The Hazards of Sex on the Beach (Hazards #3)(24)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

I laughed. “Nice. I think it’s funny that you didn’t want to date an attorney.”

“Why? I figured he’d be uptight—and he kind of is.” She picked up a piece of her Rainbow roll with her chopsticks.

“I’m the opposite. When I hear attorney, I think stable. Dating Chase is as crazy as possible for me.”

“Chase managed to find the one girl who wasn’t excited to date a musician… figures.”

“If I’d known what he was when I met him, there’s not a chance I’d have hooked up with him.” At least if alcohol hadn’t been involved. But either way, musicians definitely weren’t my type.

“Really? His charm and good looks weren’t enough?” She grinned over her glass of wine.

“I just like safe… or I did.”

“I’m guessing the ex-boyfriend was on a more stable path?”

“Yeah. He’s planning to go to law school.” I poured some more low sodium soy sauce into the dish.

“Maybe Chase is just what you need. I know his career doesn’t seem stable, but he is. He’s not the kind of guy who sleeps around. You got under his skin.”

“I’m not sure why or what he wants. We barely know each other.”

“Then get to know each other.”

“That’s impossible right now.”

“Is it? Haven’t you guys talked on the phone?”

“And video chat too.”

“It’s kind of perfect. Get to know each other without jumping into bed every ten minutes. It’s amazing how sex can get in the way sometimes.”

I choked on my iced tea. “You’re blunt.”

“Just being honest. He’s coming back for a festival in Savannah in March, isn’t he? Until then, use the space to decide whether you’re compatible.”

“As strange as that idea sounds, I kind of like it.” Maybe space and time were exactly what we needed. It was the opposite of how things started out with Aaron, and that made it even more appealing.

“Look, I have an ulterior motive, clearly. I’d love to see you guys work things out, but selfish thoughts aside, I think he might just be what you need. If there’s ever a time to step outside your comfort zone, it’s college. Life gets more complicated after you graduate.”

“You’re kind of good at this pep talk stuff.” I finished the last of my California roll.

“I’m in PR. I’m supposed to be good at spinning things.”

I laughed. “Now the truth comes out.”

“There’s always different ways to look at a situation. You have to find the one that works.”

“Is there always one that works? I mean, aren’t there times when there’s no positive spin?”

“You’re nineteen. You’re not allowed to sound so jaded.”

“I’ll be twenty in April.”

“Big difference.” She took a long sip of wine. “Breakups hurt. I don’t know all the details, but I gather your ex really did a number on you. That sucks. I’m not going to sugar coat it, but you know what’s going to feel good? When you let yourself fall in love again. That’s when you’ll be able to walk past the guy without it even affecting you.”

“It sounds like you’re speaking from experience.” I set aside my chopsticks.

“I am more or less. As well as the experience of plenty of other women.”

“I don’t know about falling in love, but I’m going to see where things go with Chase. How often do you randomly meet a guy like that twice?”

“Exactly. I’m telling you, it’s fate. It’s one of those stories you’ll be telling your grandkids about.”

“Okay, that’s taking it too far.” I was hoping he’d still be interested in a few months, let alone anything longer.

She laughed. “Fair enough.”

“Do you know much about his band?” Jade had given me some details, but I wanted more.

“Sure. You know they just signed with Interline Records, right?”

“Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”

She laughed. “It’s one of the biggest labels out there. This is a huge transition for the band. Chase has been downplaying it, but Len’s not. He’s loving the attention.”

“Chase doesn’t seem like the usual front man.” At least not the ones I’d seen.

“He’s not. Don’t get me wrong, he loves performing, but off stage, he’d rather just have quiet, you know?”

“It’s still crazy that he’s interested in me. If his band is doing that well, he could have anyone.”

“Key word there is could. He doesn’t want to. Obviously, there’s something about you that attracted him, and it’s kept his attention. I haven’t seen him really date anyone for close to a year.”

“Really? That long?” The admission surprised me. If Chase wasn’t the type to sleep around and he hadn’t dated in ages, then why had I suddenly broken his drought?

“His long-time girlfriend dumped him for someone else, and it messed with him, I guess. He still gets mad whenever anyone mentions her name.”

“What’s her name so I know to avoid it?”

“Ariana. I met her a few times. She’s a bitch. I really never understood why he was with her.”

I refused to think about the girl. She was an ex, just like Aaron was. No reason to dwell on it. “Okay, enough about Chase’s past love life. Let’s talk about your wedding.”

We spent the rest of dinner discussing her plans for a destination wedding. It sounded exciting and a part of me wondered if I’d be there.

“Want to just go back to my apartment or something? I forgot you weren’t twenty-one when I suggested drinks.”

“Oh. Sure. It doesn’t matter either way as long as Riley won’t mind.”

“He won’t. He’s grateful you’re putting up with me. I’ve been complaining about how lonely it is here since we moved.”

“How long has it been?” I couldn’t imagine a girl like Rachel having trouble making friends.

“I moved from Chapel Hill four months ago. When Riley popped the question, I knew it was time to stop doing long distance.”

“Wow. You just dropped everything and moved?” That was a huge commitment. I couldn’t imagine how hard moving to a new city for a guy would be, especially one that worked as much as Riley. “That couldn’t have been easy.”