I’ve only been here for thirty seconds, and already all I want to do is jump Aidan in front of everyone. He looks delectable in a brown sweater and black jeans. I’ve never seen him wear jeans, but they make his ass look fantastic. Only I’m not supposed to be thinking any of this, because of my damn decision to keep this thing between us a secret.
Why do relationships in this town have to be such a big deal? We’re all adults. We have needs. And my needs are itching to be met, seeing as I can’t stop staring at Aidan’s ass.
I say hi to Jamie and Layton, then escape to the kitchen without looking at Aidan again. As much as I’d like to feel proud, forcing him to look at my ass instead, my track pants don’t show off much, and I wish I’d worn leggings.
I’m caught in a Simone and Raegan sandwich before I’ve made it three steps into the kitchen.
“I’m so glad you were able to come!” Raegan squeals, hugging me tightly.
“Me too,” Simone agrees, pressing in on my other side. “I feel like I never get to hang out with you.”
“I barely get to hang out with her,” Raegan chimes in. “She’s like a shooting star.”
I snort. “A shooting star covered in animal feces.”
Simone’s nose scrunches as she pulls away. “Okay, I was totally romanticizing farm life until now. Thanks for bursting that bubble.”
Raegan shakes her head as she finally releases me. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I’ve worked at the rescue. It’s hard.”
“So that’s why you’re always busy?” Simone asks, pouring herself a drink. She eyes Raegan and they exchange a knowing look.
What the fuck is that about?
“It’s not so bad,” I tell them with a shrug. “I love spending time with the animals. It’s only hard when my mom’s not there.”
Raegan smacks her forehead. “Oh yeah! I forgot to ask about Mariska. How is she?”
“She’s glad to be home. My aunt is a nightmare.”
They both laugh but don’t make any further comments about it. Instead, Raegan changes the subject. “Sooo,” she starts, “how’s dating life? Did you find anyone interesting from the speed dating event?”
I realize I never told her how the event went from my perspective. This is the first she’s asked about any of the men, and I assumed she knew I considered the night a dud, despite that not being entirely true.
“Not really,” I say with a shrug. “One guy was nice enough, but we haven’t spoken since.”
Simone yelps as she takes my hand. “Why not?”
I pull my hand away and chew on my fingernail. “I dunno. I wasn’t interested.”
I see Raegan’s pout out of the corner of my eye, but I don’t face her. “I thought it went pretty well,” she says quietly.
I instantly feel guilty and give her a reassuring smile. “It did go well, Rae. It was great. I’m just not interested in dating right now.”
“Is it because of your schedule?” Simone asks pryingly.
This irks me. It shouldn’t matter why I don’t want to go on a date with some random man in town while I have too many, more important things to focus on. It’s my business, and I don’t want to talk about this anymore, so I use the only ammo I have to deflect the focus from me.
“What about you, Simone? Have you been seeing anyone lately? You and Casey looked awfully cozy the other day.”
Simone’s body freezes as her upper lip curls in a grimace. She doesn’t look me in the eye as she mumbles to Raegan that she’s going to step outside for some fresh air.
I know I’ve crossed a line. I had no right to spring that on her. I could be mistaken, and whatever I saw between them at the coffee shop could have been completely innocent, but by opening my mouth, I’ve now made Simone uncomfortable, and I’m scared she’ll never trust me again.
“I’m so sorry,” I say to Raegan as I pinch the bridge of my nose roughly. “That was stupid. I just wanted the attention off me, and?—”
“It’s fine,” she says, tone clipped. “I’ll talk to her.”
I head back into the living room, utterly modified. The first quarter of the game is already over, and the guys are talking about a new movie trailer that just dropped during the commercials.
