Deal Breakers (Dealing with Love 1)

“It rang,” she slurs. “I answered it.”

I pick up my phone and scroll through the caller ID. Devyn. “What did she say? What did you say to her?” I growl.

“I said hello, some chick asked for you, I said you were getting me a drink and offered to take a message. She didn’t want to leave one.”

“What exactly did she say?” I yell.

“Whoa, dude, calm down,” Brody says as he joins us at the table.

I fling my arm out. “This bimbo thought she should answer my phone! I was trying to find out what the caller said.”

“Hey!” she whined. “Who are you calling a bimbo?”

Her friend shot me a look of disgust. “Who do you think you are, asshole?” She looked at Brody and pouted. “Brody bear, are you going to let him talk to my friend like that?”

Brody bear? Oh geez.

“Uh…” he stammers.

She stands up and huffs. “You know what? You’re an asshole just like your friend! Find someone else to suck you off tonight!”

Both women stomp away.

Brody punches me in the arm. “Way to cock block, bro. Rachel has mad head-giving skills. I think my dick actually whimpered as she was walking away. What gives?”

I sigh. “I’m sorry, man. That girl I was telling you about earlier called while I was at the bar. Drunkie McGee decided to answer my phone and said God knows what to her. She probably thinks we’re fucking or something.”

“Who cares what she’s thinking?” Brody says. “You said a clean break was for the best, right? If that’s true, then it’s a good thing if she thinks you’ve already moved on. Right?”

I take a sip of my beer and swallow the bitterness. I don’t know if it’s the ale or regret that’s causing the lump in my throat. “Right.”

RILEY

BRODY POINTS TO ME as I walk into the sports bar he asked me to meet him at. “There he is!”

I join him at the pool table and nod to the guy he’s playing against.

“Riley, this is Drew.” Brody nods to me. “And Drew, this is my buddy from grad school, Riley. He just moved to Seattle.”

I shake hands with Drew. “Nice to meet you, man.”

“You too.” Drew picks up his pool cue. “Eight ball side pocket.” He sinks the ball. “Ha! Take that bitch!”

“Damn it!” Brody says.

I laugh at Brody’s pouty expression. “Tough luck, asshole.”

Brody responds with a two-finger salute.

“Not tonight baby. I have a headache,” I retort.

Drew laughs, takes Brody’s pool stick, and hands it to me. “You want a beer? Brody is buying the next round because his sorry ass can’t sink any balls.”

I smirk at Brody. “You’d think he’d be a ball expert since he plays with his own all day long.”

“Fuck you, dick,” Brody laughs.

“Ha!” Drew says. “I like you, Riley! You want to play? I could use an actual opponent.”