The Hustler Next Door: a novel by K.A. Tucker

Author:K.A. Tucker [Tucker, K.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

“You did not.” Scarlet gapes at me before her head falls back with a howl of laughter. Of the many things I love about my best friend, possibly the most important is that she doesn’t ever judge me for my antics.

“Whatever. I went back down to the party, introduced myself to Clive and Audra and the twins, said bye to my parents, and took off with Dean.” We grabbed a pizza and hung out on his friend’s couch in our pajamas, playing Spider-Man on the PS5 until I passed out. When I woke up, I was tucked into bed, alone and relieved that I’d made it through the engagement party without crying.

“What about Garrett? Did he come talk to you or …?” She leaves the question hanging.

“I didn’t see him again. Then again, I didn’t stay long.” I can’t imagine how the conversation between him and his mother went. What do you say to your thirty-five-year-old son after catching him in a closet with a woman?

“What did Joe and Sara say?”

“About my disappearing act? Or my classy closet incident?”

“Both.”

“They didn’t seem to care. They were too busy being in love.” Joe called me on our drive home today to apologize for not being more considerate of what I was going through, facing Bill and Isabelle like that. Even he admitted how big a selfish dick Bill can be sometimes. I couldn’t avoid his soft reprimand for the name-calling, though. Apparently, that wasn’t mature. I disagreed. I thought the delivery was eloquent.

But really, he—and Sara, who was chirping in the background—was more interested in what’s happening between Garrett and me. I’m sure they think my moving on would solve their problems, that all I need is a new man in my life to forget how terribly Bill treated me.

They’re in for a rude awakening. I can hold on to a grudge like it’s a lifeline.

Scarlet bites her bottom lip. “You should have at least gotten his number.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know. You could have gone out tonight.”

“Yeah. ‘Hey, guy I’ve been tormenting except for the one night we made out in the closet, you wanna be my Valentine’s date?’”

“When you put it like that.” She folds her arms over her chest, the move pushing up her cleavage in her little black dress. “You sure you don’t want to come out to dinner with me and Shane?”

“Just the three of us at a candlelit dinner? Romantic.”

“Call Dean. You know he’s hiding tonight.”

“Nah. He’s had his fill of me. I’d rather stay home. And it’s your first Valentine’s with Shane, dummy.” I take a bite from my chicken nugget. I need to start eating better.

Her nose scrunches up. “As long as you’re not going to stalk Bill’s Instagram all night.”

“I’ve deleted him.”

“You didn’t! Good for you …” Scarlet’s words fade, her eyes narrowing. “Because you’ve made a fake account to follow Isabelle’s stories.”

“She’s far more active with her posting.” And her account isn’t locked down. Foolish.

Scarlet pinches the bridge of her nose. “So … what happens now with the developer guy?”

“Nothing.

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