The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

            Who did not disappoint.

            He came around the corner, wearing his usual sarcastic smile. He looked really good in his black sweater vest, white button-down, and black pants, she thought.

            He was a very well-dressed dater.

            “So . . . ?” he asked, the scent of his expensive-but-subtle cologne finding her nose.

            “So I’m actually having a great time.”

            “Shut your face.” His eyebrows slammed together and his eyes moved all over her face, like he was searching for the answer. “For real?”

            “I cannot believe it myself. Alex is cute, hilarious, and really, really fun. You would like him.”

            He rolled his eyes. “Doubt it.”

            “How about you? How are things with Kayla?” His date was a stunning PhD candidate who looked like she could be Zendaya’s older sister. Hallie wanted to vomit when she’d seen them together—they looked like a celebrity couple—so she was guessing Jack was pleased. “No ick yet?”

            He swallowed and just said, “Not yet.”

            Hallie leaned her face in a little closer, and she saw him sniff. She wondered if her perfume was too strong as she said, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, Jack, but I want to scratch the escape plan.”

            “I mean,” he said, his face unreadable as he shrugged, “it’s still early. There’s plenty of time—”

            “No, I’m serious. I can tell. No need for tacos.” Hallie knew she was beaming like a fool, but she couldn’t help it. She was actually having a good date for once, so she felt like jumping up and down. “Like, I don’t want dinner to end—it’s that good.”

            Jack gave her a wink and said, “Someone’s moving in on that vacation.”

            “Your lips to Ditka’s ears,” she said, winking back at him before going into the ladies’ room.





Jack


            “So then I was stuck in the lab for the entire weekend.”

            He smiled at his date as he reached for his water. “Not exactly what you’d planned, eh?”

            “Not at all.” Kayla grinned and launched back into the story, but Jack was distracted by the table behind her.

            Hallie was laughing and smiling at her date like she wanted to eat him whole. There is no way that guy can be that funny. No way. But every time she laughed, it was like the noise found his ears; he couldn’t not hear it. And the way her red lips turned up when she smiled—didn’t she know the message she was sending? The guy was going to think he had her, for God’s sake, just by the flirty grin she was giving him.

            Jack genuinely wanted Hal to find someone, but this guy was not it. His hair had so much product in it he’d probably combust if he walked too close to an open flame, and there was something about the way he looked at Hallie that was creepy.

            Just looking at the guy as he shit-grinned at her made him annoyed as hell.

            And the dude was wearing Chuck Taylors with a blazer; did he think he was a fucking talk show host?

            “So to make a long story short, they shut down the college and arrested the dude.” Kayla tucked her hair behind her ears and said, “Can you even believe that?”

            “No,” he said, feeling like shit for zoning out. He wasn’t an asshole, and Kayla deserved his full attention on their date, whether they had a connection or not.

            “It was absolutely bonk—” Her phone started ringing, and when she looked down at the display she said, “I need to take this—it’s my roommate. Will you excuse me for a second?”

            “Of course,” Jack said, wondering if it was a bailout call. He pretty much assumed everyone on a first date employed one, so he had no ill will if that’s what it was.

            But the minute she stepped away, he pulled out his phone.

            He texted: You sure about no tacos, TB?

            He hit send.