Page 96 of Betting on the Bad Boy

“You sure?”

“Yeah, thanks though. How are you?”

Jess rolled her eyes. “Same old, same old. Jake and I are off again. He needs space.”

“When are you going to cut those ties for good?” I leaned against the stool, wishing my life was a lot simpler.

“Wait. Is that you, giving me relationship advice?”

“Good point.”

Jess leaned forward. “Speaking of relationships, how are you and Dante?”

I shrugged, hoping she’d drop it. “It’s complicated.”

“Sounds serious to me.”

“I’ve told you. There’s no relationship.”

“That’s what you keep saying?—”

“I keep saying it because it’s true!” My head started to pound, and I stood. “I’ve got to get to class.”

“We’re still on for tonight, right?” Jess asked.

“Tonight?” I racked my brain, trying to remember what Jess might have talked me into this time.

“Yeah, the poetry slam.”

I sighed. “I really shouldn’t.”

“No!” Jess slapped her palm down on the table, and a couple of people around us looked over. “You promised. You canceled on me last time.”

I raised my hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Pick you up at eight.”

“That’s better. See you tonight.” Jess settled back down on her stool and took a sip of her coffee.

I gave a wave and made my way out of the building. Things were happening so fast. If someone wanted to flush me out, I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. I needed a plan. If I could just figure out who’d been leaving the pages, I might get an idea of how to handle it.

Mr. Darcy meowedas he wound his way between my legs. I opened the pantry and scooped some food into his bowl, wishing for the thousandth time I hadn’t promised Jess I’d go to the poetry slam tonight.

“Here you go, baby.” I bent to rub him behind the ears, just how he liked it, eliciting a wave of purrs. Grabbing my coat and purse off the counter, I made my way through the door and out into the cold, dark night.

A few minutes later, I turned into the parking lot of Jess’s complex. Jess lucked out and scored one of the brand-new townhouses on the edge of campus. The downside was she had to share the two-bedroom unit with another gal.

Still, her place was much nicer than mine and twice the size. I didn’t mind my cozy studio, though. I needed the privacy andwasn’t ready to give up Mr. Darcy since pets weren’t allowed at her complex.

Jess bounded out the front door and over to the car. She wrenched the door open and hopped inside. “I didn’t think you’d show. Ready for tonight?” She rubbed her hands together and blew into them.

“I suppose.” I put the car in reverse and eased out of the lot. The Roastery wasn’t far, just a few blocks over. I found a spot on the street and left the warmth of the car for the cold sidewalk.

“Come on, this will be fun,” Jess said, already a few steps ahead of me.

I followed her into the dim interior, and the smell of high-quality coffee washed over me. Burlap coffee bean bags stenciled with poetry verses hung on the walls. Yellow lights from a raised dais against the light brick wall created a golden sheen that lit up the edge of the crowd. Jess recognized someone and wound through the tables to the far side of the room. I trailed behind.

“Hey, guys,” Jess said, reaching a group of tables. Several small round tables had been pushed together and people clustered around them. As I stepped up behind Jess, a few people shifted over, making room for us to sit down at the edge of the group.

I scanned the faces, recognizing most of them as colleagues. Great...Murph. He caught my eye from the other side of the table and raised his mug toward me in recognition.