“Exactly. Too eager. But you?” Her eyes narrow as she looks me up and down, lingering on my untucked T-shirt and old flannel shirt beneath my apron. “You need it.”
Rose hands Lucy her frothy drink layered in pink and green. Lucy taps her card but doesn’t leave like a normal person would. Oh, no. She’s just getting started.
“Don’t you think he needs a girlfriend?” she asks Rose before taking a sip.
I don’t deserve this. I’m a reasonably good man. I haven’t done anything to justify my sister asking my…coworker these types of questions. But this one’s always been obsessed with romance. She can tell you about every fictional couple from Mr. Darcy and what’s-her-name to that one where the girl had to choose between the werewolf and the vampire. Or maybe she was the vampire.
I tune it out. I’m not sorry.
“Your transaction is complete. Go find someone else’s day to ruin.” I wave her away as if I could have any effect on her. Noogies haven’t worked since she was twelve.
She cups the side of her mouth as if she’s whispering to Rose. “He’s going through a little depresh.”
“I’m not depressed.” Maybe I’m not at my best, but when was I ever?
“Not that a girlfriend is a cure for depression,” Lucy says. “But he needs some life in him, you know? He needs a kick in the pants.”
“I’m standing right here.” Not for long, though. Escape is perfectly reasonable under these conditions.
“What do you think?” Lucy asks her apparent new best friend between sips of matcha. “What kind of woman would bust my brother out of this…?”
She flicks a hand at me. My sister the English teacher has no words to describe me. Or none that she’s willing to say. That’s great.
“You don’t have to answer that,” I tell Rose.
But she’s already glancing me over. Nerves rattle through me like bolts in a tin can. I cross my arms and straighten to my full six-two height under her inspection. She’s tall, maybe four or five inches shorter than I am. Which I only think about because I don’t have to strain my neck when I talk to her. Nothing more.
I don’t care what she thinks of me, and I don’t want to know.
Except I do. A lot. It’s a problem, but I can’t shake it.
She stares up at me, the tiniest tug at her mouth showing her amusement. “I wouldn’t want to risk my standing with my boss.”
Hopefully my sigh of relief goes unnoticed by both of them.
Lucy blows a raspberry. “As if he would ever fire you. You’re awesome.”
Rose breaks out another pleased look for my sister. “Thanks. You’re great, too.”
Again, I detect nothing but sincerity from her. She truly likes my sister and has no problem saying it outright. Odd on both counts.
“I guess I’ll have to do the honors.” Lucy shakes her head as if this wasn’t her master plan in the first place. “Should I eenie-meenie-miney-moe for it?”
“Maybe you should focus on your own love life.” Not that I want to know a thing about it, but Lucy’s a talker. If she had something going, I’d hear about it whether I wanted to or not. For all her fascination with playing Cupid, she’s as bad off as I am.
Huh. Our whole family sucks at love. Except Nathan, but I don’t think any of his dating attempts have made it to the love stage.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m getting there.” Lucy waves off my suggestion. “Well, this has been a bust. Except for the matcha.”
She raises the cup in toast to Rose, who looks entirely too thrilled by the compliment.
“Always great to see you, too,” I say dryly.
“Will you be at Mom and Dad’s on Sunday?” she asks, backing toward the door.
“Probably.”
She turns her attention to Rose. “He’s so mysterious. See you later!”
