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She makes a face before shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not? It’s a good way to meet people you wouldn’t otherwise meet,” I say. “Technically, Piper and Luke met online. And they’re getting married soon.”
She sighs. “Piper and Luke are a special circumstance. They probably would have met eventually even without the dating site.”
I acknowledge this with a dip of my head as the light turns green and I start driving again. “Maybe so. But the dating app sped things along.”
She sighs, turning to look out at the night as it passes by her window. “I wouldn’t even know what to put on a dating profile.”
I perk up. “I can help with that,” I say. “We can set it up together and I can help you weed out the duds.”
What the hell? What am I saying? Why would I offer to help her find dates? I don’t even like the idea of her dating. The fact that tonight’s date turned out to be a disaster brings me more happiness than it should. But I can’t let her know that. I’m the supportive friend, remember?
“You want to help me find a boyfriend?” The disbelief in her voice is obvious.
“Unless you want to go back to our mutually beneficial relationship,” I say, waggling my eyebrows.
She smiles, but it’s clear her heart’s not in it.
“Just kidding,” I say. “I know you said you wanted to find something serious. And since I’m not that guy for you, I figure why not help you out.”
“You’re serious?”
My immediate reaction is to say, ‘Hell no, I don’t want to help you find a boyfriend unless that boyfriend is me.’ But I can’t say that. She’s made it clear that I’m not on her list of boyfriend options. I’m not going to set myself up for more rejection by offering again. But helping her find a potential future husband? Can I really do that? Can I not only watch her date someone else, but help her find that someone else?
I think back to the disappointment in her eyes when I’d picked her up at the restaurant and how upset she’d been that this guy had turned out to be a creep. I realize that yes, I can do this for her. If I can help her avoid feeling the way she felt tonight, I’ll do it. No matter how much I’ll hate it. When it comes to Layna, it seems I can’t deny her anything.
“Yeah,” I say. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
The words feel dry as dust in my mouth, but I force a smile without taking my eyes off the road.
“It’s early,” I say. “Let’s go back to my place and work on your online dating presence. It’ll be fun. Plus, having a guy’s perspective will help your profile attract more potential dates.”
She scoffs. “I think me being female and reasonably attractive will do the job. I’ve seen how you guys are. You’re not at all picky.”
I laugh. She’s not totally wrong. There are plenty of guys who aren’t picky about the women they hook up with. But she’s dead wrong about being ‘reasonably attractive’. She’s fucking gorgeous.
“The kinds of guys you’re hoping to attract aren’t looking for a casual hookup,” I say. “That’s the kind of thing I can help you spot. I can weed out the jerks who are just looking to get laid and help you figure out who’s looking for something real. Trust me. I’m an expert on this.”
She laughs. “Why does that not surprise me?”
“Because you know I’m an excellent judge of character?”
“Or because I know you’ve been that guy looking for a casual hookup,” she says.
I shrug. “You were, too,” I remind her.
“True.”
“One more thing? You’re not reasonably attractive. You’re beautiful, Layna. And anyone who doesn’t see and appreciate that isn’t worth your time.”
I don’t know why I added that last part. I just couldn’t stand the idea of someone as amazing as Layna not having confidence in herself. Maybe I didn’t tell her enough when we were still sleeping together, but she deserves to know how gorgeous she is. She deserves to hear it every day.
“Thank you,” she says in a soft voice. “That’s really sweet of you to say.”
I shrug, feeling uncomfortable now. “It’s just the truth. You deserve a guy who will tell you every day how amazing you are. Don’t settle for less than that.”
“Okay,” she says. “Let’s do it.”
