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“Sharkey’s?” I answer wryly.
At the same time, Eli says, “Malone’s it is.”
Eli checks in with the assistant manager, who tells him she’s got the bank covered for the next hour while he heads out. Minutes later, we’re seated at Malone’s, an old-school deli with some of the best pastrami in town.
“So, being a good boy?” I ask Eli as I notice that he’s got a double serving of lean chicken breast on his sub and more vegetables than I’ve seen him eat in an entire month. He shrugs, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully.
He’s not as sassy as usual, and I set my own BLT and cheese sub down to look at him carefully. “Eli? Is everything okay?”
Eli sighs, looking at his sandwich with disgust as he sets it down. “You didn’t tell me. I had to hear about it from Arielle.”
It is Noah, of course.
I set my sandwich down too. “Well, we sort of told her unexpectedly, you know.”
“Oh trust me, I know. Actually, I got in a bit of trouble for asking too many pointed questions,” Eli says wryly. “I mean, all I asked was what position you two were in, if the goods were hard or soft, a description of sizes and shapes, and there was something else . . .” Eli taps his chin, looking off like he can’t remember, and I wait for the crazy punchline. “Oh, yeah, if I could watch next time.”
“Eli! That’s his sister. And ew . . . no,” I say with a grimace, even though I’m fighting back laughter. He’s not serious. He never is. He just likes to shock people with the outrageous things he says.
“So what I’m hearing is . . . there’s a chance,” he teases.
“Incorrigible,” I tell him, and he grins. “So, other than hating not being the first to know everything, what’s going on with the good boy act and all that healthy stuff? You’re not exactly known for your good choices.”
That’s mild compared to how we usually tease each other, but to my surprise, Eli flinches slightly. “Damn, right in the feels, woman. I’m definitely sticking with Cuddle Fluff now.”
He’s avoiding the question, so I glare at him, not letting him joke his way out of it. Finally, he says, “I’m just trying to cut some spare weight, maybe put on an extra five or ten pounds of muscle. Be even more of a sex machine than I already am.”
“So . . . what, you’ve found some hot young thing you need to keep up with?” I guess.
A crack starts in my heart for my friends. I don’t know what’s been going on with them lately, but I’d hoped they were figuring it out. I guess not if Eli’s already moving on from their most recent FWB moment.
“More like a classic. I’m trying to gear this engine up for a long drive.”
We are definitely not talking about cars. Eli is a lot of things, and I do mean a lot, but a car aficionado is not one of them.
“Is that so?” I ask, gleeful. “Why, Eli Taylor, are you done drag racing?”
Eli laughs as I awkwardly stick with his metaphor. “Maybe.”
“And does she know this?” I ask, taking a bite of my sandwich.
“Yes, I’ve told her. I’ve . . . let’s just say I’ve surprised myself at some of the things that have come out of my mouth over the past few weeks.” As if afraid of what he’s going to say now, he takes a huge bite of his sandwich, shoving an escaping bit of lettuce into his mouth.
“I see.” I chew thoughtfully. “But you don’t look happy.”
“That’s because I know my past,” Eli admits as he swallows. “I’ve had a lot of fun, done a lot of things. Done a lot of people, too. And I don’t regret it, not one bit of it. Well, there was one time. I’ll spare you the details this time, but it’s a great story. However, it scared the shit out of me. So I got more careful, learned my lesson. I started growing up, I guess you could say. But now, some of that’s coming back to bite me in the ass.”
“What do you mean?” I ask. “How?”
“She knows my past too, and she’s got reservations. Like I said, I get it. I change cars like some people change socks, and I don’t have a good track record with commitments. She wants to know for sure that I’m not just going through a phase. So while I’ve put myself out there for her, she’s still . . . questioning whether to buy or lease.”
I raise my brows and look at Eli’s sandwich. “And do you think putting on five pounds of horsepower is going to earn her answer?”
“No,” Eli admits grudgingly, “but it gives me something to do to help focus myself. And I have to admit, it’s pretty easy to focus when I’m being a good boy, eating right, lifting hard, and . . . well, being there for her.”
