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“You’ve got to admit she’s consistent.” Justin reached for his bottle, which Troy slid across the kitchen island. “Every time she’s single, you are irresistible until the next idiot comes along.”
“I told her not to call me anymore.”
“You told her that last time, too, man.” He saluted Troy with his beer and took a long, cold swig. “Don’t you check caller ID?”
“Yeah.” Troy looked sheepish. “I almost didn’t answer.”
“Almost doesn’t win the prize.”
“I know, I know.” He shook his head disgustedly. “Everyone has something he’s stupid about. She’s mine.”
“I finally got rid of Angie.” Justin took a guilty sip of beer.
Yeah, he’d escaped that frying pan, only to find himself playing with Candy’s fire.
“But you had to move halfway across the country to do it.” Troy took down a bag of corn chips from the cabinet next to his granite sink and ripped it open. Dylan’s nails clicked excitedly on the faux-hardwood floor.
“Almost true.” Too true. After breaking up with Angie, Justin had succumbed to her seduction one night, managed to stay strong and send her away on another night, swearing he’d never let her close again, but Troy’s offer had represented an opportunity to leave temptation in his dust.
“‘ Almost doesn’t win the prize.’” Troy crunched a handful of corn chips, reached for another, cheerfully inhaling calories his triathlon-trained body wouldn’t even notice. “Debby lives ten miles away and works only two miles away.”
“We should have swapped houses. Me here, you in California.”
Troy passed the chips to Justin. “What is it about women like that? They take possession of our brains.”
“Not all men. Just men like us.”
“Well, that’s depressing.” He went back to the refrigerator and stared at the contents alongside Dylan. “How come there’s no book called Men Who Love Too Much? ”
“What guy would admit it?”
“Good point.” Troy rummaged in the meat drawer, pulled out some summer sausage and sharp cheddar. “Hey, didn’t you have a date last night?”
“Research.”
“Oh, by the way, I called Brian, my friend at the Journal-Sentinel. He’ll feel his boss out on your dating-site scandal, and if there’s interest, he’ll put you in touch.” Troy pulled a 82
serrated knife and a cutting board from a drawer next to his dishwasher. “What did you find out from Candy?”
“Inconclusive.” Her initial answers hadn’t done anything to allay or confirm Justin’s suspicions, and then under the influence of tequila and Candy, he’d found himself having more and more fun and caring less and less about the story until he’d dropped it entirely from the evening’s agenda. What kind of professional journalist did that make him?
A pretty lame one. If he wanted to land that first freelance gig in Milwaukee he’d need to push harder, not let her get away with a few evasive answers.
“Guess you’ll have to take her out again, huh?” Troy smirked, cutting the sausage into thick slices. Dylan let out a muted moan. “Tough job.”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“No?” Troy looked at him sharply. “Why, she’s scary?”
That was an understatement, but not the way Troy meant it. “More like dangerous.”
“Uh-oh. You like her.”
“I shouldn’t mix dating with an investigation. For her sake, too, though she seems like she could handle herself in any situation.”
“You
really like her.”
Irritation flashed, which Justin knew from growing up with a psychiatrist mother meant Troy had hit a nerve. Justin wasn’t going there. Not willingly. “But you’re not investigating her, Troy. Why don’t you sign up on Milwaukeedates.com and see if Marie matches you up with Candy, too?”
“Me go out with her?” Troy eyed him suspiciously.
“Sure, why not?” Justin found himself gritting his teeth.
He could think of many ideas why not, but at least Troy was a known quantity who wouldn’t put moves on a woman he knew Justin was…intrigued by. Whereas, who knew where Candy was tonight and with whom, as which personality?
