“Why?”
“I was having my weekly catch-up session with them, and I was telling them everything that was going on with me.Naturally you and Lenni came up in conversation.”
“I came up in conversation, huh?Did you tell them I’m handsome and have hands like iron?”
“Yes, that’sexactlywhat I told them.”I rolled my eyes and squatted down to the cabinet that had the glass containers.
When I rose, Archer was standing at the stove and he was looking at me, his gaze burning with intensity.
“Are we going to talk about it?”he asked.
“Talk about what?”
“The laminated thing I returned to you.”
“No.”My cheeks flushed.“Let it go, Archie.I’m not telling you.”
He smiled.“I like when you call me Archie.I like it when you say it with such affection, too.”
“There was nothing affectionate in my tone,” I said with a laugh.
“You’re right, it was more of a set down.Putting me in my place.What does that say about me that I like it?”
“That you’re a masochist,” I quipped.
“I’ll let you hurt me good, baby.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Did you like my note?”he asked.
“What note?”
He opened the fridge, pulled out the carton of eggs, and showed me the egg I hadn’t had the heart to crack.
“Huh.Didn’t see it,” I lied.“Cute.”
“I know I am.”
“What are you doing?”I demanded.“Did you dial up the flirting or what?”
“This is my baseline, actually.I toned it down for the first few days.Killed me to do it.”
“Were you trying to lull me into a false sense of security?”I teased.
“Something like that.”
“I see,” I murmured.“Why did you tell Brooks about our chat the other night?”
He paused.“You know about that?”
“You know that whatever you say to your brother, Brooks is going to share it with Poet.You get that right?”
“Now I do.What, does that mean whatever you tell Poet she’ll tell Brooks?”
“No.Doesn’t work that way.Besties before testes.”
“Brooks is my brother,” he stated.“And you’re telling me whatever I tell him, he’s gonna blab it to Poet?”
