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“I’m serious,” Gabby said. “And they’re always bleeding.” She made a face.
I gave her a look. “Bleeding?”
“Yeah. They have cuts on their hands and bug bites. Perpetually. They just bleed, all over your thousand-thread-count Egyptian sheets.” She shivered.
Jessica talked to her magazine. “Don’t discourage her. Those guys are fun to play with.”
Gabby gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Yeah. They’re in shape, they’re low maintenance. They’ll churn you like butter. Just take them to a hotel, don’t bring them home.”
“Why the hell would she bring him home?” Jessica winced.
“What’s wrong with bringing him home?” I asked, looking back and forth between them.
They both stared at me like I’d just told a joke.
“Your dad would love that,” Jessica mumbled, going back to her magazine.
Gabby guffawed. “Can you imagine? ‘Dad, I know my last boyfriend was chief of surgery, but here’s this guy who can build me a deer stand.’”
They both laughed.
“He could be really nice,” I said, a little too defensively.
Jessica lowered the corner of her issue of Vogue. “You think your dad cares one ounce if he’s nice?” She scoffed. “Remember that lawyer I set you up with at Marcus’s firm? Adrian? Right before Neil? He was nice. Your dad acted like you brought a registered sex offender to brunch. He gave you so much crap, you never saw him again. And Adrian was a lawyer, not a guy with a GED, tattoos, and wood ticks.”
Gabby looked at her nails. “Your family’s like royalty. They’ll only marry you off to someone who will strengthen a medical alliance.”
I snorted, even though it wasn’t funny.
“I hate to say it, but your next guy is going to have very big shoes to fill,” Jessica said, looking back at her page. “If he doesn’t have the words ‘world renowned’ on his résumé, don’t bother.”
Gabby nodded to the house. “Forget your parents. Could you imagine bringing a guy like that home to Philip and Marcus?” She sucked air through her teeth. “They’d eat him alive.”
Jessica shook her head at her article. “Philip would probably talk to him about stock portfolios just to be a dick.”
Gabby laughed. “Marcus probably wouldn’t talk to him at all.”
My face fell, and I sat back in my chair and twisted my bracelet around my wrist. I felt like someone had pushed all the wind out of me.
They weren’t saying anything I didn’t already know. But to hear it in no uncertain terms was sobering.
“He is cute though,” Gabby said. “Kinda looks like Scott Eastwood. If he’s single, you should play with him.” She bounced her eyebrows.
I rubbed my forehead. “Yeah, I don’t know if I’m gonna be up for it. Actually, I think I’m getting a migraine.” At this point it technically wasn’t even a lie. This discussion was making my head hurt. “I might let you guys go to dinner without me tonight.”
Gabby frowned. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, I—”
Daniel poked his head into the patio. “Sorry to interrupt. The appetizers are out in the foyer.” He smiled handsomely, then disappeared.
Jessica dropped her magazine on the coffee table with a slap. “Good. I could use a glass of wine.” She got up.
I followed them, feeling tired in a way that I hadn’t in a very long time.
Chapter 17
Daniel
