Nothing But Trouble Read Online Free Page B

said, holding up the surprisingly delicious drink she’d fixed him.
    She nodded and turned away.
    “Wait!” Brandon said, trying desperately to come up with something clever.
    She turned back, her eyebrows raised.
    “What are the odds of talking you into going out with me?”
    he final y said, deciding to stick with the direct approach.
    She cocked her head to the side, in a gesture already becoming familiar to him. “What are the odds of Elvis playing pool in the back room?”
    “That low, huh?”
    “On a good day.”
    Brandon grinned and let her go.
    Ned snorted into his beer. “That was real smooth, buddy.
    Like I said, you don’t stand a chance.”
    Tossing some singles on the bar as a final tip, Brandon stood and slapped Ned on the back. “Oh, ye of little faith.”
    “Oh, ye of little sense. The lady isn’t interested.” He held out his hand. “Pay up.”
    “The night isn’t over.” Brandon stuffed his wal et into his back pocket. “What was the name of that bar we passed about a half block back? The Heartbreak Hotel?”  
    Ned frowned up at him. “Yeah. Why?”
    “No reason. I’m taking a walk. Be right back.”
    “HE’S MANNA from heaven,” Ali breathed when Laura returned to her friends.
    “He’s manna from Rhode Island,” Laura corrected her.
    “He’s the one,” Ali said. “Definitely, he’s the one, Laura.”
    Laura glared at her friend. “He’s not a prince.”
    “You asked?” Hannah said with disbelief.
    Laura bristled. “He’s American. Last I heard we don’t have a royal family.”
    Ali rubbed her temples, a concentrated frown furrowing her brow. “Maybe we shouldn’t take the prince part literally.”
    “I think we should,” Laura insisted.
    “Prince or not, he’s certainly a hunk,” Hannah added. “Has he asked you out yet?”
    “What makes you think he’d want to go out with me?”
    “Because he looks at you like he wants to throw you down on the bar and have his way with you.” Hannah glanced down the bar again, then said, “Where’d he go?”
    Laura’s head snapped up. Under the guise of needing to freshen her condiment tray, she turned toward the smal refrigerator and risked a quick glance toward Brandon Prince’s bar stool. Brandon Prince’s former bar stool.
    Why her heart dropped to her stomach she didn’t know.
    Ned was stil there, so a reasonable inference would be that the man in question had just gone to the rest room.
    Except for the crumpled bil s tossed down beside his empty drink glass.
    Brandon had gone. Left. Bugged out. After one slightly strong rejection, the toad had disappeared. Jeez, she thought, annoyed for no good reason, if all men gave up that easily, the human race wouldn’t have survived this long.
    Wel , who cared? So the man had awakened some long-slumbering hormones inside her. Big deal. Any real y good-looking guy could probably accomplish that much. After all, she wasn’t dead, just dormant. It was inevitable that eventually she’d find herself sexually attracted to a man. In fact, her long-range goal depended on it.
    Why couldn’t he have swaggered into her bar a couple of years from now when she was ready for him? Other than his poor timing, Brandon Prince was perfect. He seemed to have al of the qualifications she’d decided the father of her child would have to possess.
    She began cutting up some limes as she ticked off his assets.
    The man was attractive. Whack. Now there was an understatement. He was tal and lean and gorgeous.
    He looked healthy. That was extremely important to her.
    She wished he’d stuck around enough so she could examine his teeth more careful y. Whack.
    He possessed a certain charm. Of course, she, herself, was immune to charm— whack! —but still she’d like for her child to inherit some.
    He had enough intel igence to attend college. And an Ivy League col ege at that. Laura knew that Yale was one of the best.
    He seemed to have a sense of humor. That was a must. The world was too