The Lover’s Game (No Exceptions #2)(15)
Author: J.C. Reed

Thalia’s eyebrows knitted together in a frown. “Why would you want to run back to someone? You call them an ex for a reason.”

I shrugged. Why would I want that indeed? “I don’t know. The sex was pretty good—amazing really.”

“Here’s what I usually recommend.” Gina finally sat down, turning her attention back to us and wearing a determined look on her face. “If a man hits five on the list, you sleep with him, if only to feel shitty afterward and replace your good memories with bad ones.”

My lips twitched as I tried hard to suppress the laughter bubbling at the back of my throat. Either they were making fun of me, or the alcohol was speaking and they wouldn’t remember a word the following day. “And what list would that be?”

“Clean, sexy, good-looking.” She started counting and paused. “That’s it. Everything else is a bonus.” I didn’t want to point out that she barely got to three points; maybe two since the term “clean” was debatable.

“She’s right,” Thalia said, her speech slurring more by the second. “It’s hard to find a man who’s caring and sexy, attentive and handsome. And don’t get me started on supportive.”

“Take it from me,” Gina continued, “most men ran if I so much as asked them to water my plants.”

Thalia nudged her. “You forgot to add hardworking but not completely obsessed with his career to the point of forgetting that you exist.”

“So you suggest settling for less?” I asked, amused.

“No.” Gina drew out the word and exchanged glances with Thalia. “What we’re saying is that if you want to move on, you first need to get laid. There’s no way around that.” She paused for effect. “I know the perfect singles bar, and it just so happens to be down the street. Let’s pay the place a visit.”

“I hope you’re not talking about that male strippers club again.” Thalia laughed. Gina shot her a dirty look, shutting her up.

Strippers? Oh, God.

It was exactly what I had tried to avoid—running around from one place to the next, because I couldn’t possibly leave them to their fate. They were too drunk for that, and someone had to make sure they got home safely. As much as I hated the idea, I couldn’t just abandon them.

“You said just one bar and one drink,” I muttered.

“I’ve changed my mind.” Gina grinned and finished her drink in one gulp. “We’ll help you, under one condition.”

For some reason, I had a bad feeling. All that talk about sleeping with a stranger made me feel uncomfortable. I narrowed my eyes at her. “Which is?”

“We make the decision.”

“What decision?” I asked, confused.

Gina smiled mysteriously. “We choose your guy of the night for you.” At my shocked expression she raised her hands to stop my protest. “ Wait. Hear me out. You don’t have to sleep with him. Just promise that you’ll date him for a couple hours.”

I looked from Gina to Thalia in confusion. Friends choosing a guy for you? It sounded like a bad idea. I only had to think of my friends’ disaster dates to know that hookups would end in the walk of shame, with my head buried deep in the sand. However, I also wondered what would happen if, for once, I let someone else make such a decision on my behalf. I wasn’t exactly known for my good judgment in choosing suitable males for a relationship. Before Jett, I had only dated the kind of guy who couldn’t commit if his life depended on it. And Jett…

I blew out a breath. He hadn’t been so different than the others, what with his whole misguided idea about not marrying until we were old and gray. He had been such a bad decision. The whole falling-in-love-with-him thing had been a disaster. What if they had more luck than I had? What if a one-night date, a getting to know a complete stranger without having to sleep with him, was the solution, a way to move on from Jett and banish my memories of him—of being with him?

“Jealousy is still the best way to get back at someone,” Gina debated with Thalia.

“It’s not about revenge. It’s about regaining your self-respect by knowing you deserve better,” Thalia answered.

I held up a hand to stop their chatter. “Okay. I’ll do it.” I grabbed my bag and coat, ready to banish my memories of Jett to the back of my mind, if I hung on to them at all.

They stared at me until Gina gave Thalia a short pat on the shoulder. “You heard her. Let’s go.”

They grabbed their coats and bags in haste, as though they feared I might change my mind.

“But no more drinks for me,” I said.

“Do you remember your address?” Gina asked, grinning.

I frowned. “Yeah. Why?”

“That’s all that matters. A yellow cab will take care of the rest.” Her face creased up in laughter. “Besides, I’m next in line to pay, and one last drink won’t change your life.”

I could only hope so. If only my feelings would stop telling me that she was wrong.

Chapter 10

When Gina had mentioned the singles bar, she forgot to add the fact that she was really talking about an underground club that looked like some sort of seedy, illegal establishment. Bass beats were blasting from inside, so loud my head began to pound before we even walked in. The entire building was painted black, reminding me of a graveyard. The entire atmosphere screamed bizarre, and definitely not my style. I should have already realized from the large, red “HUSH HUSH” neon sign above the entrance door painted in black that it was not the kind of establishment I would ever enter. But instead of arguing and standing my ground at the door, I clamped my mouth shut, waiting to see what could possibly happen next.

It was only when a guy covered in tattoos exited, his eyes assessing my body hungrily as his tongue brushed his teeth in a gross gesture, that I desperately wanted to run away.

“Are you insane?” I hissed at Gina.

“What? Are you scared?” Gina rolled her eyes and pulled at my hand. “Don’t be a pu**y. I’ve been here countless times, and it’s great. Just wait until you’re inside.”

“That’s probably open to interpretation,” I muttered under my breath.

“You wanted a new date. This is where you’ll find him,” Thalia added. “In your circumstances, you can’t be too fussy. You want to stop running back to your ex, right?”

I wanted to point out that they had insisted on finding me a date and that it had been all their idea, but there was no point in arguing.