Page 23 of The Boyfriend List
“I think you’ve been watching too many CW shows if you think that’s what our lives are like.”
“Tell me: Have you ever thought about Gloria Romero as more than a friend?”
Of course I have. Lately, I haven’t stopped.
Gloria walks in holding her lunch bag. “What’s up, guys?”
“Gloria! We were just talking about you,” Giorgio says. Because he’s a sadist who loves watching his friends suffer.
“About how I’m going to get the senior associate promotion and beat you two?” she asks, leaning against the sofa in the break room without sitting down.
As she passes me, I catch a whiff of her perfume—oranges and cinnamon.
“Please, discussing work at work? That’s ridiculous.” Giorgio waves a hand. I stand by the Keurig mutely, hoping Gloria didn’t hear what we were talking about. “I was asking London here—“
“If I could give you twenty dollars to go buy lunch.” I pull out my wallet before he can continue speaking. “Here you go, man.”
Giorgio and Gloria both glance at his Greek salad and then back at me like I’m crazy.
“I mean, five dollars to buy coffee. Since the French press is broken.” I fish out a five dollar bill and wave it in the air like it will entice Giorgio to shut up and leave the room.
“Oh. Right.” Giorgio thankfully takes the hint—and the five dollar bill—and gives me a look of utter disapproval as he exits the break room with his salad.
Gloria furrows her brows at me. “Was that weird?”
“Weird? No. That wasn’t weird. You made that weird.”God, if you’re listening, this would be a great time for one of those notorious California earthquakes to appear and swallow me in a sinkhole.Also, how many times can I say the word ‘weird’ until it sounds weird?
She suppresses a grin as finally takes a seat and unpacks her lunch, a delicious-smelling Thermos that looks way better than the deli-meat-and-soggy-lettuce sandwich I stashed it in the fridge. “Imade that weird? You threw money at Giorgio like he was a stripper and shooed him out of the room with crazy eyes.”
I frown. “First of all, he took the bill from me. I didn’t throw it at him like he was a stripper.” I shudder in horror. “Second of all, Giorgio left willingly to go buy coffee.”
“Whatever you say, Leeds.” She gives me a grin as she eats a spoonful of her food. “I guess you guys were having private ‘guy talk’ that you didn’t want me to know about?”
I take a huge bite of my sandwich so I don’t have to respond. “Mm-hmm.”
Gloria speaks. “I’ll let you keep your secrets.”
Finally swallowing the food with the help of a swig of tea, I manage to say, “Thanks.”
But what I really want to say is,No! I’m a wide-open book of secrets, ready for you to read all of the pages! Especially the one about my feelings for you!
I must be losing my mind. Maybe there were mold spores on the bread that are making me hallucinate. That has to be the only explanation for my crazy thoughts.
“I’m going on a date tonight,” Gloria says. Now Ireallywish I was hallucinating due to moldy bread.
“Who’s the lucky guy?” I try to keep my tone neutral. Fortunately, the look of disgust on my face can be attributed to my sandwich. I hope.
“His name is Lindon, he’s an architect, and—“
“Lindon?” I repeat. “What kind of name isLindon?”
Lindon is just one letter off from London. Which is a ridiculous thought, but I hate the idea of her ending up with some jerk namedLindonand him slowly overshadowing my place in her life. His name being so close to mine makes me wonder if it’s a sign that I’ll be replaced. That Gloria and I will drift apart as she builds her own life and family.
“Paulo asked me the same question.”
“Well, great minds think alike.”
Gloria dabs at her mouth with a napkin. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to act like my older brother and go all overprotective on me. I already have one brother. I can’t handle another.”
