Just My Luck Read Online Free PDF Page A

he asked. “Meet you there?”
    “OK,” she agreed. “See you then.”
    Liam nodded again, said a quick goodbye, and hurried out. Ally could see Nate standing across the street, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. His quick shake of the head at Liam before he strode away, the other man caught off guard again, having to hustle to keep up.
    Ally looked at Devon with speculation.
    “You noticed, eh,” he said. “We don’t like each other much.”
    “That was obvious,” she admitted. “And I’m curious, but not too surprised. He’s not my favorite person either.”
    “Really.” That had him looking surprised. “That’s not the general opinion.”
    Ally thought about her two disastrous Nate-encounters. “I guess I’m a maverick, then. Because he sure hasn’t impressed me. And I have to get to work.” She pushed her chair back to stand.
    “I’ll walk you,” Devon suggested, standing up in his turn.
    “I’d like that.” It was flattering to have such a good-looking guy interested. Unless it really was just the work angle, but she didn’t think so.
    “So. Not the best of friends with Nate?” she asked as they set out for the waterfront amidst the crowds of young people on the busy pedestrian mall that was Cuba Street, already starting their Friday evening revels.
    “Not exactly,” Devon said. “Although we were good mates once. Flatted together at Uni, in fact.”
    “Really. I didn’t realize rugby players went to University.”
    “He did, anyway. Right here in Wellington.”
    She was longing to ask him what had happened. Looked the question at him, and was gratified when he obliged.
    “Yeh,” he said. “Best of mates, like I said. Then he got important, and he was too busy for me. He knew how much I wanted to do sport publicity, and you’ve probably realized that rugby is the ultimate Kiwi sport. You’re American?”
    “Canadian,” she corrected. “And yes, I’ve noticed.”
    “Well, he could’ve had a word in someone’s ear, anytime these past five or six years,” Devon went on. “Specially after he was made captain, selected for the All Blacks. But he can’t be bothered.”
    “It seemed like more than that, though,” she said hesitatingly.
    “Because I asked him for the favor, a few years back,” Devon said. “And he flat refused. He doesn’t do favors unless he’s dead sure it’s in his interest, that he’ll be getting something back. Too ambitious for that. We had a few words about it at the time, got a bit heated, I’m afraid. I said some things I probably shouldn’t’ve, knowing how self-important he can be. Not too clever of me at all, considering how much pull he had in En Zed sport, not to mention how much more he has now. Never been good at hiding my true feelings, I’m afraid. I tried to make it up later, but he’s had a down on me ever since.”
    “So, now . . .” He shrugged. “Now, it’s what you see. Oh, well, can’t be helped. I’ve done all right without him, haven’t I. Making my way up on my own merits, which means more anyway, doesn’t it?”
    “It does,” she agreed. “I hadn’t realized he was quite that arrogant. But I can’t say I’m entirely surprised.”
    They’d reached the gym now, its imposing height rising above the pedestrian pavement that lined the wharf.
    “Thanks for walking me,” Ally said.
    “That’s all right.” He smiled back easily, and she thought again how very handsome he was. “I’ll ring you tomorrow, shall I? And maybe we can go for a drink, talk over that project.”
    “Sounds good.” She went in to start her evening shift buoyed by the prospect. It wasn’t going to be the cats and game shows after all. Not this weekend either. Wellington was looking better and better.
     
     To Ally’s surprise, though, Kristen wasn’t entirely convinced by Devon’s denunciation of Nate when they discussed it late Saturday night.
    “I don’t know,” Kristen said, sipping her herbal tea at one end of