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He sighed but, gratefully, changed the subject. “Did you pick up Tristan?”
“Yes. At least I was home in time to put him to bed. Haylee seemed a bit disappointed, however. I think she hoped I’d get lucky, and she’d keep him overnight.” I had no clue why I’d said that out loud.
He frowned. “Yeah, well, I’m glad she was disappointed. So was this guy Chad that bad?”
“I’m sure he’s a good person, at least he was a gentleman, but he’s just not into me. I don’t know what I was thinking when I accepted the coffee invitation.”
He turned his body toward me, which made sense for better conversation. But was it just me, or was he sitting really close?
Jesus, get a grip.I wasn’t a teenager who’d try to measure his interest by the inches he sat away from me. I was, in fact, a grown woman who shouldn’t read into something so trivial.
“What makes you think he wasn’t into you?”
I gave him a look like ‘come on.’ Of all people to ask that question, he should find the answer obvious, especially considering the first time we’d met. My brand of cray-cray was an acquired taste.
“Don’t give me a look as if there is a neon sign spelling it out for me. Tell me why on earth he wouldn’t be into you?”
He was getting annoyed on my behalf, which was sweet but completely unnecessary. Maybe it was the nerve still raw from him finding my school books or perhaps it was the terrible insecurity I’d felt during the entire coffee date, but the words came out before I could stop them.
“Mark, I’m a single mom. You know what? Scratch that. I’m an about-to-be-divorced single mom who is living here only because of the amazing charity and friendship of Haylee and Josh, and because Brian came up with the idea. I drink beer from the bottle, have a fascination with muscle cars, and buy my makeup from a drugstore. I didn’t attend college, and though I’d thought maybe to start on a degree, considering the way math is sucking, I doubt it’ll ever happen. And frankly, I’m happy being an office manager and don’t have any aspirations of making CEO or partner. And that’s only the nonphysical stuff. Don’t even get me started on the other. In a nutshell, he’s pretty much out of my league.”
“He fucking said all of that to you?” Mark got up off the couch so abruptly that the glass of water I’d been holding partially spilled onto my lap, but I was too distracted to take notice.
In awe, I watched him pace the floor. Mild-mannered Mark turning angry was something I never thought I’d see. It was kind of hot. But when I realized he was grabbing his keys off the table, it clicked that his anger was misplaced.
“Wait, no, he didn’t actually say those things.” Standing up and grabbing his arm, I swallowed at the fact his bicep was rock hard. Good Lord. What did the man have happening under the sweatshirt he was always wearing?
“He didn’t say them, but he made you feel that way?” His eyes were intent on mine.
“Not really. I mean it was all me. Come on. I’m a realist. He’s a third-year Yale Law School student who comes from money and has big-time plans to become partner by age thirty-five in some prestigious firm. He’s probably a nice guy, but the last thing he wants is a relationship with some girl who grew up in a trailer park, had her dad leave when she was six, and married her high school sweetheart who turned into an opiate addict. I’m a single mom with stretch marks and sagging boobs in a college town full of twenty-something-year-old coeds. Obviously, it’s not a match.”
I watched his mouth open and then shut as though he couldn’t find the proper words to respond. I imagine he was still stuck on the sagging boobs part. Walking into the kitchen, I grabbed a paper towel and blotted the spilled water from my leggings.
He followed me, standing on the other side of the counter. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get you wet.”
My face heated while my mind went directly into the gutter. But in a rare display of restraint, I managed not to comment on it.
He’d picked up on the color of my face, however, and sought to explain. “Sorry. I meant spilling the water.” He ran a hand through his hair.
I couldn’t help it—I started giggling. Maybe it was the beer, or maybe it was his need to clarify. “I know you did, but I can’t help having a dirty mind. I should blame all those years of working for Brian.” I was unable to stop laughing and was relieved when Mark cracked a smile, too.
He smirked. “I bet. And I guess so long as this guy didn’t treat you badly, I’ll let it go.”
I couldn’t help wondering what in the heck he thought he was going to do. Charge out of here searching for some law student named Chad? But it meant a lot to know he wanted to be my platonic knight in shining armor.
“He was fine. Honestly, it felt like he might be more interested in Haylee. He kept bringing her up. But please don’t share that with Josh.” I knew Haylee’s husband would be less than pleased to hear a student named Chad had been inquiring about her.
“That wouldn’t go over well, so I won’t. This Chad guy shouldn’t have made you feel as though you weren’t worthy of his company. If anything it should have been the other way around.”
As much as I’d have loved to believe his words, there was no convincing me. I took a deep breath and decided another beer was in order, after all. Opening the refrigerator, I took one out and popped open the top.
“I’m not keeping you from a night to yourself, am I?” Mark asked.
“Nope. Not at all. By the way, do you know if there’s a Sam’s Club or Costco around here?”
“There’s one in Milford about twenty minutes away. Why?”
Because I needed a lifetime supply of batteries for my vibrator. Luckily, my thought did not verbalize itself.
