Hissy Fit (Southern Gentleman 1)

Seemed we were both doomed to only fall for one man, and one man only.

And like Ezra, Croft didn’t even know that Camryn was alive.

Logically, he of course knew that she was a person, and my best friend. But he didn’t see her as anything but that. It didn’t matter what Camryn dressed like, or how much she put herself out there. Croft was so freakin’ focused on whatever the hell Croft focused on that he didn’t even see her.

Just like Ezra didn’t see me—not until he’d knocked me down and bloodied my nose, anyway.

“Oh, boy.”

I looked over to Camryn, blinking to try to get the haze out of my vision.

Unfortunately, it seemed like it was there to stay, because I couldn’t make it go away.

But, since I was drunk, I also didn’t care.

“I don’t know,” I told her honestly. “My brother is a pain in the ass…we should just call him.”

Camryn giggled. “Your brother doesn’t answer your phone calls…what makes you think he’ll answer this one?”

I knew that.

Croft only responded to text…hours after they were sent to him.

But, since I had nothing else to lose tonight, and I was feeling quite wild, I dialed his number, put him on speaker phone, and then waited for him not to answer.

I’d had grand plans to leave him a long, drawn-out voicemail.

However, to my surprise, as well as Camryn’s, he answered.

“’Lo?”

I gasped. “You answered!”

There was a long pause where I could practically envision Croft contemplating hanging up on me, but since he’d answered, I knew as well as he did that he was stuck talking to me.

“I didn’t mean to,” he admitted. “I was going to send the call to voicemail and reply with a text, but my fat fingers pressed the wrong button…where are you? It’s loud.”

I looked around the bar.

For a Thursday night, it was quite restrained. In fact, I wouldn’t even call it very loud.

I mean, I could hear him. That was an indication right there as to how loud it wasn’t.

“I’m at a bar.” I licked my lips. “Croft, do you think you’ll ever get married?”

There was a long pause again, and then he said, “No. Not right now, anyway. Why are you asking?”

“Camryn wanted to know…ouch!” I cried out as Camryn’s palm met the flesh of my thigh. “What was that for, Camryn? Seriously, I swear to God. If you hit me again, I’m going to punch you in the nipple.”

Camryn flicked me on the arm, and I did exactly what I said I was going to do—punch her in the nipple.

“Owwww!” Camryn whined. “Holy hell. Was that really necessary?”

“Girls,” Croft growled. “If there was no reason for your call, I’m going to have to let you go. I’m out on a date.”

Camryn and I both gasped. “You’re out on a date?” I screeched.

“Yes,” Croft said tiredly. “I am. Is that okay?”

“No,” I immediately disagreed. “You canceled dinner plans to go out on a date with someone? Do you know what happened to me today? I was fired!”

“You were what?” Croft barked.

“She’s lying,” Camryn soothed Croft’s pique of temper. “She wasn’t fired from all of her classes. Just the one. But only because she was accused of sexual favors.”

There was a third long pause, and then Croft groaned in frustration. “Don’t drive, you two. I’ll be there in a little bit.”

“You don’t even know where ‘there’ is,” I pointed out. “And I’m not talking to you right now, you blew me off. I just can’t deal with your rude self.”

Croft moaned.

“I’m sorry,” Croft lied through his big, fat, buck teeth.

Camryn snorted.

I flat out laughed, which turned into a coughing fit because I was also trying to take a sip of my drink.

“Does your coach know where you are?” Croft asked silkily.

“No,” I said. “Because the butthead was the one to take over my class. I suffered through that class this year! Can you believe it? I was a freakin’ virgin when I started that class. I’m sure half of those students knew more than I did about freakin’ sex, yet I taught it because I was told to. And I started to overcome my fears! Then what do I have to show for it? They’re all going to remember stupid Ezra now, and not me.”

“Stupid Ezra?” Croft laughed. “I dare you to say that to his face.”

I just very well might.

“Bye, brother,” I said, then threw the phone down on the table.

I vaguely remembered that there was something else I probably should’ve done, but then the blinking light over the bull started to flash, indicating that the bull was free, momentarily distracting me.

Both Camryn and I watched in fascination as some buxom blonde climbed up, her dress hiking up to her hips and exposing her nearly see-through lace panties.

Then the bull started to move and twist, slowly at first, followed shortly by jerkier up and down movements.