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“I don’t know. I don’t think so. But it does make him concerned that I would hurt his employee. That’s why he asked me to stay away.”
“And I guess since we’re having this conversation, you didn’t?” He pins me with a knowing stare.
“I tried. But each conversation with her was more interesting than the first. She’s smart, funny, creative. She calls tires shoes, and damn if I haven’t started looking at tires to see if they match the car.”
Erik’s mouth hangs open. “Come again?” he says.
“She says tires have to match the car the same as shoes have to match the dress, otherwise it doesn’t look right.” I wave my hand dismissively.
“Huh.” Erik mulls this over. “Makes a certain amount of sense.”
“She’s always doing stuff like that, making me see things differently, or making me laugh. Plus, she’s gorgeous, although she has no idea she is. So, like I said, real. I tried to stay away from her. Tried like hell. Pissed her off a few times because she was getting mixed signals, but the harder I tried to stay away, the more curious I got. So I went behind Charlie’s back and asked her out.”
“She know about that?”
“Yeah,” I exhale, “she does. She doesn’t like it any more than I do, but we both want to see where this goes without any scrutiny from Charlie or anyone else in the office who might get the wrong idea about us.”
“I take it the going is good, then? I mean, you wouldn’t be freaking out about it if you didn’t think it’d get to the point where you have to tell Charlie.”
I take a sip, nod my head. “Yeah, it’s going good.”
“How long has it been going on?”
“That’s the problem. We’ve only been on two dates. It feels good. It feels real, but how do I know that? How would I convince Charlie of that?”
Erik stares at me pointedly. “How many conversations have we had about a woman you’re interested in over the years?” he asks.
“Um, I don’t know. Not many?”
“None,” he says. “I don’t know what you like in a woman. I don’t know what you don’t like in a woman. Hell, I’m not even sure you know what you like. You’ve only ever noticed if they were hot, and no,” Erik holds up his hand to stave off the rebuttal he knows is coming, “I’m not saying you’re a dick or you don’t treat women well. I’m saying a woman’s personality isn’t the first thing you tend to notice. Until now.”
“What?” I scoff.
“Do you know what the first thing you told me about this woman was?” I think back to how I described Lisa, not sure what Erik wants me to say. I shrug. “You said she’s smart. And funny. In fact, you didn’t tell me anything about her looks until after you told me about her personality.”
“So?”
“So, like I said. Personality isn’t usually the first thing you notice.” He points a finger at me. “Until now.”
“What’s your point?”
“It’s real,” he affirms.
“Because I told you about her personality?”
“What about this aren’t you getting?” Erik rolls his eyes. “You talked about her personality first. You aren’t just into the way she looks. You’re into her.”
“Of course I’m into her. That’s what I’ve been telling you,” I growl. “How do I know if this is real after just two dates? Charlie will never forgive me for going behind his back unless he thinks I’m serious about her. How do I know I am?”
“You really are a dumb shit, you know that?” Erik says. “You asked how you know it’s real and how you explain that to Charlie. And I’m telling you. If it wasn’t real, we’d be shooting the shit about fish or sports or even work, not a woman. And if the subject of women came up, the first thing you’d mention about any date was how she looked, not what she was like or that she makes you laugh and see shit differently. And lastly, if it wasn’t real, then you never would have gone behind Charlie’s back, so there’d be no need to freak out about how to explain why you did. You,” he points at my chest again, “aren’t being you right now. That’s how I know it’s real, and your brother will see that.”
“Huh.” I look out toward the horizon and run a hand through my hair, replaying his words. “I think you’re right.”
“Swear to God, Chris, I’m about to throw you off this boat. Of course I’m right. Seriously, man, how can you possibly be one of the smartest investors in Denver? I was about to start drawing pictures. You picked up data storage faster than you picked up a little lesson on women.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“Yeah, you are. But I get it.” He softens. “I was there too once.”
