“I figure you told him to write the damn assignment himself and to go to hell.”
A dazzling grin spilled across McKenna’s face. “I didn’t use those words, but the gist was the same.”
Atta girl. “A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”
“Huh? I don’t follow.”
“What do you think your mom would’ve done?”
A V formed between McKenna’s eyebrows as she thought. She gasped when she made the connection. “She’d have written his paper.”
“That’s when you started following her dating rule?” Her rule provided protection, like his never let anyone get close enough to hurt him one.
She nodded.
“That guy would be an ass no matter what the woman he dated looked like. By the way, being attractive isn’t as great as everyone thinks.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. If a woman approaches me, and I’m not interested or say I’m with friends, she calls me stuck up. A lot of folks think I’m too dumb to walk and chew gum at the same time because of my looks. Some believe I only date model types.”
“Or someone who’s a nine minimum. I’m sorry about that, too,” she said, her face lined with regret.
Another apology from her. He should tell her about the bet, but something made him hold back.
Maybe because it’ll spoil the night and you can’t bear for McKenna to see you as an ass again?
“But would any of the women clambering for my attention stick around if I was in a car accident or a fire and was suddenly ugly?” The words jumped out before he realized what he’d said.
He’d never told anyone he suspected women only liked him for his looks. That if they knew the real him, they’d find him lacking. That no one, except his buddies and Ginny, believed he had more to offer.
Funny though, he didn’t regret telling McKenna.
“Some people don’t stick around when life gets tough. The hard part is telling the difference between those who will and those who won’t,” McKenna said.
“No kidding,” he scoffed.
There should be somewhere to click on a person to reveal their strengths and weaknesses like with a video character. Then if disloyal or self-centered was revealed, he could cut bait. But in the real world the only way to discover that information was to see who stuck around when life got bumpy.
McKenna held out her glass. “Refill our glasses. I want to make another toast.”
Doing as she requested, he asked, “What about?”
“Trust me.” Raising her glass and her chin, her eyes shined with determination and grit.
Two small words, but so hard for him to do. He raised his glass.
*
“Here’s to us,two fabulous, well-adjusted, functional human beings.” McKenna tapped her glass against Zane’s.
“You’re damn right.”
As she sipped her champagne, she contemplated what to ask him. There were so many options. Had Campbell been as crazy in high school and, if so, why had he dated her? Why had he been such an ass when he told her he was taking over for Ginny? Then there the multiple questions about starting a business.
He was such a contradiction. The man she’d first met hardly resembled the Zane she’d come to know this weekend. Why the difference?
Each move left a mark on her. What about when he’d moved in with Ginny in middle school? That had to be huge change for him.
