Page 103 of The No Try Zone
“Where are you staying?” Elodie asks.
“Wherever the team is. I don’t suppose any of you want to go with me?” I look at each of them in turn, not in the least surprised at the shaking heads I get in return.
“Come on, Kari,” I whine. “Frank is worthless. You can stay with me, too. No extra expense for the team.”
“And the plane ticket?” she asks. “You footing that for me?”
I let my head drop. “Ugh, fine. Leave me to go to Vegas all by myself.”
“Where was this desire for company the last time you went?” Allyson says.
“Oh, it was nonexistent,” I joke. “And look where that got me.”
“Do you still have the ring?” Elodie asks.
I blink at the question.
“Like, are you giving it back to him or…”
“I still have it.” And there for a little while, I pulled it out and put it on at night, just to remind myself what it felt like.
Elodie’s eyes go soft. “Babe.”
I straighten. “Nope. I’m fine. This is good. Great, even. I’m getting exactly what I wanted, and that’s…great.”
“Great,” Elodie echoes sympathetically, reaching to squeeze my hand.
I look over at Kari. “You’ll let me know if you change your mind about going with me?”
She gives me a strained smile. “Of course.”
“Can we stop talking about me now? How about we harass Kari and get her to tell us about her love life.”
Kari snorts into her glass. “There is no love life.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Elodie says. “I think there are plenty of guys who’d –”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” Kari warns.
“Like to take you out to an absurdly expensive dinner and treat you like the queen you are,” Elodie finishes triumphantly.
Kari’s lips purse. “That’s not what you were going to say.”
“We all know you need dicking down,” Allyson says. “You’re so damn uptight it’ll take a man a solid night to loosen you up, but I guarantee someone’s up for it.”
Kari throws a chip at her across the table, then looks back to me. “So to be clear, you’re all done with him?” Kari presses.
My chest squeezes, but I answer truthfully. “I won’t let myself be with someone who won’t pick me. Like you reminded me, I deserve to be loved out loud.”
Kari’s eyes glimmer with approval, even as Elodie sighs and clutches at her heart. “Ugh, it’s just so romantic,” she swoons.
“Not when he won’t choose her,” Allyson reminds Elodie.
Her lips twist. “He’s scared. And trust me when I say that men do really stupid stuff when they’re scared.”
“This is different,” I protest. I’ve heard her story. “The way Ansel stood up for you?That’s romantic. What Colin is doing with me? The opposite of romantic.”
“Never say never,” Elodie sing-songs, then ducks a chip thrown by Kari.
