The Boyfriend List Read online

  “And how was your spring break?” Reagan inquired, hoping to divert the attention off herself for as long as possible.

  Petra’s eyes lit up at her through dark, false lashes. Not waiting another instant, she dove into her long and winding tale of her trip to Italy.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Petra appeared to have embodied the expression when in Rome, and had taken every possible opportunity of enjoyment the country had presented to her – including a hot affair with one of the locals who hadn’t spoken a word of English...and whose name she still couldn’t recall. Reagan wasn’t sure if it was the speed with which Petra was recounting the tales, or the graphic details she’d suddenly become privy to, but something was making her head spin and she wasn’t all together certain it was in a good way. Food, her stomach reminded her, you need food, and then she tuned Petra out so she could take another quick glance through the menu. Not that she really needed to, she practically had the thing memorized at this point.

  Thankfully, the waitress had approached their table at just about that time, providing a much needed break in Petra’s fountain of conversation.

  The baby greens salad with strawberries and cashews for Petra, dressing on the side of course. And a mushroom-onion burger with side of seasoned fries for Reagan. Oh, and add Swiss to the burger, please. And another refill on the super syrupy raspberry tea.

  “Are you really going to eat that?”

  Reagan raised an eyebrow while eyeing her friend closely. “There’s nothing wrong with eating a burger once in a while.” Though ‘once in a while’, in Reagan’s book, was a very gray line that allowed for much culinary pleasure. And anyway, if ever she’d earned the right to indulge, she was fairly certain it would’ve been this past week.

  “You’ll clog your arteries.”

  “And enjoy every minute of it.” A mischievous smile appeared as she envisioned the big, juicy burger the way it sat on top of a fluffy round bun, all nestled between crisp lettuce and melted, gooey cheese. “Can you honestly say the same when you munch on veggies all day?”

  Petra narrowed her eyes. “No comment.”

  “Thought so.” Pleased with herself, she leaned back in her seat and tried not to think about how long the kitchen would take to produce her perfect meal. Maybe she should’ve ordered the lobster spinach dip to hold her over. “How early did you get here to get this seat anyway?”

  “I just got here.” Petra shrugged at Reagan’s obvious expression of shock. “I know people. So spill it.” Setting her elbows on the table, she appeared to be settling in for all the gossipy details she was just sure Reagan would have for her.

  Reagan, however, was more willing to play oblivious than recount the awful horror that had become her spring break. “Spill what?” The smile of satisfaction that had previously alighted her lips instantly dropped.

  But her best friend had known her far too long for the little charade to work. “You know what. I see it in there waiting to come out. You’ve just heard all about my trip, and I know you’re dying to tell me what happened on yours.”

  And by trip, Petra of course meant hookup. And no, Regan unfortunately had nothing to give her on that topic. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But of course, unfortunately, she did.

  “J.U.S.T.I.N.” Petra finally spelled out for her, hands flying around in frustration. “Did you two finally hook up during spring break or what?”

  All conversation was abruptly dumped in Reagan’s lap, and she wasn’t exactly thrilled with it. There was nowhere for her hide now – physically or verbally, so she took a long, deep breath and let it out again just as slowly. “You don’t really want to hear about that, do you?”

  “Oh come on! He’s the first guy you’ve been serious about in a long time. Inquiring minds need to know. Was it good or not?” There was something in Reagan’s eyes just then that made Petra tilt her head in confusion. “Reagan. What happened? What are you hiding from me?”

  “Well…” Reagan started slowly, drawing out the word as she tried to collect her thoughts on how to civilly discuss the topic. They were in public, after all. Her real thoughts would have to be censored. A little. “Justin hooked up with someone during spring break all right,” She shrugged as she focused on the condensation around her tea glass, “but that someone wasn’t me.”

  “What?” It was clear by Petra’s expression that her question hadn’t been one of disbelief, but that she truly wasn’t catching on to the concept. Regan gave her the look to help her along, then watched as her jaw dropped in astonishment. “Oh Reag...” Her voice was barely above a whisper after the long pause, and it seemed as though she wasn’t quite sure how to finish her statement.

  “Yeah.” Reagan agreed with her unspoken remorse.

  “Asshole.”

  “Yeah.”

  “How? Who?”

  “I don’t know her name, but I do know what the slut looks like.” Reagan grinned wickedly. “She was stupid enough to post the picture to her Facebook, and someone else saw it and was kind enough to text it to me. And the how part... I frankly just don’t want to know.”

  After scrolling through her photos and finding the right one, she slid her phone across the table to Petra, and waited as her friend absorbed every last detail of the dark, exotic looking girl cuddling on the pier in Justin’s arms. The large lake was spread out behind them with the sun just touching the edge of the water. The whole thing would’ve been very picturesque, she admitted to herself...had it not been her boyfriend in the photo with someone else.

  “Don’t they look happy? It makes me want to hurl.”

  “But...I thought you were supposed to go the lake house with him. How’d he end up there with someone else?”

  Reagan finally relented, and recounted every last detail of how she’d already been packed for the weeklong trip when she finally got the text that he was supposedly being dragged to his cousin’s wedding in Montana instead, and would have to take a rain check. A text! Of course, there was never any wedding in Montana, and he’d never officially broken it off with Reagan. Which somehow made the situation even worse.

  “What are you going to do now? Have you talked to Justin yet?” Petra’s voice raised a full octave with every question.

  “Talk isn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe the conversation, but we’ve…communicated, yes. We probably won’t be talking again for a long, long time.”

  “Good for you.” Petra nodded in approval. Then something in her expression shifted. Something that warned Reagan her friend was cultivating devious thoughts. “You know, we could easily find out who she is with that picture.” The gleam in Petra’s eye was causing Reagan some concern. People always say that karma’s a bitch, but karma had nothing on Petra when it came to defending her friends.

  Knowing this, and what the conversation would lead to if she entertained the idea for even a second, Reagan didn’t answer, but merely shook her head and smiled before falling silent for a few seconds as the meal was delivered to their table. As she stared down at the delicious pairing of carby, fatty goodness on her plate, she suddenly realized that all this talk about Justin had made her lose her appetite. The idea was horrifying. Out of sheer principle, she forced herself to pick up one of the hot, seasoned fries and groaned as she bit down on it.

  “Why does this keep happening to me!” She could feel the rise of anger and resentment building up inside her. It was stuck in her throat, just waiting to be released. And despite the looks she was drawing from a nearby table, Reagan was finally ready to let it all out. “All I want is someone I can connect with – really, honestly connect with - and instead I get a string of...of Justins. They’re all mindless, sex-craving clones. All of them!” She threw her hands up in defeat and shook her head before finally taking a big bite of her burger.

  “And that’s a problem because...?” Petra had raised an eyebrow at her from across the table.

  “Because sex is just better when you’re in love.”
She said around a mouthful of bun. Thankfully there wasn’t anyone to impress who would notice. “It feels better, it means more, and it’s way more satisfying in the end.”

  “You do remember you’re in college, right? You’re supposed to be having fun, not worrying about finding your lifelong Mr. Right."

  The comment merely drew an eye roll from Reagan. “That’s good.” She declared enthusiastically, pointing to the burger, just to get under Petra’s skin. Apparently, it worked, as Petra chomped hard on a fork full of lettuce.

  "Okay, Miss Romance Queen.” Her mouth had drawn thin, her brows furrowed. Things in Petra’s world were about to get serious. “What qualities exactly are we talking about here?”

  “What?” Reagan blinked twice. The idea was laughable. As though it were such a simple thing and she could spell it all out just like that. Who needed a list? Wouldn’t she just know when she finally found him? That’s what all the movies wanted you to believe at least...

  “I’m going to help you find a boyfriend before summer.” She sounded quite pleased with herself as she stabbed a leaf of lettuce with her fork, then after taking the bite added, “A good one too. But I’m going to need to know exactly what it is you’re looking for.”

  Intrigued, Reagan placated her. What was the worst that could happen?

  “Hmm…” She considered all her options. “How about Bradley Cooper’s charm, Channing Tatum’s body, and Johnny Depp’s eyes.”

  It was Petra’s turn to roll her eyes. “Please take this seriously. I’m offering up my superb matchmaking skills. That’s not something that I’d do for just anyone.”

  “Oh, I am taking this seriously.” Sarcasm dripped from her every word, but Petra didn’t catch it.

  “Really? That’s your problem then.”

  “What is?”

  “You don’t want to be in love with a real guy. You want to be in love with a movie star. And newsflash, that doesn’t work.”

  “And how would you know?” Reagan puffed her chest out in surprise.

  “Oh.” She replied matter-of-factly. “I know.” And the look in her eyes was convincing enough to make Reagan believe her, even though Reagan was fairly confident she’d known every person her friend had ever fallen in love with. Or even just hooked up with for that matter. “Just think about it a little harder, okay?”

  Regan nodded that she would, and though their conversation ebbed more than flowed over the next several moments as the girls devoured their meals, the level of noise throughout the room did not, and little snippets of conversation popped up all around them. Reagan was doing her best to ignore them, so immersed in her own thoughts as she was. Until one particular voice caught her attention.

  I don’t want that.

  It was only a second later the guy made it clear he wasn’t talking about his food, and Reagan tuned in a little more.

  She’s every man’s dream girl, bro.

  Yeah, every man that wants an easy chick. I want someone who’s decent, that I can have fun with.

  Reagan was now fully plugged in.

  Man, don’t start that again. We’re in college, have a little fun.

  No, I’m serious. An easy chuckle followed the declaration. It doesn’t matter how hot a girl is if you can’t have a conversation with her.

  "That’s what I want.” Reagan whispered frantically, pointing behind her.

  Petra looked up in the general direction Reagan had indicated, but instead of seeing a man, she saw a sinfully delicious looking dessert that was being delivered to a table a few seats back from them. “Oh, I do too.” She admitted in a rare moment of weakness. Her eyes were practically glued to the tray, and Reagan was fairly certain she could see a glisten of drool forming in the corner of Petra’s mouth. “I wonder how many calories is in that.”

  Confused, Reagan whipped her head back to see what her friend was talking about and began laughing almost uncontrollably. “No!” She corrected, half whispering again. “Are you listening to this convo? I want a man like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Shhh…” Reagan hissed back at her. "Like him." Mouthing the words, she motioned slightly over her shoulder, hoping she was being inconspicuous.

  Petra shrugged her shoulders. "You can. Go introduce yourself."

  And in Petra’s world, it would’ve been that easy. For realistic Reagan, however, she saw the situation with a little more complexity.

  “Yeah, and what am I going to say to him? ‘Hi. I overheard your conversation and, well, I think I’m the girl you’re looking for’?” Her mocking tone had Petra trying to stifle her own laughter. “I can't do that, I don't even know what he looks like."

  “His friend is cute enough.” Petra acknowledged, craning her head to see the duo seated behind Reagan. “I’ll go talk to him for you.” And she’d stood to act on her offer before she’d even finished her sentence.

  “No!” Reagan grabbed her arm from across the table and pulled her back down. “You can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” Confusion was etched across her face. “You want to find a guy like that, but you don’t want to meet the one that’s right there?”

  “I just found out my boyfriend cheated on me. I don’t even know if I’m ready to meet another guy yet. I want to take it a little slower, that’s all. Okay?”

  “No way! You need to get back in the game. Like, now. I don’t want to see you moping around the rest of the semester.” Petra thought for a minute, her large eyes scanning the room until they landed on a large salad bar. Then suddenly, her entire face lit up. "Go get me some salad." She commanded decisively.

  “What?” It was Reagan’s turn to be confused, and her exasperation was quickly rising.

  “Salad.”

  "Okay, first of all, when did I become your waitress? Second, stop changing the topic so suddenly. And third, haven’t you had enough lettuce for one day? My god woman!”

  "I love your priorities here.” Rolling her eyes, Petra elaborated. “No, listen. Pretend you're getting something at the salad bar, then you can turn around and see what he looks like.” Then her lips turned up teasingly at the corners. “Maybe he’ll even make eye contact with you and come over."

  It made sense, Reagan supposed. And what harm could a little peek really do? If he wasn’t attractive, her curiosity would be satisfied and she could move on. If he was…well, she might have to take Petra’s advice to get out of her comfort zone and assert herself a little. She agreed, hesitantly, and stood up with a nod of determination. “I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.” She mumbled to herself as she moved toward the center of the room.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The long island of all-you-can-eat goodies had been positioned in the middle of the room to be convenient to all the diners. And normally Reagan was a fan of the idea, despite her preferences for the more flavorful options on the menu. Except, that is, for today. Or more specifically, right then in that moment. When she was in the process of scheming on how to get a quick peek at a potentially cute guy, the last thing she wanted to do was draw unnecessary attention to herself – something which would be completely unavoidable if she were smack in the center of the room.

  Whatever, she thought as she released a tense breath through her nose. How hard could this really be?

  On either side of the steel island were thick, bone colored plates. She chose the side that would give her the better view, then casually picked up a plate merely on principle so she’d look less suspicious. After the huge burger she’d just devoured, there was no way she had any intention of eating another bite. Not to mention she didn’t want to get stuck with the bill for adding the salad bar under Petra’s grand direction.

  In an attempt to get her bearings, she looked around and easily spotted Petra who was in clear view from where she stood. Cheering her on, her friend gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up to keep her going, and Reagan began to suspect that they weren’t being very subtle about the whole thing. After smiling back, she hu
ffed a determined sigh then allowed her gaze to wander to where the duo of guys should’ve been seated, only to find the table in question blocked by a large group of people who had suddenly stood up to leave.

  Disappointed, she decided she could wait a few minutes – but only a few – until they cleared away. But it was also quite possible she could lose her nerve before they did. Oh, who was she kidding. With the kind of luck she had, this guy would not only end up being someone she wasn’t attracted to, but someone who definitely wasn’t attracted to her. She wasn’t the hottest girl on campus, she was just...Reagan.

  Still, there was some fun in trying to figure it all out, and she could use a fun distraction after the week she’d had. Biting her lip, she tried to look as though she were considering the plethora of appetizing selections that had been laid out, but apparently her act wasn’t good enough for the very hungry diner who was next in line. Prodding her in the back with a long, bony finger, the woman glared at her, as only grandmotherly types can, through round glasses perched low on her nose.

  Taking the hint, Reagan scooted down the line a few steps, keeping her eyes on the group the entire time. Finally, a young mother reached down to pick up her fussing child, and she had her opportunity. The sea of people parted, the table was in full view, and she had an excellent picture of the guys who had been sitting behind her.

  There you are, she thought to herself, and her eyes grew large with curiosity.

  If anything was to be said about that initial staging, it was that it had been well worth the wait. She was pleasantly surprised to find that he was not at all unfortunate where looks were concerned, and her pulse quickened just a little more at the finding. Though he might not be of the European model caliber, he was definitely attractive in an ordinary sort of way. She liked that, Reagan decided. Ordinary was comfortable. Ordinary was safe. Ordinary would work.