Friend Zoned (Barnett Bulldogs #2)

by Jennifer Sucevic

  Total deviant.

  In light of the current situation, I’ve decided that one last ditch effort to salvage our friendship is needed to keep everything from irreversibly changing.

  For.

  Eveeeeeer.

  And no, I’m not being melodramatic at all.

  What I need to find is someone who can take my mind off Sam.

  That’s right, I’m talking about a good old fashioned hook up. Because I’m starting to spend way too much time alone in my room, if you catch my drift…

  I’m afraid I might get carpal tunnel or something like that.

  Which is exactly why Mia and I now have our asses planted in a booth at O’Brien’s. Sure, it’s a Wednesday night. And it’s not exactly as hopping around here as it would be on a Friday or Saturday evening but there are still a fair number of people out enjoying themselves.

  Actually, upon closer inspection, there are a decent number of prospects. I’m guessing the NHL game on the mega huge TV behind the bar has a little something to do with that.

  All I need to find is one measly guy who can take my mind off Sam. One guy who can distract me long enough for things to simmer down and slide back to normal between us. It has to be someone who can get my hormones snapping to attention like a certain someone else with big bulging biceps, a nice wide chest, bright blue eyes, sexy blond hair, and a thick co-

  Damnation!

  I really have to stop thinking about him like that.

  It’s going to completely ruin our friendship. Not to mention that I’ve never masturbated so much in my life…

  Head swiveling, I scope out the local talent, trying to find a target to lock on. Mia takes a small sip from her ice cold mug before cocking a disinterested brow my way. “You sure this is a good idea?”

  Hell no, I’m not sure. But it’s the best one I’ve got at this point. For most of the ride over, Mia encouraged me to pull on my big girl panties and just be honest with Sam.

  Well… I’m not ready to do that just yet. I’m not ready to deal with the ramifications. Or… the inevitable fallout. And yes, that makes me a complete puss.

  But guess what?

  I really don’t care.

  So I’m going with option B.

  And option B is all about finding a distraction for the evening. It’s really the only viable option, when you think about it. I either find someone to take my mind off Sam or I end up screwing up the best relationship in my life because I just so happen to want to jump his bones.

  Like a whole bunch of times.

  Mia thinks option B is destined for failure. She’s being a real negative Nancy about this whole thing. I probably should have asked someone else to be my wingman for the night. She actually likened this expedition to craving a huge juicy double decker burger with the works loaded on top but deciding to settle for a crappy, three day old convenience store hot dog instead.

  And maybe that’s true.

  Maybe I am settling.

  Sure, of course I want that burger. I’m all but starving for a taste of that damn burger. But, for obvious reasons (ie- that burger is my best friend), I can’t have that burger. So I’ve decided to go for that crappy, three day old convenience store hot dog instead because it will take my mind off the big juicy burger I’d rather be sinking my teeth into.

  But you know what?

  Maybe that crappy ass dog will end up surprising me. Maybe I’ll actually feel somewhat satisfied after consuming said dog. I mean… anything can happen, right? Or maybe it will just make me so violently ill, that I’ll end up puking my damn guts out. Either way, I sure as hell won’t be thinking about that freaking burger, now will I?

  In one thirsty gulp, I down half my beer. Or as I like to call it- liquid courage before eyeing up my prospective candidates for the evening.

  With a sly smile simmering around the edges of her lips, Mia points to someone loitering at the bar. “I think bachelor number one over there is right up your alley.”

  Either she’s mocking me and has found a guy who I would never go for or…

  She’s found someone who looks exactly like Sam. We’re talking six feet tall, short blond hair, not to mention a hard muscular body. And don’t even get me started on those well-defined shoulders.

  Yeah… I know exactly what Mia’s up to by picking this guy. He hits a little too close to home, if you know what I mean.

  My narrowed gaze swings back to Mia who is wearing a ridiculously smug smile. She raises a brow in silent inquiry. Yep… it’s definitely a trap.

  One I’m going to steer clear of, thank you very much.

  “He’s not really my type.”

  Actually, he’s completely my type.

  She rolls her big mossy green eyes. “Oh, please.” But rather than argue, she simply turns back towards the bar where a good number of guys are sitting, watching the hockey game.

  “Okay…” her eyes continue scanning the general vicinity, “how about him?”

  As my gaze falls on bachelor number two, I already know it’s a no-go. But I don’t want to judge him too harshly because that’s not going to help my current predicament.

  I mean, it’s not like I’m picking out my future husband here, right?

  This is nothing more than a distraction.

  Before completely disregarding the guy, I allow my eyes to slide over him one last time. Sure, I guess he’s kind of okay looking… If I squint my eyes real hard. I’m just taking a guess here, but I probably weight more than he does. And that thin pedophile mustache he’s rocking has seriously got to go.

  I’m not even kidding right now.

  We’ll just keep that one on the backburner. For when I’m, you know, totally desperate. After a moment, I shake my head. “Nah… he’s too…” I shrug my shoulders, not quite sure what to say.

  “Not Sam enough?”

  My gaze narrows before cutting back to her. “No,” I lie, “that’s not what I was going to say.”

  “But it’s what you were thinking,” she chides sweetly.

  Yeah… okay… so maybe it was. But I certainly don’t have to admit that to her. The last thing I need to hear is yet another rendition of - I-told-you-this-was-a-bad-idea. “No… he’s just a little too lean for my tastes.”

  She snorts before taking a sip of her beer. “Whatever you say.” Then she perks up. “How about the buff dude over there.”

  My eyes slide to bachelor number three.

  I’m pleasantly surprised to discover that bachelor number three has some definite potential.

  You know what I like best?

  He doesn’t look a damn thing like Sam and I’m one hundred percent sure that I weigh more than he does. Plus, he has wavy chestnut colored hair. I’m trying to imagine what it would feel like to drag my fingers through it. Tilting my head to the side, my eyes narrow in speculation.

  Or… maybe I won’t be raking my fingers through it because he looks to be wearing more product than I am. Kind of doubtful my fingers could even get through that shellacked helmet without ripping out a good chunk of it.

  But whatever… his helmet hair isn’t important here.

  I focus on his eyes. They’re definitely not a piercing blue. From what I can tell, they look to be a nice rich brown. Dare I say soulful? Yeah, I’m going with soulful. Added bonus- he has muscles galore. Okay, okay… in that regard, he sort of resembles Sam. So sue me, I like well-built men.

  Or strapping as my grandmother would say.

  Now… is there any pinging action going on in my nether regions?

  Nope. At least not yet there isn’t, but I’m pretty darn sure I can work with this.

  Not wanting to waste any more time, I start sliding my way out of the booth. “Wish me luck, I’m going in.”

  “You don’t need luck, you’ve got great tits. Just thrust them out. It gets ’em every time.”

  I snort at her advice because, well… it’s true. Not the part about me having great tits, but just having tits in general. If you th
rust them out, picking up guys becomes ridiculously easy.

  Feeling like a woman on a mission, I stride purposefully towards him. When I’m about three feet from where’s he’s standing, his eyes suddenly collide with mine before sweeping quickly down the front of my body. He must like what he sees because his mouth slowly curls up at the corners.

  Alrighty then.

  Yup… just like taking candy from a baby. It’s almost criminal how easy it is to pick up men.

  Instead I school my features, giving him a flirty little come hither smile as I tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “Hi.”

  “Hey.” Not saying another word, he hoists a bottle of beer to his mouth before taking a long slow swallow. His eyes never once release mine.

  I’m detecting a definite air of interest here. I’m thinking this guy is going to be a keeper. For tonight anyway. Clearing my throat, I introduce myself hoping to get the preliminaries out of the way. “My name’s Violet.”

  “Nice to meet you, Violet. Nick.” Just as those words leave his lips, his eyes suddenly dart over my shoulder before he tacks on rather hastily, “And this is my girlfriend, Bree.”

  I’m sorry. Come again?

  Not a moment later, a tall slender woman with glaring eyes wraps her arms around his neck. Shifting uncomfortably at the ungodly awkwardness that has now descended upon the three of us, Nick leans down, hesitantly planting a kiss on her lips. Except Bree has decided that her territory is in clear need of marking. Twining her arms around his neck, she holds his head possessively while opening her mouth wide and pretty much mauling his face right in front of me.

  I’m guessing that’s my cue to leave.

  Sheesh. All the guy had to say was- not interested. Those two little words would have had me moving on to bachelor number four. Whoever the hell that is.

  With a roll of my eyes, I spin on my heel, before stalking back to our table. As my gaze latches onto Mia’s, I can tell she’s approximately three seconds away from laughing her proverbial ass off. There’s a huge, barely contained grin wreathing her face. Even more telling- her shoulders are shaking uncontrollably.

  It only has my eyebrows lowering in response.

  When I’m finally close enough, I say with an exaggerated sigh, “Go ahead… let it out.”

  That’s all it takes for Mia to totally lose it. She laughs for a good three minutes before her chuckles finally subside.

  “Alright,” I grumble, “it’s not that funny.”

  “Oh god, it is. You should have seen the look on your face when he introduced his girlfriend! It was priceless, Vi. Completely priceless.” She glances over in their direction again before shaking her head.

  I can’t help but look as well.

  Yep… still going at it.

  After another thirty minutes, I’ve drained yet another beer and have approached two other guys who, if you can actually believe it, are more interested in watching the game on TV than striking up a conversation with yours truly.

  Yeah… I know, totally unbelievable! And trust me, I’ve been thrusting my boobs out the entire time too.

  It’s still a no-go.

  Staring rather glumly at my empty mug, I can’t resist stating, “This is much harder than it looks.”

  As those disheartened words leave my lips, Mia dissolves into yet another fit of giggles.

  “For you, yes. I really should be videoing this. It would make a hilarious GIF.”

  “You suck as a wingman,” I mutter.

  “You suck at picking up dudes,” she tosses right back at me.

  Can’t exactly argue with that one, now can I? Apparently I do suck at picking up guys. Who knew?

  This night has turned out to be a complete bust.

  Feeling deflated, I say, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

  Just as I return to our table, a guy loitering at the bar catches my attention. Before I can think better of it, I make a beeline towards him. Even though his back is to me, he has big broad shoulders. So, right there, I know he has potential. And he’s tall. I like that as well.

  Peeking over at Mia, I notice that she’s wrapped up in her phone. Good. The last thing I need is her making a video of my most humiliating fails.

  Because she would seriously do it.

  My eyes arrow back to the guy in question. I’m not really able to see much more of him because he’s wearing a ball cap. I have no idea what he looks like, but so far, I’m intrigued. Plus, I’m kind of feeling desperate over here. This night hasn’t exactly gone the way I expected it to. Once again, my gaze slides back over his impossibly sexy shoulders. The sheer width of them is breathtaking.

  And then I feel it.

  I almost want to pump my fist in the air with unfettered joy.

  That’s attraction zinging through my body, baby.

  See?

  I knew this was the right approach to take. I just had to be patient. Sometimes it’s all about persistence.

  The way his muscular back fills out the tight gray t-shirt stretching its cottony way across all that broadness has my mouth salivating. As I weave through the people standing by the bar, I squeeze myself in right next to him. Sucking in a quick breath, I send up a little prayer hoping that the front is just as delicious as the backside.

  With a sexy little smile gracing my lips, I finally turn towards him.

  “Hey, Vi.”

  My eyes widen as the sexy little come hither smile slides clean off my face before splattering onto the bar. I’m sure my eyes look like they’re on the verge of popping right out of my head.

  Oh for fuck’s sake…

  “What are you doing here?”

  If he registers the shock slash dismay seeping through my voice, he doesn’t say one damn word about it. He merely tips his head towards Mia who is still sitting at the booth with her phone. “Mia texted that you guys were here to catch the game. I was just ordering a beer before joining you.”

  My narrowed gaze slices straight to my traitorous ex best friend. Catching my eyes, she gives me a huge shit eating grin along with a little wave of her fingers.

  I’m seriously going to maim and kill that girl.

  “Oh.”

  Well shit.

  That piercing blue gaze of his spears right through mine, effectively pinning me in place. Something trembles at the bottom of my belly as our eyes lock and hold. “I’m surprised you’re out on a Wednesday night. I thought for sure you’d be home studying.”

  Yeah… studying probably would have been a lot more productive than what’s been happening here tonight.

  “Just felt like grabbing a beer,” I throw the words out rather lamely before nodding towards the big screen TV, “and, you know, watching the game. I, ah, thought it might be fun.”

  Christ.

  I don’t even know whose playing tonight…

  Or any other night, for that matter.

  Thankfully Sam only raises a skeptical brow in response. My guess is that he sees right through my paper thin lie because I don’t follow the NHL. Like at all. I doubt I could name one single player from the league.

  Again he nods his head towards the booth. The breath instantly becomes wedged in my throat because I’m wondering what else my soon to be ex-roommate has told him. “Mia said she needed to head home but that you wanted to stay and hang out a bit longer. So, I thought I’d swing by and keep you company.”

  My chin drops before I mutter, “She said that?”

  Now I really am going to kill her.

  Slowly.

  Painfully.

  His lips slide up at the corners as if he knows I’ve been purposefully avoiding him of late and has finally found a way to thwart me. Grabbing his beer, his other hand wraps around my fingers before tugging me towards the booth. Quickly I rack my brain, trying to figure out how I’m going to get out of this one. Spending more time alone with Sam is definitely not a good idea. Especially right now. Just as we arrive at the table, Mia scoots out before grabbing her purse. A sly smil
e hovers around the edges of her red slicked lips.

  “So,” she announces, “I’m going to get moving. Got some reading to plow through.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I grit out, “Thanks so much for calling Sam. That was super thoughtful of you.” I’m hoping she sees the murderous glint shimmering in my eyes.

  Damn Mia and her interfering ways.

  Her smile only widens. “No problem, sweetie.” Pointing a finger, she wags it between the pair of us. “Now you kids have fun tonight.” Sending us a little wink, she skedaddles away before I can think of a reason to detain her. “But not too much fun.”

  Silently fuming, I watch her saunter out of the bar as Sam settles his big body onto the side of the booth Mia just vacated. There’s nothing else for me to do but slide in nervously across from him.

  My eyes immediately fixate on the empty mug in front of me before shooting him a quick glance. Even though it’s fleeting, a little current of energy snaps and sizzles its way through me as our gazes collide. Almost immediately, I drop mine back to the table.

  “Vi?”

  My name comes out sounding all low and gravelly as I run my finger slowly over the rim of my mug. His voice has my eyes snapping back up to his.

  Expression completely shuttered, he asks, “Did you really come here to watch the game tonight?”

  His words have the breath lodging at the back of my throat as I continue staring mutely at him. I don’t think he believes me. It probably doesn’t help that the TV is all the way across the bar and from the angle I’m sitting at, I can barely see it.

  “Ummm…” My voice falters before I murmur almost questioningly, “Yes?”

  Those blue eyes of his narrow before he reaches out, nabbing my fingers with his own. His huge paw practically swallows up my smaller one. Staring down at our stacked hands, I try steeling myself against the contact. The feel of his warm flesh settled over mine has an unexpected shaft of desire arrowing clean through me. Swallowing thickly, I try in vain to ward it off.

  This isn’t supposed to be happening. We’re supposed to stay strictly within the friends boundary zone. That’s the way it’s always been. Screwing with that… okay, bad choice of words… messing around with that is a disastrous idea.

  It will only end badly.