“Man, I’m sorry.” Blake put a hand on Theo’s shoulder, but he shrugged it off. The last thing he wanted was his brother’s sympathy.
“That’s why I’m no good for Chloe.” The words tore at his chest.
“If you explain it to her, maybe she won’t care.”
Theo shook his head. “I’m not putting her in that situation.” He wasn’t putting himself in that situation. Not again.
“There are other options… IVF, adoption,” Blake continued, “Hell, I’d be willing to jack off into a cup for you.”
That was Blake for you—always trying to find a solution. But things weren’t so simple. “Layla didn’t want to consider IVF, said it was too invasive for something that wasn’t guaranteed to work. I brought up adoption, but the light died in her eyes the instant I said it. She wanted her own child. Our child.”
“Just because Layla didn’t want to try other options doesn’t mean Chloe won’t. Things might be different with her. You need to give her a chance,” Blake said in a reasonable tone.
But Theo wasn’t in the mood to be reasonable, not about this. “No, other options take time. Since turning thirty, she’s already put herself on a strict time line. I’m not making her wait for something that may never happen.” He clenched his fists. “I won’t be that cruel.”
“What if you’re making a mistake and she’s willing to take the risk? What if she’s the one for you?” Blake asked.
That’s it. He was done with this conversation. He’d already said too much. “I’m not making a mistake, and that’s the end of this little brotherly heart-to-heart.” He knew he was being snide, but he didn’t care. He. Was. Done. “If we don’t get out of here now, we’ll be late for our meeting.”
Striding from the room, Theo reconsidered his promises to both Chloe and Ethan. If Chloe’s date with Owen didn’t work out, he was done helping her. He was done spying on her and reporting back to her brother. He couldn’t put himself through this anymore. He couldn’t deny he had feelings for her. Handing her over to another man was tearing a hole in his chest. If they lived in the perfect world, they’d be together. But the world was far from perfect. And he wasn’t the perfect man. He knew that—hated that. He’d do everything in his power to keep her in his life.
The next time he saw her, he’d tell Chloe he was done playing matchmaker.
Chapter Twenty
Chloehesitatedinfrontof the restaurant. She hadn’t sneezed while getting ready which was a good sign. What would happen when she walked inside? Would her nerves get the better of her? What would cause the sneezing to start?
This was ridiculous! At thirty, she shouldn’t feel like an inexperienced teenager on her first date. She’d had dates before—including several sans sneezes. This time she was after something serious. There was more on the line. Destiny could be waiting for her inside.
Thinking about maybe having her dreams realized with Owen, her nose twitched. Shit! Shit! Shit! She waited for the sneeze. When nothing happened, she let out a sigh of relief. Maybe her practice date with Theo had worked. Could their dinner cure her of her condition? Images of Theo flooded her mind.
She mentally shook herself.Stop it! You’re going on a date with Owen. A really nice man. You can’t keep thinking of Theo.Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the dim restaurant. The host led her to the table where Owen waited. When he saw her, his face lit up, and he stood, pulling out a chair for her.
“Hello, Owen,” she smiled. Her nose didn’t twitch. So far, so good.
“Chloe, you look beautiful. How are you?” He kissed her on the cheek before she sat down.
No sneeze. Excellent.
The rest of the night went smoothly. Even when he reached over the table and placed his hand on hers, her sinuses didn’t play up. Buoyed by her good luck, Chloe let herself relax. Owen was wonderful. He made her laugh with outrageous stories about the things he got up to as a kid. He was serious about wanting a relationship, and they shared the same dreams about having a family. He ticked all the right boxes. Flutters took off in her stomach. She allowed herself to hope, to dream. Her nose tickled, but no sneeze. Was she cured? God, she hoped so.
After dinner, Owen insisted on waiting with her while the valet ordered her a taxi, holding her hand with their fingers entwined together. His hand in hers was strong and warm. It felt nice. A few moments later, a cab pulled alongside them. She turned to face him. “Thank you for a lovely evening.”
“Can I see you again?” he asked.
“I’d like that.” And she meant it. This had the potential of turning into something more. Excitement at maybe finding the right man danced in her belly.
He smiled and lowered his head; he was going to kiss her. Her heart rate kicked up. Her palms grew sweaty. Just when their lips were about to touch, her nose twitched. Oh God, no! She turned her head to the side and sneezed, breaking the connection.
“I’m so sorry.” She held her hand over her mouth. What was wrong with her? She’d never find a husband if she kept doing this.
He chuckled, “It’s okay. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He opened the taxi’s door.
She searched his face. Would he call? Or had he worked out she was some kind of weirdo with a sneezing problem, and it was an empty promise? “Good night,” she said, sliding onto the seat and giving the taxi driver her address.
She rested her arm along the door and tapped her fingers with frustration. She’d ruined a wonderful date. If she kept going this way, she was going to die a lonely old woman with her virginity intact.
This sucked. But what could she do? When she got really nervous, she sneezed. Except, she never sneezed when alone with Theo. There was comfort in their years of friendship—a comfort tinged with desire. Daniela might be right; she really might be demisexual. If that was the case, then what she needed was to replicate the same familiarity with Owen. Be friends before things moved to the next step. But she didn’t have time to take things slow.
