Read Online Just My Luck by Rosalind James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rosalind James
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by, checking on Ally after yesterday’s disaster.
He didn’t have to explain his presence to everyone, he found to his relief. Ally was sitting out on the deck reading a book, an icepack on her knee again, sporting a pretty fair black eye. And looking at him without any enthusiasm at all, to his surprise. Had she decided to blame him after all, then?
“Hi,” he said, taking the seat beside her. “Came to see how you were feeling today. Thought you might like to go for a coffee.”
“No,” she said. “Thank you,” she added after a noticeable pause. Then turned her attention ostentatiously back to her book.
“Uh . . .” He scratched at the stubble on his cheek. “I was thinking, you said you wanted to give Drew and Hannah some space. Maybe I could help you do that.”
“I don’t need your help.” She actually looked angry now. “I wouldn’t want to trap you, after all.”
“Huh?” What was she talking about?
“Go on down to the beach, is my advice.” She was closing her book at last. And glaring at him. “I’m sure you can find a girl to perform for you. And hey, she might already be half-naked. That’ll save you some time. You can get right into it, have a bit on, no strings attached.”
“Oh, bugger,” he breathed. This was all sounding much too familiar.
“Oh, and another word of advice?” she continued, her color high, her breath coming hard now. “Next time you’re talking about a potential conquest, not to mention belittling her best friend, maybe make sure she’s not six feet away. Because it tends to put a little damper on the romance, if you see what I mean.”
“Look, I’m sorry,” he said, knowing how lame it sounded. “Bloody stupid of me. I didn’t mean you to hear that.”
“Well, obviously. But I should really be saying thanks, shouldn’t I? Because as you know, I’m out of practice. And my dating radar’s obviously completely off. I was actually liking you. How stupid is that? I thought you were being honest with me. I thought you liked me. I clearly don’t know how to recognize somebody who’s just out for his own gratification, and doesn’t care about anybody else. Even though Devon told me. Even though he warned me about you.”
“Devon.” He was getting angry himself now. “Yeh, that’s a good idea. Take his bloody word for it.”
“And why not?” she flashed back at him. “He knows you. He knows how stuck on yourself you are. You think you’re a hero, because you’re a great big fish in this little tiny pond. But nobody else in this world even cares. So go on down to the beach. But make sure you only talk to the New Zealand girls, because nobody else thinks you’re special.”
He got up, feeling as if he were the one who’d been smashed in the face. “Are you done?”
He saw the sheen of tears in her eyes, the tremble of her mouth. “Yeah,” she said, and he could see her losing the battle, the tear that had welled over the lid of the black eye, was making its way down her cheek. And, despite the anger he felt, hated that he’d made her cry. Was disgusted with himself. And didn’t know what to do about it. So he just turned on his heel and left her. Got back in the car and drove himself on out of there.
“Was that Nate?” Kristen asked, coming outside.
“Yeah.” Ally blinked the tears back, surreptitiously wiped away the one that had escaped. “Come and gone.”
“What happened?” Kristen asked.
Ally had shared the story with her the night before. Well, some of it. She hadn’t seen any point in passing along what Nate had said about Kristen. That would only hurt her, and Kristen didn’t need to be hurt any more.
“I told him I’d heard him,” Ally said shortly.
“Oh, man,” Kristen sympathized. “That must have been awkward. And so uncomfortable for him too. I can’t imagine how embarrassing it would be to find out you’d been overheard like that, caught saying something so wrong.”
Ally snorted. “I
He didn’t have to explain his presence to everyone, he found to his relief. Ally was sitting out on the deck reading a book, an icepack on her knee again, sporting a pretty fair black eye. And looking at him without any enthusiasm at all, to his surprise. Had she decided to blame him after all, then?
“Hi,” he said, taking the seat beside her. “Came to see how you were feeling today. Thought you might like to go for a coffee.”
“No,” she said. “Thank you,” she added after a noticeable pause. Then turned her attention ostentatiously back to her book.
“Uh . . .” He scratched at the stubble on his cheek. “I was thinking, you said you wanted to give Drew and Hannah some space. Maybe I could help you do that.”
“I don’t need your help.” She actually looked angry now. “I wouldn’t want to trap you, after all.”
“Huh?” What was she talking about?
“Go on down to the beach, is my advice.” She was closing her book at last. And glaring at him. “I’m sure you can find a girl to perform for you. And hey, she might already be half-naked. That’ll save you some time. You can get right into it, have a bit on, no strings attached.”
“Oh, bugger,” he breathed. This was all sounding much too familiar.
“Oh, and another word of advice?” she continued, her color high, her breath coming hard now. “Next time you’re talking about a potential conquest, not to mention belittling her best friend, maybe make sure she’s not six feet away. Because it tends to put a little damper on the romance, if you see what I mean.”
“Look, I’m sorry,” he said, knowing how lame it sounded. “Bloody stupid of me. I didn’t mean you to hear that.”
“Well, obviously. But I should really be saying thanks, shouldn’t I? Because as you know, I’m out of practice. And my dating radar’s obviously completely off. I was actually liking you. How stupid is that? I thought you were being honest with me. I thought you liked me. I clearly don’t know how to recognize somebody who’s just out for his own gratification, and doesn’t care about anybody else. Even though Devon told me. Even though he warned me about you.”
“Devon.” He was getting angry himself now. “Yeh, that’s a good idea. Take his bloody word for it.”
“And why not?” she flashed back at him. “He knows you. He knows how stuck on yourself you are. You think you’re a hero, because you’re a great big fish in this little tiny pond. But nobody else in this world even cares. So go on down to the beach. But make sure you only talk to the New Zealand girls, because nobody else thinks you’re special.”
He got up, feeling as if he were the one who’d been smashed in the face. “Are you done?”
He saw the sheen of tears in her eyes, the tremble of her mouth. “Yeah,” she said, and he could see her losing the battle, the tear that had welled over the lid of the black eye, was making its way down her cheek. And, despite the anger he felt, hated that he’d made her cry. Was disgusted with himself. And didn’t know what to do about it. So he just turned on his heel and left her. Got back in the car and drove himself on out of there.
“Was that Nate?” Kristen asked, coming outside.
“Yeah.” Ally blinked the tears back, surreptitiously wiped away the one that had escaped. “Come and gone.”
“What happened?” Kristen asked.
Ally had shared the story with her the night before. Well, some of it. She hadn’t seen any point in passing along what Nate had said about Kristen. That would only hurt her, and Kristen didn’t need to be hurt any more.
“I told him I’d heard him,” Ally said shortly.
“Oh, man,” Kristen sympathized. “That must have been awkward. And so uncomfortable for him too. I can’t imagine how embarrassing it would be to find out you’d been overheard like that, caught saying something so wrong.”
Ally snorted. “I
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