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“No, you wouldn’t,” I teased. “You have a fiancé to think about now.”

She smiled. “Well, if there’s anyone from our class that could succeed in taking on a company that big, it’s you. I’m sure you’re killing it with the alpha builds. It’s probably amazing.”

“It’s getting there,” I said. No, it isn’t.

“So, you haven’t been seeing anyone?” she asked.

“Nope.”

“Well, hell, girl. I could hook you up with someone tonight, I’m sure. I may have been out of the game for a while, but I know I still haven’t lost my touch.” She leaned in close and spoke in a private voice. “The bartender. She’s into you.”

“No way. She’s just happy because I gave her a generous tip.”

“Trust me, Mel. She definitely wants your generous tip. Or tips.” She swatted my boobs.

I groaned and turned away to shield myself from any more gropes. I was still a little tender from Kendra’s ballistic drumstick.

“Want me to get the ball rolling?” she asked.

The bartender was tall, with olive skin and a model-perfect face. In fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she were a model. Her dark hair was pulled up in a neat little ponytail, and I thought again about Kendra.

Fuck. Maybe I needed this to get my mind straight again.

I shrugged coolly. “Fine. Show me your magic hasn’t faded, Denise.”

She smiled and patted my arm. “Leave it to me.”

I walked out into the night and pulled Denise into a hug. “It was really great to see you,” I said. “It was great to catch up.”

“Definitely. We should do this again sometime.”

I agreed, but we both knew that this would likely be the last time we’d see each other unless somehow business brought our paths together again. We were both in completely different places in our lives now.

She leaned in and squeezed my arm. “Have fun tonight.” She winked.

Denise hummed as she strolled off into the night. It was nice to have caught up with an old friend, but it had left me feeling strange. Denise was getting married. Her story about finding Marc, and how she’d known he was special—I could never have imagined that happening to her. She always seemed like

she was at her top form when she was invested in her business and living the wild single life, but, I had to admit… I’d never seen her this happy. It was something I could just feel that was different about how she was acting, and her energy was different too.

What did this mean for me?

Nothing.

What about Kendra?

The question floated through my mind like a whisper.

What about Kendra? She was just a girl I’d met, and that was it. She was just like…

“Hey there, stranger.”

I turned and saw Alysia, the bartender, coming out of the bar. She wore a black zippered hoodie over her work clothes, and I thought about Kendra’s leather jacket. She looked so good in that jacket.

“Hi,” I said, pressing a smile onto my lips.

“So, my place or yours?”

“Mine is fine.”