"What's wrong with craigslist?" Jane says.
"There are some weirdos on there. People who aren't who they say they are. Be careful. Why not try something like match.com or even eHarmony? Fewer creeps."
Jane's eyes widen as she takes in my info. I love my younger sister, but she can be innocent and naive. "I didn't realize one had more creeps than the other. Besides, craigslist is free." She smiles. "You know, free is for me."
"Yes, and free gets you creeps."
"Fine, fine. Enough about me. What about you? Have you been on match or eHarmony?"
"No, I don't like that online crap. Makes it hard, though. Most people at the bar are there already with people. I'm not ready to date anyway."
Jane's eyes soften. "Not yet? I'm sorry. Give it time, you'll be ready someday."
"Yeah, maybe." I glance around the coffee shop. The image of Emma floats in my mind.
I still don't know what to think about our kiss. I don't even know what I was thinking. I never should've kissed her. I thought one taste... one sweet taste... would be enough to satisfy me and get her out of my head.
Instead, it's done the opposite. Fuck, what have I done?
"Knox!" Jane snaps her fingers in my face.
"Sorry. I got lost in thought."
"What's on your mind? Must be something. Have you talked to Mom about the latest with Ethan? I wish he would stay clean, already."
"Yeah, he's still in jail. He got caught stealing again, but this time it was several robberies in a row. So he's facing a slew of charges."
"I'm not surprised. He will only get worse if he doesn't stay clean. How long are they keeping him?"
"Mom wasn't sure. He has a court date in a couple of weeks and it will depend on what he's charged for."
"Honestly, Knox, I hate to say this but I hope it’s a while. He needs to get clean and go into a program. A sober house or something."
I nod and finish my drink. "He does. But knowing him, he'll come out and start all over again. Unless, the judge orders him into a sober house—because you know he won't go on his own."
"Jail could end up scaring the shit out of him. I hope he gets the shit kicked out of him. He needs to learn a fucking lesson." Jane picks up her phone and begins to scroll through it. "How’s the job going?"
Emma comes to mind before anything else. "It's good. Busy, lot of long hours getting everything together, but I'm getting there. I'm glad to be on my own and my own boss."
"I knew you would love it. You always were business savvy. Remember the project you did in high school on how to create a business plan? You obsessed over it."
"Hey, I rocked that shit. Got an A plus plus." I grin at Jane. "But, there is a coworker at work..." Jane interrupts me before I can finish.
"Oh. Oh, tell me!" She leans forward and clasps her mug. She's always loved gossip.
"You didn't let me finish. I can't get her out of my head and it's driving me crazy. She's gorgeous and funny but she's off limits. I wouldn't be able to date a coworker that close to me. And, her mother and sister are crazy."
"Her mother and sister? You've met her family?"
"Not by choice. They barge into her life all the time. I feel bad for her."
"Oh, man. That sucks. Do you really want to deal with that?"
"Whoa, whoa, who said we're going out on a date?"
"No one, but it's something to think about. Baggage and all that crap. Things you may not want to deal with."
"Why can't I get her out of my head, then?"
"Love makes us do crazy things."
"Love?" I choke. "Who in the hell said anything about love?"
"Ooo, look Knox!" Jane points to her phone which shows a big ad for a speed dating event in Providence next Saturday.
"Uh, speed dating? How can you get to know someone in five minutes?"
"You never know. I know you said you're not ready but go with me for fun. Please, please." Jane begs.
"I'll think about it." I say and Jane squeals.