Page 190 of Handsome Devil
“So, every time you see me with a woman now you’re just going to assume there’s something to be jealous about?”
“You were jealous of Shane,” I shot back. “For no reason at all.”
His cold gaze turned arctic. “You dated him. I assumed you liked him. And he seems rather fond of whatever shared memories you seem to have.”
I stared at him. Really?
What the fuck did that mean?
What the hell had Shane been telling him about me, anyway?
“Are you insinuating that I fucked Shane?”
“No. I assume you fucked Shane.”
I drew back a bit. “Well, shows how very fucking little you know. I never fucked Shane. I never even touched him.”
“Right.” He sipped his scotch, like maybe that would make this conversation more palatable.
“What the hell did he say to you?”
His eyelids lowered a little. It was that chilly, closed-off look. The one I was coming to find much more aggravating than arousing. “He said he kissed you on your first date, back in high school. If that’s your idea of never touching him…”
“What first date?”
“You know. When he took you to a movie and out for cheesecake.”
I shook my head. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“He kissed you goodnight at your parent’s front door. He told me about it the next day. He was very detailed with the play-by-play.”
Oh, it sure sounded like he was. It also sounded like Dane’s best friend was full of shit.
“I never went to a movie with Shane Madrigal. Or ate cheesecake with him. Or kissed him. I don’t know what the fuck he told you, or why. But the only time I ever went out with him was on grad night, and he was wasted. Nothing happened between us.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Why don’t you believe me?”
“Getting too wasted to get laid? Just doesn’t sound like the Shane I know.”
“Well, I don’t know him at all, so I guess you’re the expert.”
Dane eyed me skeptically. Like I was actually lying about this or something?
“So, you never liked him?” he pressed.
“Why would I like him? You guys were jerks. So full of yourselves, you rated us girls on our fuckability. You called mefugly.”
It just poured right out of my mouth. I didn’t mean to go there, but oh well. There it was.
“What?” he said. “No, I didn’t. Shit… was that what you meant, in the email that first day at the agency? You thought I called you fugly?”
“Not you,” I said, because I really didn’t want to believe that. But I’d never been sure. “But one of you. Maybe you don’t remember. Or maybe you don’t want to. But one of you definitely called me fugly. You were overheard, on the bleachers at a soccer practice, so don’t even try to deny it.”
I could see the wheels turning in Dane’s head. “Devi. That wasn’t me. I never said that about you.”
“Maybe not,” I said stubbornly. “But someone did.”
