Sarah laughed too. “I call her the Badass Honey Badger.”
“I can relate,” I said, amused. “Well, you came to the right place. I’m his gatekeeper.”
She chuckled. “So is this an interview to see if I’m the keymaster?”
I snickered. “Well, you just won major points for a Ghostbusters reference, so you’re well on your way to securing the job. This is your second interview, by the way — the first was last night.”
“And how’d I do?”
I smiled, admiring her for so many reasons. “Real well.”
“Well, hit me with your best shot,” she said as she leaned on the bar.
“All right.” My smile faded into seriousness. “Grape or strawberry jelly?”
She laughed. “Strawberry.”
I nodded. “Good choice. Unicorns — yes or no?”
“I’m a believer.” She raised her glass.
“Whiskey or vodka?”
“Depends on what night of the week it is,” she said before taking a sip of her drink.
I snickered. “Last long-term relationship.”
She swallowed, voice a little tighter when she answered. “David. We dated for three years, broke up because he was fucking someone else.”
“Cold. So, no stranger to heartbreak, huh?”
She shrugged. “What doesn’t kill us, right?”
I watched her for a moment, wondering if I could have crafted a more ideal girl for Tyler. “I like you, Adrienne.”
She smiled in a way that made me believe, all the way down deep to my gut, that she was genuine. “I like you too, Cam.”
“If you hurt him, I’ll rip your face off, even though you could probably crush me with your thighs. Just know I’m a fast runner.”
Adrienne chuckled. “I won’t hurt him. I promise. I don’t play games, remember?”
“I believe you.”
Greg flagged me from the other end of the bar, nodding to the crowd of chicks who had lined up in front of him.
“Be back when I can. Keep an eye out for Tyler for me. And Adrienne?”
“Yeah?”
I smiled. “Congratulations. You’re in.”
She laughed as I walked away, feeling as sure of myself as I did uneasy.
CHRIST ON A BIKE
Tyler
I DIDN’T FEEL ANY LESS confused as I made my way to Wasted Words, still sifting through my thoughts for answers. I’d turned down a date with Adrienne for Cam, if I was being honest with myself, and then Cam pressured me to come to the bar with the intent to convince me to ask Adrienne out.
I shook my head as I crossed the street, having opted to walk again to give me more time alone. Nothing made sense, not my feelings about Cam or my feelings about Cam trying to set me up with someone else. But she’d made it clear once more that she wasn’t interested in me at all. I just hated that it bothered me so much.
When I walked into the bar, I spotted Adrienne and Sarah, sitting across from Cam. When Cam looked up and saw me, her content smile spoke to my heart — it was a smile that knew me. And then Adrienne turned and smiled — hers was a smile that wanted me.
I only wished her smile had been on Cam’s face instead.
I took a deep breath, putting on a smile of my own as I greeted the women and took a seat in the empty seat next to Adrienne. Cam didn’t ask what I wanted, just poured me a beer and set it in front of me, sending me an encouraging smile before walking away to keep Sarah company.
Adrienne shifted in her seat next to me, tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked amazing, as Cam had said — a denim shirt unbuttoned low, tight black jeans, and suede flats. Her lips were red, lashes long as she looked up at me.
“I feel like I shouldn’t have surprised you like this.”
I smiled, not wanting her to feel unsure of herself. It was almost unsettling that someone so strong could be so nervous. “I love a good surprise.”
“Not me. I actually hate surprises. Once, I actually punched my ex-boyfriend when he walked me into a surprise party.”
A laugh burst out of me. “Wow, I bet nobody saw that coming.”
“He definitely didn’t. It was just my first reaction. Wham, right in the cheek. It hurt like a son of a bitch, too.”
“Did the party end up happening?”
“Yeah. I felt better once I had a drink, and Dave was fine too, other than being a spectacular baby about it, whining and looking at it in the mirror for days,” she said and took a drink.
I laughed again, comfortably amused.
Adrienne turned to angle herself toward me as she leaned a little on the bar. “Really, though. I hope it’s not weird that I came. I just couldn’t stop thinking about you after last night, and I wanted to get to know you a little better. See if there’s more to it, if you were interested.”
She was so forward, and in a way that would have normally caught me off guard, but there was something so honest about the admission that I found myself charmed. But I didn’t answer right away, glancing at Cam, who gave me a reassuring smile.
Adrienne was still watching me, smiling. “You can say no, Tyler. I sprung this on you pretty hard, even after getting shot down this afternoon.”
I chuckled. “Hey, I didn’t shoot you down. I just had plans, that’s all.”
She picked up her drink, hanging it between her fingers. “If you say so. Felt kind of like a shoot-down, but I’m nothing if not persistent. How do you think I beat out three of the best reps in the business for my job?”