“Millie is?” I ask, confused.
“No. Freya.”
I tuck my chin in, even more perplexed. “I don’t get it.”
“It’s… nothing. Forget it.” He expels another sigh—a deliberate one, as though I’ve inconvenienced him somehow and he wants me to know it.
Strange.
“So, you like Millie. What are you bugging me about it for? Calling for permission to date her or something?” he adds, his usual sarcasm returning.
“Nah, I just… I’m trying to figure out protocol here. And I figured since you knew her, maybe you’d have some input.”
“You needprotocolto ask a woman out on a date? Man, you’ve been in the military too long.”
“I mean, she’s already made it clear that she doesn’t date military guys.”
“Well, case closed then.”
I can practically hear futility in his voice. “But I’m getting all the signals that she’s interested now,” I counter.
“Like what?”
“She brought me burgers and pie one night.”
“Okay. That just means she’s being a freaking awesome housemate.”
I chuckle at the truth. “I know, right? But there was… candlelight.”
“Candlelight?”
“Yeah. As we ate burgers. There was candlelight. That kind of sounds like she wanted it to be more date-like, right? I mean, they were citronella. But still…”
“Citronella?”
“Yeah. The kind that keeps bugs away.”
“Sounds more practical than date-like.”
“Maybe. But then there was this moment when… well, she kind of fell and I sort of… caught her.”
“Aw, how cute.” His tone drips with insincerity.
“Well, it could have been bloody. But instead—I don’t know. I could have sworn she was about to kiss me.”
“Or more likeyouwere about to kissher, I’m betting.”
“Maybe. But then… we didn’t.”
He grunts. “The Almost Kiss.”
“What?”
“The Almost Kiss. Classic romance novel trope.”
“Trope? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Trope. Plot device. Freya’s a romance novelist, remember?”