Page 92 of Dr. Sexypants

“He is. Orrrr, you could talk to him before and make your debut as a couple at the party.”

“You’re assuming he’s going to say yes. For all I know, he’s already dating someone else. Or he’s just no longer interested.”

“Jade said she hasn’t heard anything. And if anyone would know, it’s the hospital grapevine.”

“Unless he’s keeping it a secret.”

Lainey laughed. “That’s your MO, babe. It doesn’t seem to be his.”

“You don’t know. It could be his, too. Have you ever heard of him dating anyone other than me?”

“Maybe because he hasn’t?”

“Come on. He’s thirty-six. Not to mention handsome, sexy, and successful.”

“And he was keeping a huge secret.”

“But he’s not anymore.”

“All the more reason to snatch him up. He told you he wasn’t going to wait forever.”

I didn’t need him to wait forever—just one more week from Sunday.

~~~~

The next morning, I woke up to a text from Lainey.

Lainey: We’re going to Hannigan’s tonight. Girls’ night!

That sounded fun. I missed hanging out with everyone. I’d begged off the last girls’ night because I’d still been hiding from the world. They’d celebrated Brian asking Jade to marry him, and I felt bad for missing it. I still needed to get them an engagement gift.

Me: What time?

Lainey: We’re going to be wild and crazy and start at nine.

That was easy for me. I was a night owl.

Me: I’ll see you then.

****

Justin

I walked into Hannigan’s at a quarter to seven. Rob had called me that morning and invited me for drinks and to watch the first game of the baseball playoffs Wild Card round. He knew I wouldn’t say no since the Cubs were playing.

I’d grown up watching the Cubs on WGN, so they just became “my” team.

Since I was fifteen minutes early, I decided to wait at the bar and sent him a text to look for me there. The game had just started.

The last time I’d been at Hannigan’s was on my birthday, when I’d driven Kristy home. Then we’d ended up having milkshakes and sex at my place.

That had been a good night.

The Phillies had the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, with only one out, so my focus was on the TVs above the bar, when I felt a hand on my shoulder and my friend’s voice ask, “Who’s winning?”

I didn’t even look at him when I answered. “It’s one-nothing, Cubs. But the Phillies could score here.”

“Okay, I got us a table in front of a TV over there.”