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“Sorry,” she said, putting her hand on his arm softly and then dropping it away. “I didn’t mean it that way. Just the whole ‘punch you in the face’ comment? That could be construed as fighting.”
She had him there. “Just a figure of speech,” he said.
“That is good to know,” she said. “Your age?”
He fought the urge to smile at her grin again. “Thirty-three. Older than you. Your mother had you at thirty-eight?”
“The oops,” she said. “Not fun to be thought of that way. Or told that. I’ve got two perfect older sisters that were both married right out of college and started their families shortly after. My oldest niece is soon to be sixteen and my youngest niece is twelve. My sisters are twelve and ten years older than me.”
“If you tell me they are doctors or some CEO or something then I’d say that might be hard to live up to, but if it’s just comparing you because of your personal relationships then that might be short minded of people.”
“I like you,” she said. “Thanks for saying that. Emily is a teacher, she is the oldest, and Sarah is next and works for the county doing something in social work. So no, we all have about equal careers I guess.”
“What is your career?” he asked. “You work with Raina; are you an engineer too?”
She laughed. “Do I look like I’d be an engineer?”
“I didn’t know they had a look to them,” he said, his eyes moving around the party. “I can’t pick one out here unless their last name is Fierce.”
“Good point. A better point when I tell you what I do. I don’t think I look that part either. I’m an accountant.”
He laughed again. “No, you don’t look like one.”
She crossed her arms. “See. You gave me crap about the engineer comment and here you said it about an accountant.”
He reached out and unhooked her arms from in front of her chest. “You can crack a joke and I can’t?”
“That’s a joke?” she asked. “You’re not very good at it.”
“As I’ve been told before too,” he said. Good lord, he was getting ridden on today.
“Sorry,” she said. “I guess I feel bad you’re standing here by yourself.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I talk to people all day long at work. One on one or in groups.”
“You’re a personal trainer, right?” she asked. “And you own a gym?”
“I own one. Looking to maybe open another.”
“Really?” she asked. “Raina never said anything.”
Because he hadn’t told anyone and wasn’t sure why he’d said it just now. “It’s a thought. I’m working it out.”
“You like to work things out,” she said. “Get it? Working out?”
“Talk about a bad joke.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I was trying too hard. It just needs to come naturally to me.”
The fact she was trying at all warmed him more than he thought it would. “Just be yourself,” he said. “You know, like not letting your parents compare you to your sisters because their reproductive organs have had more action than yours.”
She threw her head back and laughed. He noticed a bunch of heads turn and look at them, but he was grinning too. “Nowthatwas funny. There is hope for you yet, Jonah.”
3
Smart And Responsible
“Ican’t believe you’re getting married tomorrow,” Megan said to Raina two months later.
