Page 9 of The Girlfriend Card (Vegas Sin #4)

Because the last thing I needed was to bring a girl with an ironic haircut and problem glasses into Mr. Capuano’s house …

But Olivia didn’t reply. In the meantime, I grabbed a table and waited. The staff brought me my food, which I immediately started crushing, thanks to a gnarly post-workout appetite.

I was halfway through my meal, and she still hadn’t replied. I started to worry she was ghosting me.

“Hellooo? Olivia?”

But relief came a minute or two later when my phone vibrated with a new text.

“Hey, sorry, I’m running late,” she wrote. “Just got out of a thing. But I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She followed up with another quick text. “ P.S. Not a hipster.”

“Whew!” I texted back, laughing. “No worries about running late. I just wish I’d known. I would’ve showered.”

“Ew! What are you, a stinky basement dweller? Please shower before you go out into public, Dakota! Especially if you’re meeting someone!”

“Lol. No I promise I’m not that. I just rushed over here after a brutal gym sesh.”

“Again I say, Ew!”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” I said, giving her the eye-roll emoji. “So what do you look like? Wanna send me a picture finally so I know who I’m looking for? Or will you be keeping what you look like a mystery until we finally meet?”

“All you need to know is that I’m wearing a button down blouse and khakis.”

“Mystery it is, then. I’m calling it now: you’re either drop-dead gorgeous or a bridge troll. No inbetween on this one.”

“Wow, Dakota. That’s unbelievably rude.”

I hit her with the ROFL emoji. “You just called me a stinky basement dweller a minute ago.”

“Yeah, because you admitted you didn’t shower,” she said with a crying-laughing emoji. “So if I’m not looking for a creepy weirdo who just crawled out of his mom’s basement, who or what am I looking for?”

“I’m a stud. Tall and handsome. Can’t miss me.”

“Uh-huh. Riiight. You know you shouldn’t hype yourself up so much, right?”

“Why not?”

“Because high expectations often lead to massive letdowns.”

“Story of my life.”

“Somehow, I’m not surprised.”

A grin tugged at the corner of my lips as I stared at my phone.

Olivia was funny. We were just joking, of course …

but beyond our playful banter, something stirred deep inside me.

I couldn’t put a name to that feeling inside me—only that it was elusive, but I felt it nonetheless, like a pull in the air when the wind subtly shifts.

Huh. Weird, I thought. Whatever.

I returned my attention to my lunch. Yeah, two-a-days sucked, but on the other hand? I’d be indulging in endless feasts all summer to fuel my workouts with Parker.

Maybe this won’t be so bad, I thought as I scarfed down my Cuban. Better make sure I’m stocked up on ice cream when I get home.

Those were the kinds of food-centric thoughts running through my mind when the jingling bells of the cafe door grabbed my attention.

Curious, I turned and cast a casual glance at the entrance, wondering if this newcomer could be the one.

Instantly, I knew the beauty who stepped into the cafe with an easy, effortless grace was my girl.

Her youthful skin glowed with a dewy sheen.

Dressed conservatively, her button-down blouse was a shade of hunter green that accentuated her olive-toned complexion.

Her hair, rich and brown in hue and glinting in the sunlight, cascaded in long, silky waves.

Fuck me. This was her. It had to be her. She scanned the bustling cafe, trying to pick me out of the crowd. I would’ve yelled, “Yo, Olivia!” if I could speak—but a lump had lodged itself in my throat.

Good God, I thought, still staring, she’s drop-dead gorgeous.

I shouldn’t have been shocked. I mean, I’d pretty much predicted this exactly, hadn’t I? But … wow.

Finally, she looked my way. Our eyes met, and a spark lit behind her eyes— she instantly knew it was me, too. I gave her a small wave. A fleeting smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but she swiftly averted her gaze and moved towards me.

I won’t lie; I’m the type of guy that liked girls who wore as little as possible. But as she walked towards me, the subtle swing in her hips capturing my attention, I suddenly began to understand the appeal of leaving a little something to the imagination.

Girl, I wanna tear those clothes off of you.

“Hi …” She approached cautiously, as if she were tiptoeing into unfamiliar territory.

I was so struck by her beauty, my eyes stayed locked on hers as I rose to my feet.

“Are you Jane?” I stuck out a hand for her to shake, but she didn’t take it.

“ Jane? ” Startled and confused, she stepped back. “No … sorry. You’ve got the wrong person.”

She scampered off.

Wha’? What happened?

I sat there, stunned. I couldn’t believe I’d gotten it wrong. I was sure she was my girl. I stared at her, watching as she discreetly poked around the cafe, trying to find somebody else. When she couldn’t find him, she busied herself with her phone instead.

The lucky bastard, I thought jealously, though part of me still held out hope that lucky bastard was me.

A moment later, my phone vibrated.

“Hey, I’m here. Where are you?” Olivia wanted to know.

And that’s when my mistake hit me: Jane wasn’t her name.

Whew.

Boy, did I ever feel like an idiot. Silver linings, though?

She was already fooling people.

You’re gonna be so perfect for this , I thought as I made my way over to her.