of the time; it was all for nothing.

A waste of beauty.

The moment he saw me, everything else fell away. His eyes on mine—that was all that existed in the world for a long and extended second. His mouth started to slide into a smile, but then he saw Nick.

He walked over and said, “Nick. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Nick glanced at me, then at Colin. “Talk about your small worlds.”

I shut my laptop and stuck it in my bag. “Listen, Beck, we’re going to have to do this some other time.”

That got me his full attention. “What?”

I shrugged. “Nick asked me out, and I think I’m going to do that this morning instead. Maybe we’ll connect next week or something.”

“I think Nick means later.” Colin glared at his friend. “Nick is going to take you out later.”

“Whenever you want,” Nick stammered.

“I don’t care what you think Nick means, Colin.” I shimmied out of the booth and lifted my chin. “I want to go out with him now.”

“What is this?” He gestured to both of us and looked irritated. “You guys are talking now?”

“No, no,” Nick said, kissing Colin’s ass so much that I wanted to slug him, too. “I just ran into her.”

I said to Colin, “Our relationship is none of your business.”

“We don’t have a relationship,” Nick laughed, looking at Colin like I was batshit crazy. “Seriously.”

“Oh, my God, can you take your lips off his ass for five seconds?” I rolled my eyes at Nick and said to Colin, “I actually don’t want to go out with him, but I definitely don’t want to talk to you. See you guys later.”

I took two steps before Colin grabbed the strap of my bag and yanked me back. “What happened to talking?”

“I’ve spent a few minutes talking to your buddy Nick here and I’ve learned everything I need to know.”

Colin turned his face to his friend. “What the hell did you say to her?”

Nick’s face went red and he full-on dissolved, lowering his voice and saying to Colin, “I have no idea what’s happening, man. You were right about her because I just stopped by her table to say hi and she lost her shit.”

“I can hear you, you jackass,” I said through gritted teeth.

Colin swallowed and his eyes darted to my face, then back to Nick. “Why don’t you take off and let us talk.”

Nick very nearly sprinted for the door while Colin and I stared each other down.

“Can we sit?” He was still holding on to my strap. “Please?”

I bit my bottom lip before saying, “I don’t think I want to talk.”

His jaw clenched and he raised a hand and touched my chin. “Please?”