“Give her a sweet kiss,” chimes the elderly woman in high-waisted grandma jeans and a bright orange cardigan.
Holy hell, these people are killing me!
Jaeger slams back his drink and thumps it so hard on the felt I wince.Mouth compressed, he spins and strides toward Gen.
Heat rushes up my neck.He won’t… he wouldn’t…
Jaeger closes in on Gen and her ex-boyfriend.Relief flashes across her eyes, swiftly replaced by uncertainty.Without breaking stride, Jaeger wraps his arms around her waist from behind, leans down, and tucks his face against her neck.
I inhale sharply, feeling a stab of jealousy so intense I can’t breathe.My eyes burn and my palms tingle where they’re clenched.He’s doing this because I asked him to—and it hurts like nothing before.
I was right.Losing Eric was nothing compared to what it would be like to lose Jaeger.This is fire and rage and sheer misery, and I want it to stop.
Gen’s ex steps back, gaping.He shifts his feet and seems to be saying something to Gen, but she’s not paying attention.She’s smiling as Jaeger nuzzles her neck, whispering something in her ear.
Son of a bitch!
“Oh, that’ll convince the boy she’s taken,” says the woman with the orange cardi.“Good for him!”She smacks the table, rattling the chips.
“Hey—” I snap my fingers at both my customers.“Pay attention, people!”I glare at Mr.Sweaty Sunglasses.“Hit or stay?”
What is wrong with me?I just asked the guy I’m infatuated with, who’s still mad I didn’t tell him I had a boyfriend, to feel up my best friend?It wouldn’t be Gen’s fault if she fell in love with him.
I’m a blind dumbass.
The A-hole flings his hand in the air as if he’s done with Gen and stomps out of the lounge, his face contorted and flushed.I’m seconds from clawing my way over the blackjack table to break up Gen and Jaeger—players, pit boss be damned—when Jaeger looks directly over.His mouth curves into a subtle smirk.
He knows what this is doing to me, damn him.
Jaeger loosens his hold on Gen and takes a step back.
She looks stunned and happily flustered.
Please don’t let her want him, or my life is about to be miserable.
Hours later—afterthe A-hole incident—I’m in the employee basement, waiting at a cafeteria table for Gen to meet me for dinner break.I have another ten minutes before I return for my last hour on the floor, and I’m desperate to find out what happened between her and Jaeger.I got the disturbing gist from my vantage at the blackjack table, but I want—no,need—to know the details, and how Gen feels about him after he rushed in to rescue her.
Gen enters the cafeteria and crosses the room with a smile on her face.At least the encounter with the A-hole doesn’t seem to have had any lasting ill effects.That’s something.
She points to the doodle I’ve been absently working on while I wait.It vaguely resembles the mountain landscape etched into the front door of Jaeger’s parents’ house, only my doodle is made of shapes rather than lines.
“That’s really good.”She looks closer.“Is that entire tree made up of”—she cocks her head—“triangles?”
“And squares and trapezoids… What happened with the A-hole?I saw him swoop in, but I couldn’t get away.”
“Oh, God!How does he know I work here?We stopped dating before I decided to come to Tahoe.Weird.”She shakes her head.“Can you believe he wanted to see what I was doing after work?As if I’d meet up with him.Is he on something?”
“What did you say?”
“I told him I was busy, which isn’t true.Jaeger walked up before he could pester me about it.”Neither of us are very good liars, so I understand her worry.Gen smiles.“Jaeger was so sweet, Cali.”
I clear my throat.“So what did Jaeger do?”
A devious edge morphs her dreamy expression.“Put the A-hole in his place.Nothing saysI’m not interestedmore thanI’ve moved on with a smoking hot guy.”She leans back in her chair, satisfied.“It was a beautiful moment.”
I’m sensing bloodlust from my gentle best friend, and I’m not sure whether to be proud or fearful.“Yeah, I caught the tail end of that.The A-hole looked pretty pissed.”
She huffs out a breath.“You know what’s funny?I don’t even care, as long as he stays away.”
