Chapter 2 One-Night-Stand

I clicked off my phone and shook my head, totally frustrated. Coleen was the best friend anyone could ask for, but that didn''t mean she got me. Ever since her breakup, she''d been on this whole rebound tour. It was way easier for her.

And since we worked in the same building, Coleen had front-row seats to my three-month pity party. Out of all the girls, she wanted this for me the most.

I sat in the back of the cab, watching all the night crawlers come out to play, the city lights showing off their hunger and desperation. I knew tonight I was supposed to be one of them.

But how, when all I really wanted was to be working late at the office?

I finally pulled up to the bar and took a deep breath.

*You got this,* I told myself. *Just fake it till you make it. And then get the hell out of there.*

I stepped inside, trying my best to look confident. I scanned the room for my friends, but they were nowhere to be found.

Suddenly I felt several hands grab me and drag me into a nearby bathroom.

***

The whole thing started with a breakup back in college. When Rose got dumped by her frat-boy boyfriend via text, the poor girl was a complete mess. She wouldn''t eat, could barely sleep. We had to do something drastic.

So one night, we dragged Rose out and made her promise that before sunrise, she was going to have a one-night stand with a guy of our choosing.

It worked surprisingly well.

It was random sex and nothing more.

Within a few weeks, Rose was back to her old self.

A few months later, when Marie went through a nasty breakup, we suggested the same thing. And just like that, our weird new tradition was born.

From then on, we all swore to play the game whenever someone in our group got dumped. Which is how I ended up here.

***

"Welcome," Megan said, "to the first night of your new life."

There they were. All my best friends crammed into this tiny bar bathroom.

"The rules of the game," Coleen explained, "if you choose to play are... We pick the guy. You have terrible taste. I mean, look what happened with Alden."

"Hey, don''t be a bitch," I shot back.

"Next rule," Coleen continued, "you don''t exchange personal info. One and done. Never see him again. Got it?"

"Yes, Coleen," I said, rolling my eyes. "I get it."

"This is an anti-slut-shaming zone," Marie reminded me. "No judgment from us. We''re just happy you''re finally getting some action."

"Okay, now we need to add some finishing touches," Rose grabbed me.

They all fussed over my hair and makeup. Rose reapplied my lipstick, Marie fixed my hair, Megan sprayed me with perfume, and Coleen was adjusting my see-through lace top.

"Do I really look that bad?" I asked.

They all laughed, letting me check myself in the mirror.

"Our baby''s going out into the world," Coleen said, pretending to wipe away a tear.

We walked out of the bathroom, ready to get this show on the road.

All I had to do was survive the night.

While I was kind of curious about the whole thing, I mostly just wanted to go home and have a good cry. But looking at our group, I knew there was no way they''d let me escape. They were watching me like hawks, making sure I didn''t bolt.

"What about those guys?" Megan asked, nodding toward a pool table.

I turned to see three gorgeous men, all clearly gym rats from the looks of them, chatting casually while they played pool. One of them was bent over the table, sliding the cue stick back and forth between his thumb and finger.

The sight alone was enough to make any girl blush.

"No way," I hissed under my breath. "They''re too... I don''t know... polished."

Marie snorted. "Are you serious? Your problem is that they''re too hot?"

"No," I said, frowning. "My problem is that they know they''re hot. No guy puts that much effort into his appearance unless he knows exactly what he''s doing."

"And what''s wrong with that?" Coleen asked, taking a sip of her martini.

"Yeah, Kyla," Rose blurted out, already way too drunk. "Don''t be such a chicken."

Megan tried to play good cop, patting my back. "I know it''s weird getting back out there, but trust me. It''s really not that bad."

"Besides, you know the rules," Coleen said. "After Landon, I didn''t want to play either. But you girls made me, and I''m grateful you did."

All the girls were right, of course. Rules were rules. But I wasn''t like them. I''d only ever been with one guy. And I''d never had a one-night stand in my life. So this was completely uncharted territory for me.

Rose, reading my mind, pushed my cosmo closer to my hand. "It''s easier if you drink up."

I shook my head, glaring at all of them. Then I downed the whole drink in one gulp and stood up.

"Fine. I''m going. Damn you all. You''re lucky I love you."

They all grinned like devils, Rose letting out a drunken whoop. Coleen grabbed my hand before I left. "Let the blonde know I''m interested," she said, winking.

I rolled my eyes, turned around, and walked toward the three guys at the pool table without another word.

My heart was pounding. I could barely think straight, I was so nervous. Alden''s betrayal hadn''t hurt me professionally—if anything, being single had made me more focused at work. But this?

I had no clue how to talk to men anymore. What was I even going to say?

As I reached the pool table, all three guys turned and noticed me. God, they were even better looking up close.

One was blonde and had this playful vibe, like a golden retriever in human form. Another was dark-haired with dark eyes, giving off this brooding, intense energy that I personally wasn''t into, but I knew Rose would eat up.

The guy in the middle, holding the pool cue, the one who''d caught my attention from the start... I couldn''t even describe him. His hair was messy light brown, his eyes blue as the ocean, his build strong and commanding.

And unlike his friends, this guy''s expression was completely unreadable.

The definition of a poker face.

The blonde smiled flirtatiously. "Something we can help you with?"

I took a deep breath, knowing my friends were watching every move. If I was going to cheat at this game, I could only hope these guys wouldn''t rat me out.

"Okay," I said. "I''ll make this quick. You see those four girls sitting in that booth over there? They expect me to have a one-night stand with one of you."

The blonde and dark-haired guy just stared at me in shock. The guy in the middle didn''t even blink. I quickly continued.

"Which is not happening, by the way. But if you play along for a few minutes, maybe give me a fake number—I''ll hook you up with something in return."

The dark-haired guy smirked. "Hook us up with what, exactly?"

"The number of the girl in the yellow top. Her name''s Coleen. And she''s interested in this one," I said, nodding toward the blonde.

The blonde checked her out, his eyes traveling. I knew I had to move fast or I''d lose my nerve.

"So?" I asked. "What do you say?"

"Well," the guy in the middle finally spoke, "this is a first."

I stared, surprised for a second. I''d almost thought the poker-faced guy was made of stone. But here he was, speaking with this deep, confident voice. He exchanged a look with his friends, then looked back at me.

"Okay," he said, nodding. "We''ll play along. But let me ask you something first. Which one of us are you supposed to be interested in?"

As he leaned closer into the light, I caught a hint of mischief in those ocean-blue eyes. It made my heart race.

"It really doesn''t matter," I said. "It can be any—"

"Choose," he demanded.

I bit my lip, looked down, then back into his eyes. I knew my answer from the second I walked over here. Why not be honest?

"You," I said quietly.

The corner of his mouth curved into a cocky grin. He winked.

"Ask and you shall receive."

*Fuck me.* Just that tiny flash of interest had me hooked. I didn''t want this guy''s number anymore. I wanted him. I could feel my rational side giving way to pure animal instinct. But I shook it off.

I wasn''t about to screw him right here on the pool table. As much as I wanted to. I pictured him laying me down on the felt, pressing his body against mine. His hands all over me. Kissing my neck... I shook my head, trying to snap out of it.

He grabbed a napkin, scribbled down his number, then slid it across the table. I looked down at it.

"What if we gave them a show instead?" he suggested.

Damn, he was smooth. I felt myself blushing like some teenager. I glanced down at the paper and saw his name scrawled across it.

"You''re Jensen?"

"Yeah, and you?"

"Kyla."

He grabbed the napkin and slipped it into my back pocket, his hand lingering playfully.

"Grant, why don''t you go talk to Kyla''s friend for a minute?"

I felt like I was being played somehow, like this Jensen guy with his deep blue eyes and mysterious face had me completely under his control.

I cleared my throat, nodding at him, trying to get some control back. "Thanks for helping a girl out."

"Anytime, Kyla," he said, eyes sparkling. He tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Are your friends watching us?" he whispered in my ear.

I couldn''t care less if they were watching, but I glanced over his shoulder anyway.

"We''ve definitely got their attention."

"I think we can do better," he said, sliding his hands onto my hips and pulling me closer.

"Moving a little fast," I teased, "don''t you think?"

"If you ask me, we''re not moving fast enough," he replied.

"Excuse me, sir," I playfully smacked his muscular chest, "I am a very classy lady."

"I don''t doubt that," he said, pulling me back in, "but for the sake of this game you''re playing..."

"For the game, I guess," I rolled my eyes.

"How about we get out of here?" he suggested.

"You know this is all pretend, right?" I reminded him.

"Oh come on, Kyla," he responded, "do it for the game."

We were getting out of there, all right. But where exactly were we going?