“You know damn well it wasn’t,” he ground out through clenched teeth.
“Then what was it about her?” I asked. Frank wouldn’t like being put on the spot, but I did it to prove my point. “Can you put into words what made her so different from any other woman you’d met before?”
“You know it was something I felt. It wasn’t about words.”
I blew out an exasperated breath. “That’s how I feel. There’s just something there. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it’s real or some bullshit fantasy I’ve made up in my head, but I want to find out. I have to know for sure.”
Nick nodded, clearly wanting to contribute. “That’s how it was with Jess. I could’ve had any girl I wanted at State, but none of them made me feel the way Jess did.”
I glanced between them. “So you both understand that I have to do this. I just need to see.”
My brothers nodded in unison as the doors flew open and a rowdy group of guys sauntered in. I was tempted to give them a round on the house for their perfect timing, but decided against it as I took their orders and got to work instead.
Phone Dates
Sofia
When I got back to the office, I weaved through the cubicles as I made my way toward my desk. My boss wouldn’t care that I was ten minutes late coming back from lunch, but I did. If there was one thing I never wanted to be, it was irresponsible. Giving someone a reason to fire me was not on my to-do list. I had too much to lose and a son to support.
“You’re late,” Sarin said, chuckling as she approached my desk.
I glared at her. “Shhh, don’t be so loud.”
“Martin’s not back from his lunch meeting. You’re fine.” She waved at me like I had nothing to be concerned about, when the truth was that I needed to check all the voice mails and emails that had come in while I was gone.
I tossed my purse into my desk drawer and slammed it shut a little too hard, making the framed picture of Matson and me fall over. I moved it back upright and grinned when I looked at his cake-stained face. My dad took the picture on Matson’s third birthday, and it was still one of my favorites. I missed my son’s chubby cherub cheeks.
“How was the old guy?” Sarin asked as she stirred her cup of coffee.
“He wasn’t there,” I said without looking up, scrolling through emails.
Sarin snapped her finger
s at me, drawing my attention, and I looked up from my computer at her.
“He wasn’t there? Where was he?” She blew at her drink before taking a sip.
“I thought he was dead,” I said and she choked, spitting her sip back into the cup.
“You made me do that.” She wiped at her chin with the back of her hand. “Hurry up and tell me what happened. I have to get back.”
“He checked out. But I thought he was dead, so I ran to Ryan’s stupid bar to ask him about it, and he asked me out.”
“What’d you say?”
I huffed, making sure Sarin knew I was annoyed. “I can’t go out with him, Sarin. I can’t date a guy like Ryan Fisher.”
“Fine, tell him to ask me out instead. He’s hot as hell,” she said with a wink.
“Not helping.”
“Not trying. But for the record, you’re being an idiot.”
Folding my arms over my chest, I glared at her. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Explain,” I said. This was something I definitely wanted to hear.