“I don’t know anything yet,” Ramsey said with exaggerated patience. “We just started doing this.”
“Weeks ago,” Wes retorted.
“Yes, yes, weeks ago, definitely.” Ramsey was never going to be able to come clean. But maybe he could distract Wes. “Which is why I think I need some help.”
“Some help?” Wes sounded unamused as he turned back to the coffee machine.
It was the only indication Wes hadn’t slept well last night. Ramsey wanted to ask him if it was because he’d had bad, restless thoughts or if it had been his absence that had thrown Wes. But he didn’t ask, because again, sometimes it was better not to know the answers to questions you weren’t ready to ask.
“I mean, yeah. You know how to date someone. You dated Marcus forever, and you two were happy.”
Wes shot him a look.
“What? Youwere. I’m not even suggesting anything here, only stating facts.”
“Sure you are,” Wes said steadily.
“I’m just saying, you’re really good at this dating thing.” Ramsey was not going to bring up that if he’d actually been that good at it, maybe he and Marcus could’ve made it work despite life and circumstances both being a bitch. “And I could use some help in that department.”
Wes leaned against the back counter. Watching as his coffee brewed. “You’re asking for advice.Datingadvice.”
“Who else am I gonna ask?”
“It’s not that I think there’s a better person to ask. It’s shocking that you acknowledge there’s something in the world that you’re not good at.”
Ramsey huffed out a sharp breath. “If I was really that egotistical, I would never get better at anything.”
“Oh, please. You came out of the womb brilliant at a whole list of things. It’s one of the most annoying things about you.”
“I know,” Ramsey agreed. “I don’t know why anyone likes me. I’m insufferable.”
Wes laughed, finally. First laugh he’d gotten out of him since he’d gotten home, and clearly Wes had been braced for the discussion, same as Ramsey had been.
Ramsey just hadn’t anticipated that he’d needed to be prepared for the angle Wes had ultimately taken. And heshouldhave. He’d just been . . .well, to use Wes’ annoying terminology,happy.
“You are,” Wes agreed, but now he was smiling too. “What do you want to know?”
“I want to be good at dating. Nate deserves my best, and since I’ve never done it before, that doesn’t seem likely.”
“Has he complained?” Wes asked archly.
“Please,” Ramsey said.
“I know, that was a stupid question.”
“But hemight,” Ramsey added.
“Maybe someday,” Wes said, still sounding amused. “And if he does, just give him a blowjob to shut him up. Those, youaregood at.”
“This is not helpful.” He had at least expected that Wes would have some good advice for him, and it would distract Wes from what was going on. But the problem was Ramsey’s questions had only served to narrow Wes in even more tightly.
“Well, give me a specific thing you aren’t sure about, and maybe I can be more helpful,” Wes said.
“I . . .I want to plan a date.” He didn’t, actually. He and Nate’s non-dates—grabbing takeout and eating on the couch, holding hands or with Nate’s arm slung over his shoulders, listening to Nate reveal bit by bit just how much hockey he’d been watching surreptitiously—were going well. They both had a good time. Add in the great sex, and it wasn’t a combination anyone would complain about.
But there was a part of Ramsey that kept thinking,but we could do better, right? There’s more to dating than this. There has to be.
“You want to plan a date,” Wes repeated deadpan.
