The look I give him usually scares most people.
“If you don’t show by seven fifteen, I’ll leave,” he assures me.
This time, I do roll my eyes at him. What a way to end the day last night, and what a way to start the day this morning.
This man will be the death of me. That seems to be the only commitment he’ll ever want to make.
TWENTY
Alex
“I needyou and the rest of the group to organize a get together for Saturday night,” I tell Kyle.
He blinks at me a few times. “We already have plans for Saturday night.”
“Good.” I nod in approval. “I’ll be there with Mona.”
Kyle blinks again. “Wait. No. Me and Zara have plans for Saturday night, notweas a group.”
“Why can’t you just do it on Friday night?” I suggest.
Kyle huffs in annoyance. “You’re gonna dictate now when I should take my girlfriend out on a date?”
I still don’t understand how this clown has a steady girlfriend, one who loves him passionately, and I just can’t get it together with Mona. What is it that he has? I can answer the question myself. Most likely not a damaged brain.
“We can all meet at Casey’s,” I suggest out usual bar when the guys get together.
“What the fuck, you’re high jacking my day and making me drive into the city for it, too?”
I shrug. “It’ll be easier that way.”
“For who?” Kyle opens his arms wide. “None of us live in the city but you.”
I rock back and forth in my chair, looking like I’m thinking about how to answer his question. In fact, my mind is going a mile a minute as I think about Mona and all these extra hours she’s been working. Why? She never showed any sign that she’s low on funds. Why is she suddenly working this much?
I realize with a start that I didn’t bother to ask if she’s working on Sunday, too. At this rate, I wouldn’t even be surprised. Pissed, yes, but not surprised.
“Hello?” Kyle waves a hand in front of my eyes. “Earth to Alex. What the fuck is going on, dude?”
I push his hand away and sigh. “I told Mona that we have a group get together this weekend, and I invited her to attend.”
Kyle’s eyes look like they are about to fall out of his head. “There is no groupanythingthis weekend. I got plans with Zara. I don’t know what the others are doing.”
“I need help.”
The words drop like a massive boulder between us, leaving us to stare at each other across the crater it created. I understand the shock on Kyle’s face. I have never asked for help with anything personal, not when it came to women.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, though. And I am desperate for sure. I don’t know how I can not only get Mona back, but keep her forever, too. There has to be a way.
“Dude, not gonna lie, you’re scaring the crap out of me,” my friend declares. “Who are you even?”
I clear my throat a few times. “You said you’d help me get Mona back.”
He nods in agreement. “I did, but you forgot to mention that it would interfere with my own relationship.”
I roll my eyes at how dramatic he sounds.
“Nice,” he mumbles. “Like that’s gonna make me jump through hoops to convince Mona you’re not the prick she thinks you are.”
