Alex (33 page)

Authors: Sawyer Bennett

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Sports, #Contemporary Women, #Erotica

Stop.

Ugh. She didn’t want to be that person. The glass-half-empty girl who wouldn’t let anyone else believe it was half-full.

She
wouldn’t
be that person.

Angling closer on the bench, she leaned in shoulder-to-sho
ulder with Ava. “I think it’s great you’re opening yourself up to the possibilities. and I’ll support you one hundred percent. But I’m just wondering—and I don’t want this to sound like I think it’s going to be a problem or anything, but—you don’t actually
like anyone
. Ever. At least not in a more-than-friends way.”

“Right.”

“So, umm, how are you planning to get around that?”

Ava outlined the rough plan she’d come up with: A single, mandatory date each month, where she gave the guys who met her criteria a chance—regardless of whether they floated her boat or not. And if she missed a month, she suffered a consequence. Some penalty stiff enough to ensure she didn’t just blow it off.

“Nice. You’ve got to make it something that’ll really hurt, though, so you can’t slack. And tie up all the little loopholes you’ll be trying to wiggle through too.” Hey, this was kind of fun. “Make rules about what constitutes a legitimate date and going out with the same guy over and over when you know it isn’t going anywhere. Tough love and all,” Maggie snickered, maybe enjoying the idea of Ava not making her monthly quota a little too much.

Ava finished her cookie and then wiped her hands together, brushing off the crumbs. “Agreed. So you think this is a solid plan?”

Blehh, but whatever. If Ava wanted to get her date on, who was Maggie to stop her? And it would be a riot to watch. So working up some captain-of-the-
Cheer-Squad enthusiasm, she beamed. “Totally. It’s a fantastic idea!”

Honestly, there was no excuse for not seeing what was coming next. But reading the writing on the wall had never been Maggie’s strong suit. Especially when it came to the people closest to her.

“I’m glad you think so.” Ava grinned back at her, the glint of steel in her eyes unmistakable. “Because we’re making a pact, and you’re doing this with me.”

Hell.