The Rebound Guy Read Online Free PDF Page A

living.”
    Dex’s Pilsner glass froze halfway to his mouth.
    In what could only be divine intervention, the waiter picked that moment to come over and take their orders. Dex spent an exorbitant amount of time perusing the menu, which had not changed in all the years they had been coming here.
    Mercifully, by the time their orders had been taken, the conversation had moved onto other topics. As they dined on bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, and some of the best fish and chips in the city, John regaled them with tales of his twin daughters’ senior year in high school and their decision to go cross-country to college at UCLA.
    “I won’t lie. I was scared shitless when everything went down at R&L and I found myself without a job,” John said. “I had no idea how I was going to pay for college. But it’s all working out. The fact that both girls earned full scholarships helps, too.”
    “I think we’ve all done pretty well for ourselves since getting the boot from Reynolds and Locke,” Melanie said.
    “Yeah, even Dex is becoming known as the go-to dog whisperer,” Ray piped in.
    Dex flipped him off, laughing. “I made sound financial investments during my time at R&L,” he said. “I can afford to walk dogs for a living for the foreseeable future. Speaking of dogs, I need to get back to mine. Roxie’s been stuck in the apartment all day.”
    “Oh, how is cute little Roxie?” Melanie asked. She leaned closer to Ray and, in a loud whisper, said, “Roxie is the one good thing to come out of Dex’s relationship with his ex. She was originally her dog.”
    “How do you know so much about what happened between me and Ebony?” he asked.
    “Are you kidding? That was the talk around the water cooler back at R&L. Dexter Bryant had suddenly become a single man again. The women in the office were gearing up to battle it out for you. Then, you know, everything went to shit with that Murphy incident.”
    Yeah, he knew. He’d pretty much caused the Murphy incident, which, in turn, had cost Reynolds and Locke untold dollars in lost revenue and his five co-workers their jobs.
    With that unpleasant thought obliterating the taste of all the good food he’d just consumed, Dex scooted out of the booth, dropped a fifty on the table, and bid his former co-workers a good night. He took the N Train, which was surprisingly uncrowded, and got off just before his usual stop so he could drop in at the 24-hour market to buy a bag of dog treats for tomorrow. Bruno had cleaned out his supply on this morning’s walk.
    His cell phone rang as the cashier was checking him out. Dexter tossed a pack of gum and a Sports Illustrated onto the conveyor belt as he pulled out the phone and checked the screen. A grin formed on his lips.
    “What’s up, Niecy?” Dexter greeted his older sister, Denise.
    “Hey there, Dex,” she answered, and he immediately sensed that something was wrong.
    “What happened? Is it Dad?” His father’s health had been the number one issue in their family since his emergency triple bypass a year ago.
    “No, no. Dad’s fine. Mom said he spent the entire afternoon on the golf course. He’ll outlive us all.”
    His shoulders wilted in relief as he grabbed his package. He stepped aside so that an older gentleman pulling a collapsible grocery cart could pass, and then he left the store. He turned right down the tree-lined street, in the direction of his brownstone.
    “So, what’s wrong? And don’t say ‘nothing,’” Dex warned. “I heard it in your voice the second you spoke.”
    “I wish you would stop being so damn observant. You’re like a psychic.”
    “Niecy, stop stalling and spill it.”
    “I’m losing my house.”
    Her words stopped Dex cold. He stood still in the middle of the sidewalk, with total disregard for the people who had to skirt around him.
    “How?” he asked.
    “Because my prince of an ex-husband hasn’t paid the mortgage in three months. The bank called me as a courtesy before