I scowl at her. “I thought we were in agreement that good men are just mythical creatures.”
She chuckles. “I say that, but in my heart I know there are good men out there. My grandpa was one.”
“I don’t know…men who never cheat may just never have had an opportunity.”
Angelia scoffs. “Now who’s cynical?”
“I don’t deny I am. I expect to be hurt so I’m never disappointed.”
“Yeah, but you’re never not disappointed, either,” Angelia points out. “You’re never anything.”
“That’s true. But,” I point at her with a chicken-remnant-covered finger, “I’m having dinner with a man Sunday night.”
She gapes at me in surprise. “A real, live man? You?”
“It’s just as friends, but since he has a penis, I deserve some credit, I think.”
“How do you know about his penis?”
I can’t help it—I flush from my head to my toes. Angelia throws her head back in laughter.
“Just friends, huh?” she cries.
“We’re just friends now. Really.”
“Uh huh. And he just wants to be friends, too?”
I shrug. “Well, he’d like to be more, but he accepts being just friends.”
“Wait a minute!” Angelia’s whole face lights up. “Is this the guy who came here to see you that day recently? The one Tina said was tall, dark and handsome?”
“She said that?”
“Oh, yeah.”
I roll my eyes. “She’s such a gossip. Why didn’t you tell me she was talking about him?”
“I figured you’d tell me about him if you wanted to.”
“His name’s Knox. We met when I was on my solo honeymoon in Hawaii.”
“Oooh, nice. Is he Hawaiian?”
“No, he just happened to be there at the same time.”
A couple of shelter residents walk into the kitchen, greeting us and walking over to the counter to get aprons and put them on for their lunch shift.
“Well, be careful,” Angelia warns. “Take pepper spray, let me know where you’ll be and don’t go down any dark alleys with him. But have fun.”
“We’re just friends.”
“I get it.” She tries to wink at me, but really she just scrunches up half her face.
“You’re the worst winker I’ve ever seen,” I say, laughing.
“Well, I don’t have anyone to wink at.”
“Maybe you will, though, someday.”
She snorts out a laugh. “I’ll leave the fairytales to you, my dear. I’m good where I am.”
We exchange a silent, solemn look, because we both know she won’t be where she is for much longer. And even though I’ll do everything I can to cushion the blow of losing her job, I can’t recreate the comfort zone she has here. At least, not overnight.Chapter ThirteenKnox“What do you think? As good as the coconut shrimp we had in Kauai?” Reese asks me, her expression excited as she waits for my answer.
“It is; it’s fantastic. Who would have guessed you could get seafood like this in Chicago?”
“I’m telling you, the food in this city is crazy good.”
“I’m not convinced.” I wink at her. “We may have to try every restaurant in the city together.”
She smiles, but it only lasts a second before her lips slide down in a melancholy expression.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her.
She sighs softly and meets my gaze across the restaurant table. “When you winked, it reminded me of my friend who works at the shelter. She got some bad news the other day.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks. It was bad news for me too. Bad for everyone there, actually. But Angelia got hit harder than I did—she’s losing her job.”
“What was this news?”
“The shelter lost more than half of its federal funding for next year,” she says glumly.
“That’s terrible.”
“Yeah.” The server sets our refilled breadbasket on the table and she thanks him, grabbing a piece. “But carbs make everything better, right?”
“I think peanut butter makes everything better.”
“Really? Is that your favorite?”
“Yeah, I eat it right out of the jar before games.”
“Out of the jar? Doesn’t it get all stuck together in your mouth?”
“I unstick it. It kinda melts in there.”
The smile Reese gives me is warm and sweet, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“What?” I ask her, reaching for another piece of bread myself.
“It’s just…you’re this big, brooding guy with a dark beard, and I like it when unexpected stuff comes out of your mouth. Cute stuff.”
“Cute?” I hike my brows up, interested. “You think I’m cute?”
She hesitates before saying, “At times, yes.”
“You’re no good at playing coy. You obviously think I’m incredibly cute.”
“Maybe.”
“Well, what a coincidence. I think you’re cute, too. Sounds like I should take you out on a real date.”
“Knox.” Reese is trying for a warning tone, but it’s pretty weak.
“I’m just saying. You think I’m cute, I think you’re cute, we both love coconut shrimp…if only we knew whether we’re compatible in the sack…”
A blush spreads across her cheeks. “I thought you were good with being just friends.”
I give her a serious look. “I think we both know there’s more there.”
She sighs heavily. “I don’t deny the attraction is there, but…I don’t want to get hurt again. I’d rather have you as my friend forever than to take things further and possibly lose you altogether.”