Release Read Online Free PDF Page B

away and glared at her.
    “I think we should talk,” she said. “We’ve both had a break to let things settle a little.”
    “There’s nothing to talk about.” I looked at her, hoping she’d read my serious expression well. Her hair was cut shorter, and her eye makeup was heavier. But otherwise – same old Amy. I didn’t feel much of anything as I looked at her, other than annoyance.
    “Orion, we both made mistakes—”
    “Not really.” I tipped my bottled beer up to my lips and drank.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, sounding a little pathetic. “I miss you so bad.”
    Casey leaned in from his side of me to talk to Amy. “Hey, did they forget to put the sign up tonight? No whores allowed.”
    “Fuck off, Casey,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.
    “I don’t want to talk to you,” I told Amy. “I blocked your number for a reason.”
    “Look, I know you’re still pissed—”
    “No, I’m not. I just want you to go the fuck away.”
    I turned toward Casey and heard her leave.
    “She’ll get the message eventually, right?” I said.
    He grunted skeptically. “Yeah. She’s desperate ‘cause she knows she’ll never get anyone like you again. Brett dumped her a couple weeks after you guys broke up.”
    “It was never right with her. She was all about the money and the pro athlete thing, you know?”
    “Aren’t most women?” Casey asked, grinning.
    I nodded. “A hell of a lot of ‘em. It’s why I haven’t dated anyone in forever.”
    “You wanna order some pizza? I’m starving.”
    “Yeah.”
    Casey reached for a menu. My phone buzzed with a text, and I took it out of my pocket. Probably Niko rubbing the baseball game in my face. Damned Yankees fan.
    But it wasn’t his name that popped up on my screen – it was an unfamiliar number. When I read the message, a smile spread across my face.
    How goes the reading?
    Samara. I hadn’t really thought she’d text me. I added her to my contacts and wrote back.
    Me: I read all afternoon and finished.
    Samara: And??
    Me: Liked it a lot. Looking forward to talking to u about it tomorrow.
    Samara: Me too.
    Me: What r u up to?
    Samara: Just finished at the library. Going home.
    Me: I’m watching baseball at the Dugout if u feel like stopping by.
    Samara: Thanks, but I have to be up early. What should I wear tomorrow night?
    Me: I’m planning on Aurelio’s. It’s casual. I’ll wear jeans.
    Samara: Ok. See you then.
    Me: Goodnight.
    Samara: Goodnight.

    Samara

    I looked through the t-shirts stacked on a shelf of my bedroom closet, wishing for once that I cared about fashion. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t like it, but that my budget limited me to clearance racks.
    With a sigh, I pulled a plain black v-neck shirt from the pile and put in on. I didn’t know what to wear on a date. I also didn’t know what to do or what to say. This night was going to be all kinds of awkward.
    My jeans were nothing special and neither were my sandals, but my hair looked pretty good. That was something.
    I considered standing at the curb so I could just jump in the car when Orion pulled up. I wasn’t particularly excited about him seeing my garage home. But I was pretty sure that was bad date etiquette.
    It was 4:55. I’d checked my hair and makeup dozens of times, and fussing over it was only making me more nervous. I sat down at the kitchen table and drummed my fingers on the wood surface.
    Benny Bolding came to mind, and I smiled. He was a produce clerk at the Supersaver who’d asked me out many times since I started working there. He was in his forties and had a beer belly with its own zip code. Part of me wished I’d done a practice date with Benny. It might have given me a boost of confidence.
    There was a knock at the door, and my stomach did a full somersault. I stared at the door for a couple seconds, wanting desperately to back out, put my pajamas on and get in bed with a book.
    But part of me wondered what a real date was like. I’d been out