Page 71 of The Bluffing Game

“I think I’d like to tell you all at the same time.”

“Okay.” She places the order for the drinks and some appetizers, and then we head back to the booth.

Izzy looks around the bar, a hopeful expression on her face. “Maybe he does love me. Maybe he has decided that⁠—”

The door opens, and we hear a loud, obnoxious giggle. Immediately, we know what it is. All our eyes travel toward the door, and there stands Kendra in a very short, tight white dress with a low V-neck. Her boobs are practically popping out. Colton stands behind her, looking like the cat that got the milk and treats. His hand is on her ass, and she leans up and gives him a big kiss on the lips. Izzy gasps, and Rosie and I exchange nervous looks.

I wait to see what’s going to happen next, but Izzy doesn’t say anything or get up. Colton and Kendra make their way toward the side of the room, and before I know what’s happening, they’re making out, and it’s like they can’t keep their hands off of each other.

Lucia reaches over and grabs Izzy’s hand and squeezes. “I’m so sorry. This must be so hard to see.”

Izzy nods, and a solitary tear rolls down her cheek. “Excuse me,” she says.

Lucia slides out of the booth, and Izzy gets out.

“That fucking asshole,” she shouts. “He thinks I’m just going to sit at home, waiting around for him and not date anyone, while he’s seeing that skank.” Izzy’s voice is loud, and she’s mad.

I’ve never seen her like this before. We all watch as she stalks over to the other side of the room and taps Colton on the shoulder. Initially, he doesn’t seem to feel the tap because he’s still got his tongue down Kendra’s throat, but then Izzy must say something as she taps him on the shoulder again, and he quickly pushes Kendra back, looking very much like someone has just been caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. I can hear Kendra saying something, but I can’t quite decipher the words. Colton shakes his head and tries to grab her hand, but she pulls it back away from him. At first, Kendra has a self-satisfied look on her face, but it turns into a frown as Colton takes a step back from her. Izzy shakes her head vehemently, then points at him in the face and screams something. He looks shocked.

Next thing I know, Izzy has turned around, and she’s walking back to the booth, a huge smile on her face.

“Slide over, Lucia,” she says, sitting down, panting. “I cannot believe I just did that.” She takes a deep breath. “It’s over. It’s officially over. I’m done with Colton.”

“You okay? Do you⁠—”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” she says. “Let’s just say that the jerk was still trying to pretend that he and Kendra were not together, even though they were literally just kissing.”

“I hate liars,” Lucia says. “What a jackass.” She lets out a long sigh. “I felt guilty for creating that FB profile, but now I’m glad I did.”

“I know. I am as well.” Izzy nods. “I suppose all deception isn’t always bad.”

“I’m so proud of you though,” I say to Izzy.

“So, tell us your news,” Izzy says, looking at me. “I need to distract myself before I burst into tears or something.”

“Well, you guys are going to be in shock, but Dalton and I kissed last night.”

“No way,” Izzy screams and grabs my hands for a few seconds.

All of them look like they can’t believe what I’ve just said.

“You and my brother did it?” Lucia gasps.

“No, no, of course not. We kissed—that’s it. It was intense though,” I say as I run my fingers nervously through my hair. “I was babysitting Toby, and I had a date, and I guess Dalton’s meeting with Brett went too late. It was intense or whatever, and he couldn’t text me. So, we argued a little bit, and then he apologized for making me miss my date, and then he said he’d give me a good night kiss to make up for the night. And, girls”—I touch my lips gingerly—“it was magical.”

“Oh my gosh, does that mean you like Dalton?” Izzy’s eyes are wide. And then she looks over at Lucia.

Lucia smiles awkwardly. “He’s my brother, and I love him, but word of warning: He doesn’t really do long-term relationships.”

“And it’s okay,” I say, holding my hand up. “He’d already said that to me, and while I enjoyed the kiss, it was nothing more than that. I know he’s not looking for a commitment. It was just really cool and nice and …”

“Wow.” Rosie stares at me. “I knew you had a thing for him, and I knew he had a thing for you.”

“We don’t have a thing for each other. It’s probably just sexual attraction. There’s chemistry there, and that’s okay. Just because you feel chemistry with someone doesn’t mean that it means anything.”

Izzy nods. “Yeah, I can see that. I had an attraction to Colton, and he turned out to be a dickhead.”

“Yeah, he did,” Lucia says. And then she looks over at me. “So, are you and my brother going to go on a date or⁠—”