Just My Luck Read Online Free PDF

the couch, her long legs in the striped leggings she wore as pajama bottoms curled beneath her. “You only have Devon’s word for what happened. Are you sure Nate’s as bad as that?”
    “He hasn’t exactly been impressive,” Ally argued.
    “No,” Kristen agreed with a smile. “He hasn’t. But he hasn’t been . . . bad. And they’re careful, you know, who they choose for the All Blacks captaincy. It’s not just about being a good player, or even a good leader. It’s kind of like being an ambassador. And Liam says . . .” Ally could see the color rising again as Kristen resumed. “He says he doesn’t think that’s the reason for the bad blood.”
    “Did Nate give him some other reason?” Ally pressed.
    “Well, no,” Kristen admitted. “I don’t think so. But Liam’s so kind. I can’t believe he’d have a good friend who was . . . the way Devon says.”
    “Of course he thinks the best of his friend,” Ally said impatiently. Honestly, Kristen could be so naïve at times. It was like she still didn’t want to believe there were bad people in the world, even with all the evidence she’d collected to the contrary. “But I believed Devon. Why would he lie to me?”
    Kristen shrugged. “I don’t know. Your date was good, then? You liked him?”
    “Lots of fun,” Ally confirmed. “That is, I guess it was a date. We did start out talking about the netball team thing, and I think it could really work. But then we just talked, and he was so interested. Not how men usually are, you know, at least in my experience. How often does a man really listen to you? It was great.”
    “And you know,” she said thoughtfully, “that was the first date with a new person I’ve been on in years, and it was so much fun. I wouldn’t have thought that could be true.”
    Her first date since her senior year of college. Not that you could call most of the hanging out she’d done in college “dating.” There hadn’t been much dating with Brian either, come to think of it. Mostly climbing together, backpacking, going out for Thai noodles when they could afford it. Being poor together, which had been fine with her. But no romantic gestures. She’d never thought she’d needed them.
    Brian had sure never looked like that in his clothes, so elegant and still so casual. He’d been a whole lot more likely to wear Vibram Five Fingers toe shoes that had Ally cringing in embarrassment than an open-necked shirt under a slim, European-cut suit. He’d never looked at her meaningfully across a glass of wine in an elegant restaurant, had never touched her hand lightly, smiled at her like that, leaving her tingling, wondering what he was thinking. Wanting more, and then ending the evening with a quick kiss, another smile. And no mention of whether she would see him again, whether it was more than just business. Leaving her off-balance, which was actually kind of fun too, in a bizarre way. Exciting. New.
    “But how was the climbing today?” she asked guiltily. She hadn’t even asked Kristen, had been too wrapped up in her own affairs, too excited by the prospects. All the prospects.  “You’d left by the time I got to work.”
    “It was good,” Kristen said. “He’s so nice. And when he’s holding the rope . . . It’s like I know he’ll never, ever let me fall.”
    “Well, thanks very much,” Ally said tartly.
    “Oh, I don’t mean you’d drop me,” Kristen said hurriedly.
    “Did you guys go out afterwards?” Ally pressed.
    “Just for a quick coffee.” Kristen actually sounded happy about that. “I was nervous that he’d ask for more of a date, and I’d have to tell him no. But he didn’t even ask. He just said he’d really enjoyed climbing with me, and did I want to go again after the New Year, as he’s leaving town for the holiday in a few days just like we are. And when I said yes, he gave me hisemail and phone number, and asked me to let him know whenever I needed a belay partner. He said he’d