“Something out of town could work,” I murmur.
His smile lights up his eyes. “When?”
“Sunday?” IknowI shouldn’t be agreeing to this, but my damn lips won’t stop moving. Selfish, silly lips. “We close early on Sunday.”
“Perfect.”
Loading up a million shopping bags on his arms and looking too adorable for words, he gives me one more smile before he turns to leave. “Sunday night it is,friend.”
“See you then,pal.”
Oh boy.
Three in, four out.
CHAPTERTWENTY
DYLAN
“Come again?”
I’m pretty sure Sarah heard me the first two times I said the words. Still, she’s getting up there in years, so I repeat myself. “I said I’m going out to dinner with Jade.” If I ever get off this video session, that is. My therapist and I have already been chatting for the last forty minutes, mostly about my parents. Not exactly your typical pre-date psych-up, but since this isn’t your typical date, I figure it doesn’t matter.
She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “You’re going on a date with your neighbor?” she says slowly as if she’s still processing. Look at me, using one of her favorite buzzwords.
“No. We’re going to dinner as friends.” I know that this thing with Jade can’t go anywhere, and I’d all but talked myself out of asking her on a date. But then she looked so damn frazzled in the store the other day; I wanted to get her out of that place and show her a good time. Two friends having food and a bit of fun. Nothing less, nothing more.
Out of the blue, Sarah says, “You must love pickled olives.”
Not what I was expecting to come out of her mouth. “I hate them, actually.” My answer is out before I realize the reason for her random comment. In the corner of my screen, the mammoth jars I bought from Jade’s store the other day are clearly visible on my counter beside the ugly misshapen-head sculpture that I’m, admittedly, starting to grow fond of.
A lot of people seem to come and go out of Quinn Brothers empty-handed. If Jade’s business is in as much trouble as my sister believes, she needs sales. And after finding her mid-panic attack, it’s clear she needs help. So, I decided to do just that by buying the priciest products on the shelves. The laundry detergent I picked up smells like heaven. The berry bars I got were pretty good, too, and Ella likes to sneak the chocolate when she thinks I’m not looking. But those vile olives were a mistake that don’t fit in any of my cupboards. They’re certainly not going anywhere near my stomach.
A slow, knowing smile inches along Sarah’s lips. I can practically see her putting two and two together.
Neighbor is cute and owns a store.
Dylan buys products he doesn’t need to help neighbor.
Dylan asks neighbor out to dinner.
Dylan claims that neighbor and he are just friends.
Dylan is a damn liar.
“Are you interested in your neighbor romantically?” Sarah asks.
To be honest, my feelings are a fucking disaster when it comes to Jade Quinn. Am I attracted to her? Sure. I’d have to be dead not to be. Would I fuck her against a wall into next Tuesday if given the chance? Absolutely.
But then there’s this protectiveness that seeps in as well, as evidenced by those olives and the fact that I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out how to tell her the photos she took for the website are shit and convince her to let me take them instead.
The only women I usually feel protective over are in my family, so that makes this incredibly confusing and complicated.
I drum my fingers against the wooden table, ready to put this line of questioning to bed. “Does it really matter? I’m leaving town soon, and she’s Hayley’s best friend.” Besides, Sarah doesn’t think I’ll be able to fully commit to anyone if I don’t process and work through all the shit that happened with Miranda. Which apparently includes a visit to my ex’s mother. And since I have no plans to do that…
“Have you asked Jade what she’s looking for in a romantic relationship?” Sarah asks.
I don’t need to. Jade has commitment flowing through her veins. Just look at how she’s clinging to that sinking ship of a store. My fingers tap a little harder as my chest draws tight.
