Letting out a very dramatic sigh, I said, “I hate you and your damn memory.”
Kacey laughed. “So, have you been on any dates?”
My mind drifted back to two nights ago when Dodge’s lips were pressed to mine. “Ugh. No. I’m giving up on all men.”
“Oh come on, Sierra. You don’t mean that.”
Laughing, I watched as a mom ran by pushing her little girl in a jogger stroller. My heart sunk. Looking away, I fought to hold back the ache in my chest. “I do. I feel like maybe I should just go out with Tom.”
“Tom?”
Letting out a sigh, I said, “Yeah. He works at Nordstrom’s, in the shoe department. At least I’d get discounts off my shoes.”
Kacey was silent.
“Kacey, are you still there?”
“Um . . . yeah . . . I’m just trying to figure out how your mind works. One minute you say you’re giving up on men and the next you’re talking about some guy named Tom and getting discounts at Nordstrom’s.”
Smiling, I went to say something but was blinded by the perfect set of abs running my way. “Shit.”
“What?”
“Nothing, Dodge, my lawyer slash friend slash lawyer, is running right toward me. Ugh, had I known he ran down here at Town Lake I’d never have come down here.”
“You said lawyer twice.”
“Only because the dickhead keeps stressing it. He’s the last person I wanted to see today.”
“Oh stop it. Hey, I’ve got to run, but let’s do lunch tomorrow or something. You need a puppy, Sierra! That would make you happy.”
“What the fuck? I had a dog and he turned on me too!”
Laughing, Kacey made kissing sounds into the phone. “Bye, babe! Think about the puppy! I only have one left.”
“Yep, later, love.”
Hitting End, my mouth dropped open while I watched Dodge leaning over and getting a drink from one of the fountains along the trail. I watched as a trail of water rolled down his chin.
Damn, how I’d like to be that water. Or his sweat. Or his sheets, his towels, his boxers. I pictured Dodge as the type of guy who wore boxers.
Rolling his neck, Dodge began walking.
Right. Toward. Me.
Get up, Sierra. Run in the opposite direction. Look away at least, you stupid shit!
Looking down at nothing, I prayed hard Dodge would just walk by without noticing me.
“Sierra?”
Shit. I should have known the asshole would check out a girl sitting on the bench.
Lifting my head, I tried like hell to seem normal. I hated myself for the way I acted after our kiss. The way I begged him to make me his. Yuck. I could punch myself.
“Hey, Dodge.”
Smiling, he stopped right in front of me. Forcing me to look up at him. If I looked straight, I’d be looking right at his junk. Junk hidden behind a pair of boxers. Or maybe he wore tighty whities? My stomach flipped at my next thought.
What if he went commando? Licking my lips, I glanced down and looked right at the bulge in his pants.
“Um . . . so I wanted to apologize for the other night.”
Oh no, he is not. Like I wasn’t humiliated enough already. “Don’t worry about it, Dodge. Can we please just forget about it and move on?”
Dodge gave me a weak smile as his phone began ringing. Glancing at it, he said, “I have to take this.”
Taking a couple of steps away, I strained to hear his call. “Hey, nope you’re not bothering me at all!”
“Yes, we are still on for dinner tonight.”
My heart dropped.
What did he say? He was on for dinner tonight? Standing up, I acted like I was stretching as I moved closer to him.
“No, I’m positive I don’t have any other plans. There is no one else I’d rather spend my birthday with than you.”
And there it went. My heart officially was shattered. I hate all men. Every single one of them. Turning away from Dodge, I started running again as fast as I could. When my right calf started cramping, I began cursing. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
Glancing over my shoulder, I didn’t see Dodge. I wasn’t surprised. He wasn’t the type of guy to chase after a girl, especially one he didn’t like. By the time I made it back to my car, I had moved on from brokenhearted to pissed off.
Dropping my head back onto my headrest, I let out frustrated moan. “I’m never going to have sex again with a real penis!”
Snapping my head forward, I got an idea thanks to Kacey. Smiling, I started my car and knew exactly where I was going.