“Please don’t interrupt me when I’m making a point. As I was saying, I’m very well-endowed and I think I do a pretty good job of pleasing the ladies, but I’m man enough to admit that I don’t see why anyone would choose to have sex with guys over girls. There’s no way it’s better. No way.”
I had to laugh at his thought process. Although, I wasn’t surprised that’s where his mind went. “I appreciate you saying that. You’re absolutely right, by the way, and I’m happy you’re able to admit that. But maybe it wasn’t about the sex.” I became more somber as I thought about it. “Maybe… Maybe it was love. Maybe she didn’t love me anymore. Maybe she fell out of love with me when she fell in love with him. I have no idea.” This thought brought tears to my eyes and I tried, and failed, to blink them away. I was so sick of crying. I had cried way too much this week.
Bo’s face was serious as he shook his head. “I don’t believe that. I’ve seen the way she looks at you even after all these years. I have a lot of trouble believing it was about more than just sex.”
“Stop. Don’t say that. I hate when people pull the whole ‘I see the way she looks at you’ thing. It’s so cliché. Such a Hollywood fabrication. Looks can be deceiving. Especially with Kacey. Don’t let those big, dark eyes fool you. If she cared about me, she never would have done that.” I couldn’t let myself believe that Kacey had feelings when she really didn’t. I finally felt like I could move on and believing a lie that she never stopped loving me would make that impossible.
“Either way, I think she’s a bitch for doing that to you. No amount of hotness makes that okay. You know my alliances are with you. They always will be, and I’m sorry if I made you feel differently. I don’t need more friends anyway.”
“You don’t have to cut her off just because of me. We’re adults. Not teenagers. I think we’re all mature enough to realize that we don’t have to like all the same people.” Even as I said the words, they felt like a lie. I wanted to be that mature. I knew I should be, but part of me was happy to hear Bo say those things.
“I’m just glad you’re talking to me again. The only person I had to talk to was Derek, and God, he’s annoying sometimes.”
“Now you know how I feel,” I joked.
“Speaking of Derek. We’re hitting the town together tonight. He’s coming over to my place soon and we’re going to pre-game then go out and try to get ourselves some ladies. What do you say? Want to join us?”
I scrunched up my nose in disgust. “I don’t think there’s anything in this world that I want to do less than that. You know how I feel about Derek.”
Bo groaned. “Yeah, yeah. I know. But he’s funny and not so bad to deal with after you’ve been drinking. You said that yourself.”
“I said that after you made me take way too many tequila shots and about an hour before I started throwing up all over your floor. There is a reason I don’t really drink anymore.”
“Hmm. I thought it was because you’re old and boring now.”
I reached across the table and slapped his shoulder. “Whatever, dude. Some of us have just come to terms with the fact that we’re not twenty-one anymore.”
“Whatever, to you too. At least come over and do one shot with me before I get ready.”
“Do I really have to walk all the way to your place to do a shot? I’ve been very content with barely going outside all week. Can’t we do one here?”
Bo smiled knowingly. “Oh, yeah, sure. Do you have any alcohol here?”
“No,” I mumbled, hanging my head in shame. I really was old and boring. I stood from the table, knowing that I owed Bo this one after how I treated him this past week.
A few minutes later, we were inside Bo’s house with a shot glass sitting in front of each of us. I took a large sniff and had to keep myself from gagging just from the smell. “All right, let’s just do this.”
“Don’t be so hasty. I need to toast first.” He held his glass high in the air and cleared his throat. “Here’s to you, and here’s to me, and here’s to all the girls that lick us where we—”
His words were cut off by the sound of the doorbell. Bo put down his glass and looked at his watch. “That’s weird. Derek isn’t supposed to be here for another half hour. He’s never early.” He lifted a finger. “Give me one second, and don’t you dare think this gets you out of anything.”
I stood in the kitchen just out of view of the front door and waited for Bo to open it, expecting to hear Derek’s loud and obnoxious voice echoing throughout the house. To my surprise, it wasn’t his voice. It was one that I dreaded even more.
“Hey, Bo. I’m really sorry to bother you. I have a feeling I’m the last person you want to see right now, and I don’t blame you. I’m kind of in a bind though. One of the bigger businesses my company works with had a huge crash in their main computer system, and we kind of need all hands on deck right now. I wanted to see if you happened to be free to watch Bailey. I can pay you. I wouldn’t expect you to do it for nothing.”
“I actually have plans tonight. I’m sorry.” Bo’s voice sounded both apologetic and hesitant. I could tell he was hoping not to anger any of the women in his house.
I went to sit my shot glass down on the table, but my hands were shaky just from hearing Kacey’s voice, and I ended up dropping it on its side instead. “Shit,” I whispered as the glass clanked loudly against the table.
“Oh. I’m sorry,” Kacey’s voice said from doorway. “I didn’t realize you had company.”
“No big. It’s just… ahh… Kari.” Bo’s unease was doing nothing to quell the current awkwardness.
“Miss Kari is here?” Bailey asked excitedly.
Before anyone could answer, she was rounding the corner into the kitchen with a wide grin on her face. “Miss Kari! Do you want to watch me tonight? You did say we were friends after all.”
God, why did I have to have such a soft spot for kids? I wanted to say no, if for no other reason than to spite Kacey, but I was powerless to the sweet puppy dog eyes Bailey was giving me. “You know what? That sounds great. I would love to hang out with you tonight.”
Everyone, aside from Bailey, looked surprised by my words. “Are you sure?” Kacey asked, her face so much more unsure than I had ever seen it in the past. “You really don’t have to, Kari. I can tell them I can’t come in.”
“Of course I’m sure,” I said as confidently as possible, hoping Bailey wouldn’t realize how much of a lie that was.
Kacey smiled slightly, but also looked like she could cry. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me, Kari.”
Something about the way she said my name reminded me of how it used to sound all those years ago, but now the thought made me feel sick. All those times she whispered my name. All those times she told me she loved me and always would. It was all a lie. One big lie. I could feel my body stiffening. “I’m doing it for Bailey,” I said firmly.
The trace of a smile immediately fell from Kacey’s face. “Oh. Of course. I know.” Kacey’s eyes bored into mine and it was too much to handle.