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“Nothing about my romantic life could be described as triumphant.” She folded a small napkin twice. “And the chances of Teague and I not bickering long enough to kiss is preposterous.”
“No, it’s not,” Hayle retorted. “You two are swimming in a pool of unresolved sexual tension. The sooner you give in and have your way with him, the better.”
“The man can barely stand my company,” Tancy squawked. “If he’s not serving up thundering silence, then he’s dishing out withering disdain or complete confusion.”
“I’ve never seen him throw an ounce of derision your way,” Faith said with conviction. “You’re simply a language he doesn’t speak fluently.”
“I suppose that’s possible. To be fair, I’m not particularly proficient in spec operator grunting and often interpret his one-word answers as criticism or a silent prayer that I disappear.”
“The man seeks your company daily, so I doubt he has any desire to see you vanish.” Hayle leaned forward. “And I think you should see if he has hidden cinnamon roll qualities because you deserve a delicious lover.”
She drained her drink and told herself not to picture one of the many fantasies that the man inspired. “Let’s not waste time on some farfetched notion that Teague and I should find our way to the nearest bed and do wild and unspeakable things to one another.”
“Speaking of naughty trysts, I got a booty call the other night,” Hayle announced. “Though it didn’t turn out as one would hope.”
“What does that mean?” Faith asked as she leaned closer.
“The word enjoyable was used,” Hayle replied. “Don’t get me wrong, the man is a lovely human and looks like he bench presses tractors for a living, but…”
“What,” Faith barked.
“Easy there tiger,” Tancy said quietly. “Our girl can handle her business.”
“Thank you,” Hayle said as she folded her hands. “And for the record, I wasn’t offended by the call. But by the characterization of our activities. He said that our previous intimate escapades had been enjoyable.” Hayle grimaced. “Do you know what comes up when you google the word enjoyable?”
She and Faith shook their head simultaneously. “I have no idea.”
“Going for a walk tops the list, along with listening to music.” Hayle let out a huff. “Apparently, doing the no pants dance with me provides the same level of gratification as taking a bath or sitting in the sun.” Slapping the table, she looked around the bar. “If I’m going to bother, then I’m gonna need words like lifechanging, timeline altering, and while we were doing it, you met Jesus and shook his hand. Don’t come at me with Downton Abby adjectives and expect to get a yes.”
“This falls under the heading of; men are clueless.” Faith stated. “And have every intention of staying that way.”
“That doesn’t give me much hope,” Tancy muttered.
“Are you saying that you might be ready to date again?” Hayle asked excitedly. “Because I will put you on the top of my matchmaking list tonight.”
“Well…”
“You can’t date Netflix forever,” Faith added helpfully. “At some point, the chance of yummy fornication outweighs the risks.”
“Are we sure about that?” Tancy asked. “Because it keeps delivering just what I need.”
Faith gave Tancy a side hug. “If not now, then when?”
“You may be right,” she said quietly.
“Halleluiah,” Hayle said in a sing-song voice. “I’ll have five fabulous candidates ready by the end of the week.”
“Let’s get another round before we talk specifics,” Faith said as she signaled the waiter.
Letting the possibilities roll around in her mind made her realize she had missed that part of her life. She looked across the bar and studied Teague. The man defined the word attractive. Everything about him was strong, sharp, and dangerous. From his cut cheekbones to his angular jaw to the corded muscles that covered his body. Feeling a flush of heat, she decided it was probably time to put herself out there.
Because if she didn’t, she might accidentally, on purpose, try and convince her neighbor that a naked shenanigan wouldn’t end in disaster.
Teague leaned against the table, half listening to Dax and Scott debate something unimportant, and caught Tancy’s eye. He gave her a tip of his chin and attempted to shake off the undeniable attraction he experienced at least twice a week. When it didn’t work, he noticed a woman throwing him an inviting smile. Looking away quickly, he pulled his baseball hat lower.
Good God, what the hell am I doing in a bar?
It was the last place he wanted to be, and he much preferred hanging out with Tancy and doing any of the dozen things they enjoyed. Reluctantly, he tuned back into the conversation and tried to pay attention until a set of small hands landed on his shoulders. Spinning around, he saw Tancy and let out a breath. “I was ready to take you out.”
