Page 24 of One Last Rodeo

“I see,” Catalina responds.

“Are you in a relationship?” June asks her.

“No.”

My head snaps up before I can stop it. Catalina’s eyes flick to mine—quick, sharp, like she can physically hear the thump my heart gives. She probably could if she put those surgeon hands on me again. Would know the exact moment that it skipped abeat over hearing that she's single. I should have assumed. She didn’t mention it last night. But it’s good to have it confirmed for me through someone else.

“And I’m not interested in getting in one,” she adds, cool as ice. "My last relationship was... not good."

"Oh, when did it end?"

"Six months ago."

June nods. "Well, no better way to get over someone than by getting under someone new."

I lean forward. "I couldn't agree more with that."

Catalina glares at me while June ignores my presence.

“Let me help you set up a dating profile.”

Wait. That's not how this was supposed to go.

“Um, I don’t—” Catalina starts.

It’s too late. June snatches her phone like she’s disarming a bomb. If I were Superman, that thing would be a melted puddle on the table with my laser beam eyes. It takes her an impressively short amount of time—concerningly short—to build a profile for the doctor before she tosses the phone back at Catalina’s chest.

“There you go. You’re welcome.”

Catalina frowns down at the screen, brows pinching together as she reads what June wrote.

“I don’t think some of this is true.”

June shrugs. “Everyone exaggerates a little on these apps."

Catalina's lips form a straight line. "I don't like lying."

June ignores her. "Do you have a nickname? I figured ‘Doctor Alba’ was too formal to put for your name.”

Catalina bristles instantly. “No nickname. Catalina is fine.”

“Perfect. You’re all set then! Start swiping, update your location when we reach a new place, and when you get a match, we’ll double date in whatever city we're in. It'll be so fun!”

Double date. Yeah. That sounds like hell on earth.For me.

Catalina forces a tight smile that June doesn’t decode. June pushes away from the table to stand.

“Okay, off to meet my date for the night. He's an athlete with biceps the size of my head." She points to her head, her blue eyes widening comically. "I'm going to see if he can lift me for a video I'm posting on social media. See y’all in the morning!”

“Sure,” Catalina says quietly as June walks off.

As soon as she’s gone, I lean across the table. "Do you also like biceps the size of your head? Because mine are pretty damn large." I flex one in the air so she can see, and it must be my lucky night, because her eyes flick there for a second before cutting back to my face with a hard glare.

"They weren't strong enough to protect your shoulder, so they must not be that big."

I drop my arm with a laugh. “Touche. So... dating apps?”

She pockets her phone and rolls her eyes as she stands. Before she can open her mouth, the freaking server materializes at our empty table again.