Mace shoots up from the table, his chair scraping on the stone pavers, and heads for the bar.
“What’s wrong with him?” I ask, glancing between the boys.
“I wonder,” Tommy says sarcastically with a smile that says I’m very much not in on the joke.
“What?” I meet Gabe’s eyes and then Tommy’s. Both men stare back like I’m a total idiot.
“Is it cute that she’s this oblivious, or infuriating as hell?” Tommy asks.
“Everything about Freckles is cute,” Gabe says with that lopsided smile.
My heart squeezes. I wish he wouldn’t do that. I wish he wouldn’t look at me with that doting smile and the playfulness in his expression which makes me melt.
“How have you two not had sex yet?” Tommy says.
I laugh and pick up a chip, shoving it in my mouth to avoid the question.
Gabe doesn’t appear to want to do the same thing. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what? It’s a serious fucking question.”
“We’re friends. Jesus, it’s bad enough that I have to defend our friendship to my girlfriend twenty-four-fucking-seven, but I gotta do it with my buddies now too?” Gabe pulls out his wallet and throws some cash down on the table. “I’ll be in the car.”
“Dude. Come on,” Tommy says as Gabe walks away. “Was it something I said?”
I sip my beer and set it down on the table. “Kind of, yeah.”
“Hey, I just call it like I see it.”
“You know most people only say that when they’re being an asshole.”
“To whom? Exactly whom am I being an asshole to?” Tommy shakes his head. “I know you want more than a friendship with him. Fuck. Everyone who meets the two of you can see that.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bullshit. You wanna know why Annie hates you now? It’s because she sees the way he looks at you. She’s fucking threatened, Lo.”
What the hell is he talking about?
“He doesn’t look at me like anything. He’s my friend.”
“Yeah, because he’s too much of a pussy to break up with the girl he’s dating to be with the girl he wants.”
“Jesus. Tommy. You can’t go around saying shit like that, and you definitely can’t say it in front of Annie. They were broken up for ages. He didn’t make a move. This thing that you think you see isn’t there,” I say and toss my chip back in the bowl. “At least, not for him.”
“Ah, shit, Lo. I’m sorry. I just want him to get a fucking clue, you know?”
“Yeah, well, you know Gabe. He’s pretty, but there’s not much going on upstairs,” I joke, as I give him a weak smile and swallow down the lump in my throat.
“Hey, maybe Annie will get a fucking clue and take a fucking hike.”
I pull out a couple of bills from my purse and place them on the table, then I stand and glare at Tommy. “I know you mean well, but it’s hurtful, to him and to me, to say this kind of shit.”
“Only because you’re both in denial.”
“I’m not in denial. I know exactly how I feel for Gabe, but it doesn’t matter because he’s dating someone else.”
“All the more reason he should be reminded to dump her ass.”