3. WES

3

WES

I was so taken aback when she approached me at the table that my need to put up a wall came right to the surface. She fit that mold of a typical college girl looking for a good time with a random guy. She caught me watching her on stage so why else would she have come over to me?

I've read some of those romance books that Jay loves. I know how that age gap story plays out, and I've been in this town long enough to see the girls come and go, especially the young ones. They're not looking to put down roots, they're looking for a good time to get themselves through college. A time passer, and maybe that works for other college guys but I'm not in college anymore and that's not my frame of mind.

I'm not looking to get married tomorrow, or at all really, but I'm not playing games either and I don't want to be strung along.

But she sure was pretty. And mature for only being eighteen, and maybe that's what threw me off my game.

Both Jay and Maverick scold me, saying I could've just been nicer. "Just because she came to the table, didn't mean she was looking for a ring or even a one night stand."

"Which wouldn't be bad either?—"

I narrow my eyes at Maverick's crude comment. "I didn't get that from her," I say with a little too much force. "She just seemed fun and full of life and, like she said, she just likes to meet people if she feels something with them."

I understand what she was saying. Growing up being close with my cousin, it was like we were raised as brothers. We had family around all the time, but Jay and I gravitated toward each other and didn't make too many friends outside of family. But when we met Maverick, we pulled him right into our circle. There was just something about him that we all clicked with right away and it stayed with us as we grew up.

People come and go in our small town. Some you know right away are good people and some rub you the wrong way. I believe I read people well and I'll put a wall up if I feel someone is hanging around for the wrong reasons.

Not that I have much to go on, meaning I haven't learned from experience. Besides my dad and uncle being the ultimate Prince Charming's, Maverick is the Playboy of the group yet he never gets a second date. I don't know if it's by choice, his or hers, but he hasn't increased my faith in dating by watching him.

And my cousin? Well since getting burned right out of high school, he hasn't dated much either. We've become the bachelors in town, and everyone is always looking to set us up. I wish they'd just leave me alone. When it's right, I'll know.

For the sake of my own sanity, I decided to stay away from the bar for a bit. Hazel occupied too many of my thoughts as it was, and I needed to get control of myself before seeing her again. Which worked out fine to start, but then, just two weeks later, the guys talked me into going back.

The moment I walked in, I saw Hazel with her friends again. She noticed me right away, as if she was looking for me, giving me a slight wave, and I played it casually with a nod of my head in return. I hung around to listen to her butcher another karaoke song and watched her enjoy herself through it all, and it made me smile.

But then I had to shake myself from the daydream I was letting myself have. I got a weird fluttering in my belly that I've never had before and it felt like I needed to put that wall back between us, letting Hazel know not to approach me. I don't know why, because in actuality, all I wanted to do was sit and talk with her.

What could I offer her though? And why on earth would she want to date someone when she's just entered the best time of her life? She's young and having fun, just starting college and I've been there, done that. I didn't get the degree or the girl so now I'm just a small-town guy working hard during the day and spending my nights alone.