Page 45 of The Boyfriend List
"I'm just worried that while you're looking for a guy who ticks off all the big boxes, you might forget about the little ones," she says.
"Like knowing how to ride a horse or dance?" I say. I'm definitelynotletting my mind wander to horseback riding with London and his nieces, or dancing with London in my living room.
"Like a guy who makes you laugh and appreciates you for the amazing, intelligent, capable, and loving woman you are," Raina says, reaching across the table and squeezing my hand. "These guys that you've been dating all sound like jerks."
I sigh and squeeze her hand back before we both pick up the remnants of our tacos. "Well, everyone says you have to kiss a few frogs to find your prince."
"And how many frogs do you plan on kissing?" she asks.
I bite my lip. "I've never kissed a frog."
"You’ve never kissed a frog," she repeats. "But—Wait, Gloria, are you saying you'veneverkissed anyone?"
"Could you please keep it down?" I hiss. "It's not a great accomplishment to have never been kissed at the age of twenty-six."
"I think it is," she says thoughtfully. "You've successfully dodged kissing all the frogs."
I bite into my remaining taco. "I don't want to talk about my kissing history or lack thereof."
"Fine, we won't talk about your 'kiss-story'. Get it? Kissing and history?" Raina teases.
"That's a horrible pun." Even worse than London's puns.
"All I'm saying is, you should be with a man who treats you right, even if he doesn't tick off every box on your list, not some imaginary perfect guy who is awful to you."
"If he's imaginary, how could he be awful to me? And if he was awful to me, he wouldn't be perfect," I say.
Raina throws her hands in the air. "Never mind. You're a lost cause."
"Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better about my dating life," I deadpan, but I'm glad to be rid of the conversation topic. My unexpected romantic feelings about London aren't helping either.
"No, Gloria, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry." Raina misinterprets my defeated expression. "You're not a lost cause. I'd set you up with Kostas' brother if I could. Then we could be sisters-in-law."
I giggle. "I'd be a horrible princess. I like working and cooking for myself too much."
"Hey, that's what I thought too, and look where we are now," she says.
"Eating tacos outside a food truck?"
Raina shakes her head, her smile belying her exasperated sigh. "Enough of this. How's your family? How's Paulo?"
I tell her about my family and that I'm thinking about taking a trip to visit them for All Saints' Day. But I can't help but feel like a coward, hiding how I really feel from her.
Because I’m scared to admit my feelings, even to myself.
Chapter Sixteen: London
One perk of working at McMann and Ma is the attached gym. It's usually full after work or during lunch hours, so Gloria and I like to work out on weekends or early in the morning before we start work for the day.
This Saturday morning, I'm in the free weights section, which is next to the mats where Gloria is stretching. She’s wearing leggings and a strappy red top that’s a mix of a sports bra and a crop top. Not that I frequently notice what she wears.
It's just that this morning, she's doing a series of yoga poses that draw my attention to her in that outfit. And every line of her body. Taking a deep breath that has nothing to do with my physical exertion level, I do my best to ignore her and concentrate on my workout.
I pick up two heavy dumbbells from the rack and start doing shoulder presses with them. I try not to grunt too loudly as I finish my last reps, keeping my gaze locked on my reflection to check my form. It's definitely not to avoid meeting Gloria's gaze as she finishes her stretches and walks over to the bench beside mine.
Wiping down the dumbbells I just used and putting them away, I adjust the bench to a horizontal position and grab a bar to do bench presses.
Gloria catches my eye in the mirror. "You seem more quiet today than usual."
