Am I really going to have to kick some ass tonight?
Chapter Fourteen
“Hillary, this is Chelsea,” Dean introduces me to the brunette whose eyes are throwing invisible daggers at me through her fake-ass smile.
“Nice to meet you.” She daintily shakes my hand.
“Pleasure.”
“How come you never mentioned a girlfriend?” Her entire body shifts to face Dean, like I’m not even there.
I roll my eyes.
“It’s a new thing.”
“Or an old thing,” I chime in with an insincere smile.
Judge me if you want, but I hate when girls think it’s some sort of pissing contest. Can’t we just allow another girl to get a guy and be happy? If she’s been setting the hints down and he didn’t pick them up, he’s not interested. Move on. Why do you want a man who’s not interested in you? You’re worth more than that.
Dean chuckles lightly, glancing over at me with a sparkle in his dark eyes.
“So, you’re an on again off again hook up?” Hillary asks.
“You can’t be serious,” slips out of my mouth before I can stop myself.
Dean’s hand lands on my side, applying a little pressure.
“Excuse me?” Only her head swivels my way.
“Nothing.” I bite my tongue. Dean owes me big for this one. I circle around, place my hand on Dean’s chest, my fingers running up and down. “I’m going to go get that drink.” I lift on my tiptoes, plant a kiss on his cheek and then set my eyes on Hillary. “Nice to meet you.”
She smiles, and I walk away before any voices or fists are raised.
The bartender sets a napkin in front of me, another woman but thankfully not an admirer of Dean. At least not yet. “What can I get you?” she asks.
“Just a Miller Lite.”
I keep my eyes poised on the televisions and not once do I allow them to linger toward Dean and Hillary. He isn’t mine. I’m here as a favor. Yes, he says he wants me back, but it’s yet to be established whether he really has changed.
I continue to stare at the television, feigning interest. Sometimes I’m so good at acting like I don’t care it scares me.
“I like you.” The bartender washes a glass and I’m surprised how few people are here. Surely this isn’t his entire office. “Ballsy to wear the black and white.”
“I’m not going to pretend I’m a Cubs fan.”
She smiles, lifting another glass. She’s probably in her late thirties, a modest wedding ring on her left finger.
“Good for you. Nothing good comes from pretending to be someone you’re not.”
“That’s for sure.” I sip my beer, sitting down on a stool and watching another televised game in a different city.
Her sentence causes a lump to lodge in my throat. Is that what Dean is doing? Is he pretending? My insecurity wins over my pride and my gaze veers to Dean who’s now talking to a group of two men. Relief hits me fast and hard. I take in the rest of the room and find Hillary by the opening to the bar, talking with a group of women who look like they’re currently rating me on a scale of one to worthy of dating Dean Bennett.
It doesn’t take long for Dean to join me, his hand going up to get the attention of the friendly bartender whose name tag reads Noelle. “Just a water please.”
“Are you bleeding?” I ask, and his large frame sits down on the stool next to me.
“What?”
“From her claws digging into you.”
He chuckles. “I always did love you jealous.”
“And you went to great lengths to make me jealous.”
Noelle opens the bottle of water for him, placing it on the napkin and sliding it in front of him.
“She’s Heiberman’s daughter.” He confesses and it all clicks together.
“And she wants you?”
“I’m not available.” He gulps down half his water, setting it back down.
“Yes, you are.” I swivel my stool in his direction, noticing the ladies still trying to figure it all out. I can hear them now, “Why is Dean wasting his time with her?” I could list a whole spreadsheet of my great qualities, but they’d probably still be confused.
“Even if you don’t agree to be my girlfriend, it doesn’t make me available. My heart only belongs to you. That hasn’t changed.” He says this all with a straight face.
Words that would never have come out of Dean’s mouth five years ago.
I reach up, the back of my hand touching his forehead. “You feeling okay there?”
He snatches my hand, bringing it down to his lap. “I’ve never been better.” He stands up upon hearing the national anthem. “I think we’re here to see a ballgame.”
“That we are.” I allow him to guide me to the opening, sitting us on the opposite side of the woman who shall not be named.
We mingle with another tax attorney and his wife. Although they’re a little older, they enjoy razzing me about being a Sox fan and they’re cool with me hammering it back as the Sox score against the Cubs.
“Do you want another beer?” Dean leans over, his lips dangerously close to my earlobe.
“Maybe just a water.”
He nods, stands and heads to the bar.
A minute later Hillary takes his seat.
“Hi, I just wanted you to know I meant no offense, it’s just usually when a guy doesn’t mention a girlfriend it’s because she’s really just a booty call.”
I stare at what I assume is a Long Island Ice Tea and then look into her eyes. I really hope she’s acting like this because she’s drunk.
“I’m not even close to a booty call for Dean.” My attention moves to the field as they let the new pitcher warm up.
“There’s nothing bad about that. Like I said, no offense.”
Do yourself a favor, Hillary, stop drinking and head back over to your side.
“Listen.” I swivel in my chair. The nice couple behind us is polite enough not to stop me. “You’re the one he doesn’t want. I’m sorry to tell you this and I know you’re probably a little inebriated, but Dean would marry me if I asked him right now. He sought me out because he wants me back. I can tell that you’ve probably liked him for some time and I get it, I’ve been single for five years. You have to dig hard for a good, available guy and Dean is a great catch.” I place my hand on her leg and she stares at it like it’s bird shit that just landed on her. “You deserve someone who wants you. Who chases you. A guy who is available. Don’t go around trying to break another woman’s self-esteem because you think you deserve her man.”
She picks up my hand with her thumb and forefinger, disposing it back in my lap.
“Get a clue. He might like you now, but I give it two weeks.”
She stands and heads to the other side of the seating area. After she’s gone, the woman in the row behind me pats me on the back. Dean’s large frame slides by me to his seat. He sits down without saying anything and hands me my cold bottle of water.
“Thank you.”
“Well, I gotta keep up the appearance of being a good catch.” I elbow him in the ribs and he fakes injury. “I did like the way you kind of claimed me.”