“Josie and me...” He reaches around to squeeze the back of his neck. “It’s complicated.”
“Is it? Or do you just make everything that way? You know, sleeping with a woman and then turning around and sleeping with another woman the next day isn’t exactly best practice when it comes to not pissing people off. Let me guess, you let history repeat itself.”
“For your information, no, I didn’t. I... Well, I asked her on a date.”
If I were drinking something, I have no doubt I would have spat it out right in his face. Not because it’s funny, but because it’s so damn surprising.
“You asked her on a date,” I repeat back slowly.
“She told me to eat shit.” He lets out a humorless laugh.
“Not to be a dick, but did you really expect her to say yes after the crap you pulled after the wedding?”
“Didn’t stop her from going back to my place last weekend just the same.”
“Sleeping with someone and dating them are two very different things.” I feel the need to remind him.
“You would know.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You haven’t dated anyone since London.”
“And? You haven’t dated anyone ever.”
“I’m just saying, you’re not exactly in a position to give me advice on women, considering you’ve been obsessed with the same woman since you were a kid and even when she ripped out your heart and stomped on it, you never gave up hope that she’d come back to you.”
I open my mouth to argue but quickly realize he’s right. I may have hidden behind my hurt and anger, but beneath all that, there was always love. Unconditional and overwhelming love. The kind of love you know only comes along once in a lifetime if you’re lucky. The kind of love you never truly let go of.
“Josie is a good girl,” I say instead. “Too good for you, if we’re being honest. If it was your intent to date her, perhaps you shouldn’t have screwed another woman less than twenty-four hours after she left your bed.”
“I didn’t want to date her then.” He shrugs.
“But you do now?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I like her. I think about her a lot. She makes me laugh like no one else can. And don’t get me started with what that girl can do with her tongue.”
“I don’t want to know.” I spin on my heel and close the remaining distance to the office, quickly pushing my way inside, not the least bit surprised when Alec follows me in.
“What do I do?” he asks, my back to him as I shuffle through some papers.
“I thought you didn’t want my advice.”
“I don’t. But since you seem to have a way with women, perhaps you could at least give me some pointers.”
“Pointers?” I turn to face him.
“Yeah, like what the hell do I do? She’s got me all twisted up inside and it’s driving me crazy.”
A smile creeps onto my face.
“Has it finally happened?”
“What?”
“The infamous womanizer Alec Kade has finally met his match.”
“I’m glad you’re finding humor in my discomfort.”
