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“Why not?” He drank a sip of his juice while taunting, “Are you afraid that I’ll prove you wrong?”
“No, no. You’re just a little too eager to get me into your house.” Her lips twitched with the urge to laugh. “Is this cooking thing an excuse? Are you trying to start something with me, Mr. Hale?”
“What? No?” He denied with a choked laugh. “I’m not trying to start anything.”
“Seems like it,” she teased.
“I already told you.” He crossed his arms in an X in front of his chest. “Coworkers… No.”
“That’s what they all say to get you comfortable before they switch up on you.” As she tucked one leg beneath her on the sofa, she said, “I don’t trust you, Mr. Hale.”
“You don’t trust_” He was speechless, which Xolani truly enjoyed. She loved that she’d teased him into losing his words.
When he spoke again, his tone was tinged with disbelief. “Xo, I’m the most trustworthy man you’ll ever meet.”
“I can’t believe you have the nerve to say that when,” she reminded him, “you were flirting up a storm back when we were at Cam’s place.”
“I wasn’t flirting_” He paused then reluctantly admitted, “Okay, maybe I was flirting a little, but it’s only because I can’t help myself when I’m with you.”
“So it’s my fault.” She snorted. “Victim blaming at its finest.”
“Victim? You?” Outraged, he blustered. “You were flirting just as much.”
“Flirting? Me?” She had to hold back a laugh. His disbelief was funny to watch. Clutching her imaginary pearls, she said, “I would never. You’re not even in my dating pool, so why would I flirt with you?”
“It’s a good thing you brought up your dating pool.” Barry turned to fully face her and set one folded leg on the sofa so their legs were almost touching. Staring at her intently, he said, “You still haven’t told me why I don’t make your cut-off line. What makes me undateable to you?”
The change in the conversation came out of left field. Xolani hadn’t planned to open up about the reason behind her dating preferences tonight. That was a painful conversation that would ruin the playful mood they had going on.
So, she hedged, “I don’t make your cut-off line either.”
“Yeah, but you know the reason.” He insisted, “I want to know your reason too. Why can’t you date me?”
11
BARRY COULD TELL THAT XOLANI was trying to avoid the conversation about her dating preferences, and usually, he would’ve let it slide. But the question had bothered him for too long. Now that he had the chance to get an answer, he wasn’t letting it go.
“Come on,” he coaxed. “Tell me.”
She answered with a hesitant, “Hmm.”
Watching her keenly, he prodded, “Is it my race?”
There were many people who were more comfortable dating within their race. Maybe Xolani was one of them. In which case, he’d be very disappointed. His race was something he couldn’t change, and it would suck to be excluded because of it.
Luckily, Xolani shook her head vigorously. “Not even a little.”
That was a great answer. But there was still a lot more that could disqualify him. “Then is it my looks?”
Xolani looked him up and down then chuckled. “Boy, have you looked at yourself in the mirror?”
Though she didn’t say it directly, it was obvious that she thought he was attractive. Pride swelled deep inside him, and he almost smiled until he remembered that he still didn’t have an answer. “Then is it my job?”
“Okay, you can stop guessing now. You’ll never get it.” She took a deep breath, then said, “This has nothing to do with how you look. It’s more to do with your personality.”
“My personality?” Barry blinked once. Then blinked again because he did not understand at all. “What’s wrong with my personality?”
Everyone said he had a great personality. He was respectful to everyone, empathetic, considerate, and could mesh with most people seamlessly. Even loners gravitated toward him because they found him comfortable.
