Just One Night: Part 2 by Elle Casey Page A

strangers, so I ignore him and the smile that comes across Jennifer’s friend’s face. Hopefully she’ll take my warning seriously and avoid my brother like the plague.
    Jennifer takes her napkin and puts it on the table. I pause my eating to watch her rise from her seat.
    “I’m just stepping out to the restroom.”
    “Oh, I’m coming with you,” says her friend, getting to her feet and taking her small handbag from the back of her chair.
    “Warn her,” I say calmly as I wipe my mouth with my napkin. “About Edward. You promised.”
    Jennifer smiles. “I will. But you should probably do the same for your brother.”
    I watch her pixie-like friend come around the table. “I hardly think that’s necessary.”
    “Don’t let looks be deceiving. She’s way more than he’s bargaining for, I can promise you that.”
    I cannot stop the words that demand to come. “Birds of a feather?”
    She frowns at me confused, but doesn’t have time to ask me for an explanation before her friend is taking her away.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Jennifer

    “HE SAYS I NEED TO warn you.”
    “What? Warn me about what? Edward?” Mia is putting on lipgloss, admiring the way it makes her lips appear fuller. I hope she’s not using that stuff that has snake venom in it. She did that once and it made her look like a prize fighter.
    “Yes, about Edward. His brother. Apparently he’s bad news.”
    “Mmmm, tasty. I do lurrrve me some bad boys.”
    “I told him he should warn his brother, not the other way around.”
    Mia holds up a hand without missing a beat. “Word, sister.”
    We high five.
    “So, I guess you get to do a second night with your Englishman, eh?” she asks.
    My heart flips over a couple times. But then I realize she doesn’t know what my arrangement is with him and I shrug, trying to play it cool. If she catches the scent of anything it’ll ruin it. “No, it’s just a little bit of dancing, that’s it. No big deal.”
    She stops her ministrations and stares me down. “Please. You were a mess over this guy just a few hours ago. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here. And can you believe he’s here? I mean, what rotten luck is that?”
    Heart flips. Again. “There’s nothing going on here, okay? I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
    She takes me by the upper arms and looks me in the eyes. “I know you can. If you decide you don’t want this guy, he’ll be toast. Yesterday’s news. Just don’t make the decision to keep him in your life, because then it’ll just be heartache city.”
    I pull my arms from her grip. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    She shrugs as she drops her lipgloss back into her purse. “Just that … he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t want anything long term, right? I mean, he answered your ad.”
    My heart plummets into my toes. She’s absolutely right. “Yes, that’s true. And that’s fine. It’s totally fine.” I smile hard so she’ll see that I mean it. “This is just a very short, very fun fling, and that’s all. I got what I wanted out of the deal and tonight at the club is just a bonus.” I won’t say anything to her about any after-the-club action. All I’ll get is warnings, and I don’t need to hear any more of those from her since I’m already playing them like a broken record over and over in my own head.
    “And after that you’re going to go on with your life, right?”
    I nod. “Yes. Absolutely.”
    “And you’re not going to mope or cry or drown your sorrows in orange juice, right?”
    “Nope. I’m going to go to work, do my thing, date around, and have a good time. Just like you.”
    Mia pauses as she’s walking to the door. “I’m not sure being like me is going to make you happy.”
    I sigh heavily. “Are you trying to bum me out? Because you’re doing a good job.”
    She shakes her head and pats me on the shoulder. “Ignore me. I’m just being a butthead.”
    “Thank you for admitting that.” I pull the door open. “Come