“Suchcozy vibes,” I grumble, shrugging on my jacket. “Way to neglect a friend—absolute disgrace, dudes! Guess I’ll need to go find myself a consolation prize. Keep myself busy.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard,” deadpans Lane.
Adam hauls himself off the couch and walks me to the front door.
“Don’t be a dick—okay, Lewis? I know the app’s your baby and it’s hard for you to walk away from it, but don’t be too hard on her.”
“Whatever, man.”
As I head down the stairs to my car, his words echo in my mind.That guy knows me way too well.I’m disheartened, it’s true. I’m feeling down about it all, and my trainee is paying the price when she doesn’t deserve to. Iwillmake an effort, I decide—but she’ll have to step things up a gear, too.And this time, maybe try not to fucking stall.
IT DOESN’T TAKE ME LONGto get to our meetup point, and by the time I pull in, she’s already waiting by the roadside, staring into space, not noticing me arrive. I glance in the rearview mirror. There’s nobody crawling up my ass this time, and I take my time checking her out. Brown hair skimming her shoulders, a neat, toned figure. She’s definitely hot, and that’s an asset to the team. The four guys checking her out across the road are a case in point. Most of our passengers are girls, but Amy might finally tip the balance a little, unlike Amir—though he’s clearly the lower-risk option.
Decisions, decisions.
A car horn blares out behind me, and she turns just as I hit the gas. I pull up beside her and hop out of the car.
Play nice, Conley!
“Hey, Amy.”
She blinks. “Hey, Conley.”
She seems tense, and I guess I only have myself to blame for that. I’ve been hard on her, and now that she’s here, I’m thinking I might as well play the good cop.
“Ready for your next rodeo, Amy?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Where’s your Pontiac, Amy?”
She looks at me for a beat.
“Care to tell me why you keep tagging my goddamn name onto the end of every sentence?”
I flash her a grin. “It’s just manners. You know—building bonds, creating a sense of deeper connection…”
“Uh-huh.” She jerks her chin. “I’m parked over there.”
“Then let’s do this, Amy. I have less than an hour until I need to head to practice.”
“Sure. I have places to be, too.”
I’m about to ask her what places, exactly, but she’s already gone, striding purposefully toward her car, sliding behind the wheel, fastening her seat belt after three failed attempts.
“Think you’ll be okay starting the engine without stalling?” I jibe as I settle into my seat.
“That joke is just going to run and run, isn’t it?”
“Feels that way.” I smile.
“Let’s hope you’re still around to tell it,” she says slowly. “If you know what I mean,Lewis.”
“Ever since I first got in your car, it’s been a risk I’ve been willing to take,Amy.”
She starts the engine and drops into first, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she eases us out and away. I throw an arm around her headrest and lean in, staring at her with fake amazement.
“Wow, this is some serious progress, Amy. You really are something, aren’t you?”
