“Speakers aren’t working right, and only one of them is my fault. And my skin is crawling. I keep resisting the urge to itch because if I start, I don’t think I’ll stop.”
“I noticed that, too. Along with the itching and the charcoal artist. Where does that leave us?”
“Celia’s contact is definitely onto something.” Alex fiddled with the cuff of his jacket. “I could try a dive.”
“No,” Bryce said. “If you’re not feeling up to it, we’re not doing it. Bonnell will take my recommendation seriously.”
“I could always make something up if she won’t.”
“I’m not going to let you lie to the director,” Bryce replied. “Especially since she’s your mother.”
“Adopted mother.” Alex half-grinned. “Loophole.”
Bryce shook his head. “She’s your family, kid.”
“You are, too.” Alex pushed Bryce’s phone back to him. “Keep that in mind when you see what I did.”
“Not another dating app,” Bryce grumbled. “How many times do I have to tell you? I can get laid on my own.”
“Then how come you let Jesse walk away without setting up a date?” Alex asked.
Bryce snatched his phone off the table. Alex wasn’t a telepath. He couldn’t read thoughts. The only way he’d know Jesse’s name was if he’d gotten into Bryce’s messages.
Sure enough, when Bryce unlocked his phone, a text conversation between “him” and Jesse popped up. “What did you do?”
“You keep your emotions in this fortress. But for two minutes with this guy you dropped your drawbridge. You smiled, Bryce. I don’t know the last time you did that.” Alex motioned at the phone. “I didn’t want you to pass him up, so I texted him.”
“I could have done that.”
“You were going to tell yourself it wasn’t smart.”
Alex did know him too well. Bryce glanced over the messages. Coming clean with Jesse would likely end the conversation, and Alex had managed to sound like him. There was no reason he couldn’t carry on as if he had been the one texting the whole time.
But he wouldn’t have time.
“Don’t blow him off,” Alex said.
“Blow who off?” Celia said as she came back to the table. She set down the drink carrier and Bryce’s change.
“Don’t worry about it.” Bryce swept up the change and put it in his pocket.
“The guy who spilled coffee on him,” Alex said. “I think our fearless team captain should go on a date with him.”
“Is he cute?” Celia asked.
“He’s clean-shaven Chris Evans hot.”
“I prefer bearded Chris.”
“Same, but Bryce is a sucker for a smooth jaw,” Alex said.
“I am sitting right here,” Bryce chided in return. He scrolled to the bottom of the texts. Apparently, he had already asked Jesse out to dinner. Jesse still hadn’t replied, but only a couple of minutes had passed.
Bryce could admit the truth. Apologize for Alex’s deception. Move on.
But he had a fluttering hope that Jesse would say yes. Didn’t have to lead anywhere, but the chance that it might was a nice change of pace.
However, he didn’t have to let his team know he was looking forward to a text. “If you like him that much, you should have asked him out.”
