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“You know…I don’t even know if I want to talk about her.”
“I get that.” Though the sunglasses hid his warm, brown eyes, I didn’t have to see them to know they held a knowing kind of sympathy. “So, don’t have to. I’d much rather talk about something a lot more interesting.”
“Such as?” I slid into his car and accepted my folders and notebook.
Before closing the door, he grinned and said, “You and me, of course. We’re vastly more interesting.” The butter soft leather of the seats was warm against my legs, but thankfully not hot and the interior of the car smelled like leather, too.
I stole a quick look at my phone, but I didn’t dare open the message from Mathieu just yet. Not when Archie would just lean over to take a look. He and the other guys were the reasons I hadn’t had a date in three years. They had apparently taken it upon themselves to make sure guys who looked at me twice didn’t look again. The fact Jake beat one up hadn’t been lost on me. No, I was keeping Mathieu to myself. I’d find time at the hibachi place. “You do know that it’s vaguely narcissistic to talk about ourselves.”
“And gossipy to talk about everyone else,” Archie countered as he started the car. The a/c blew cool air almost immediately, but it was warmer in the car and the chills from earlier went away. He backed out of the spot smoothly. As we pulled away, I thought I caught sight of Coop leaning against the wall of the other apartment building, but the angle and shade didn’t give me a good look. “That said,” Archie continued. “Feel free to tell me all about Bubba, Jake, and Coop.”
I snorted.
“You spend more time with them than I do.”
“Not true. Coop rides with you every day and he’s barely shown up at lunch this week.”
“He came today,” I reminded him. “You know how it goes.” Was I defending Coop?
“I know howhegoes,” Archie said, his gaze on the cross traffic as he waited to pull out of the apartments. “I know he’s been blowing us off for his accidental girlfriend.”
“You know, if you’re jealous,” I murmured. “You could call Patty. I heard a rumor homecoming tickets go on sale next week.” It seemed earlier and earlier every year, not that I cared. This time next year, I’d be at college. Sure, the sports culture would be there, but the year wouldn’t be demarcated by dances and social events.
Or at least I hoped like hell it wasn’t.
“No,” Archie retorted in a voice that was a cross between a snap and laugh.
“You like Patty,” I pointed out. “You two were all over each other last year.”
“Correction,” Archie said, then paused as he accelerated smoothly and shifted gears. The Ferrari had a sweet purr to her when she got going. Not that he could really open her up around here, but I kind of wished we could. “We were all over each other for exactly six days during which I discovered that intelligence and conversation mitigate sex appeal.”
I frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”
“She’s stunning and relatively smart, but the girl and I have zero interests in common. I’d rather go to the dentist than go out with her again.”
“Wow.” That was harsh. I shifted sideways to stare at him. “Archie…”
“What? I didn’t say that to her face. I’m honest, but I try not to be an asshole.”
I almost didn’t want to ask. “Whatdidyou say to her?”
“Just… I had fun, but we weren’t clicking and thanks.”
And… thanks.I opened my mouth, then closed my mouth and then bit my tongue. He’d thanked her. They were all over each other, practically climbing into each other’s clothes, and he signed out of the relationship with a thanks.
“You know, it’s really not my business.” I folded my arms and focused on the road in front of us, but we were at a stoplight.
“Frankie,” he said, his tone sobering. “I didn’t have sex with her and then blow her off.”
That was not even where my mind went. Well, it did, but… “I didn’t say you did, but you were definitely copping feels, and you were definitely under the shirt.”
“Yeah, and so was she,” he admitted without an ounce of shame or remorse. “Kind of happens when you date. Feels good.”
Not that I would know. I pursed my lips.
“Don’t do that,” he said with a sigh. “Please?”
“I’m not doing anything.”
