Abi shook her head.
Melanie's gaze narrowed. "Who is coming to the bar with us?"
"You know me too well," Abigail said with a sigh. "Oh, well. It's time to confess. I'm going out with this guy Adam."
“You want me to third-wheel a date with you?” Melanie asked as she sat her pile of graded papers to the side. It's not like Melanie hadn't done it before. Whenever Abigail went on a date with a guy she met on one of these dating apps, she would sometimes ask Melanie to come with her.
“I don’t know,” Melanie said, thinking about the times she had done this before. Sometimes, it was very entertaining, and Melanie would get a laugh out of it. And then other times, it was boring and awkward. “I hate being a third-wheel.”
“It’s either that or stay in the house obsessing about what lover boy is doing at a party with all those young girls.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “What time?”
CHAPTER
40
MELANIE
W
HEN ABIGAIL OFFERED MELANIE TO GO OUT WITH HER AS A THIRD-WHEEL, Melanie knew she shouldn’t have accepted her invitation. She thought it might be entertaining to see this poor guy try to keep up with Abigail. But Melanie should have known there was a reason Abigail had wanted her to go on this date, other than supposed first-day jitters, but the last thing Melanie had expected was to be roped into a double date with her. Melanie was going to kill her.
When Melanie’s phone dinged, she noticed it was a message from her so-called friend that she was going to kill who sat across from her at the booth.
From Abigail:My bad.
Melanie gritted her teeth before she aggressively tapped the letters on her phone.
To Abigail:How the hell could you set me up on a double date? I’m in a relationship.
From Abigail:At the last minute, he told me to bring a friend, and I couldn’t think of anyone else but you. Just show him you aren’t interested. He’ll take the hint.
Melanie sat her phone back down, not bothering to reply, or she was positive that she was going to curse her friend out via text. They sat inside a seedy bar that had enough people in it for it not to be completely dead, but not too many people that it was packed. The various television screens were filled with different sports entertainment, including hockey games. People mingled about with their drinks chatting, and the pool tables were surrounded by boisterous men who placed bets while bragging.
“So, Melanie, I think you’re a very pretty woman, maybe the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.”
The block of cheese he shoved down her throat with that line nearly made her hurl. Melanie and Abigail sat with Abigail's date for the night, Andrew, and his friend, George, at the booth where there was a small plate of peanuts and chips between them, along with four beers. Melanie was seated next to George, while Abigail cozied up next to her date.
George was a real estate agent who liked to use the cheesy lines he used at work to sell himself as a good guy to women. But it was obvious he was sleazy. And according to Andrew, George begged to go on this date with him because he was tired of the single life. Melanie hated to burst his bubble and Abigail's, but there was no way she was going to pretend to be single when she wasn’t. It was disrespectful to Noah, and she wasn’t going to do something like that to their relationship.
“Thank you for your compliment, George, but I’m sorry to say this. I’m in a relationship.”
Abigail, who had been enjoying her date with Andrew, glared at her. Melanie felt slightly guilty because though George was a total sleaze, Andrew was a very good-looking guy who was the total opposite of his friend.
“Oh, I didn’t know you got back in a relationship with him already,” Abigail lied smoothly to make it seem like she hadn't lied to Andrew. Whatever. She’ll give her friend an inch. After all, Melanie could see why Abi liked Andrew. He was a good-looking guy, had a nice smile, and was a total gentleman. He didn't ruin the mood with awkward jokes, and he wasn't eyeing Abigail down like a dog eyeing a bone. Again, how was he friends with George? Didn't birds of the same feather flock together? But then again, look at her and Abi. No one would believe they were friends.
“Who is this boyfriend of yours that you have gotten back together with?” George asked as he took a sip of his beer. “I bet you he isn’t as good-looking as me.”
Melanie nearly snorted at the audacity of his comment. George looked like a gorilla in comparison to Noah, who looked twenty times better than him. And even if George looked better than Noah, his personality still sucked.
“You don’t need to know. All you need to know is that I’m in a relationship, and I’m not looking for one.”
“So, you aren’t going to tell me anything? His job occupation? What he does for a living?” George grinned with a knowing smile. “You must be ashamed of him if you aren’t going to say anything.”
“George,” Andrew said with a warning tone.
“No offense, but your friend is a dick,” Abigail said as her languid posture against Andrew stiffened while she shot lasers at George, whose attention was focused on Melanie, waiting for her response.
