Page 44 of The Hookup
“What’s not to like?”
He wasn’t going to go there. “Are you sure you even like her that much?” he asked, opting for another angle. “Because I’ve seen you meet someone for the first time, and then walk away with her less than thirty minutes later. I’ve seen you do that, here, with my own eyes. And if you haven’t even gotten to first base after what, six, maybe eight weeks? I don’t think you stand any chance. Maybe it’s not so much that she’s not into you,” he said, phrasing his words carefully, “but maybe your heart isn’t in it. Just face it, pal. You’re not her type. You might even be too old for her.”
Xavier flipped his middle finger at him. “I’m twenty-fucking-seven. I’m in my prime, and I’m making progress, and that’s all you need to know.”
“Fine. As long as you know what you’re doing, and it isn’t illegal.”
“It isn’t,” Xavier snapped.
“Good.” Luke hoped for Izzy’s sake it wasn’t.
“Savannah’s cousin was here. You remember her, don’t you? Kay?” Xavier asked, completely changing the subject.
Luke’s insides hardened, and he wasn’t sure why the idea of Xavier talking about Kay bothered him. “Yeah, I remember her.”
“I think she’s pissed off with me.”
“Pissed off with you?” Why would this idiot think Kay was pissed off with him? He knew exactly why she was pissed off and Xavier had nothing to do with it.
“She wasn’t too friendly when I ran into her downstairs. Didn’t want to talk to me.”
“Do you blame her?” Luke asked. “The two of you didn’t seem to be getting on too well at the wedding.” But he was curious to hear Xavier’s take on things.
“She’s pissed I never called her.”
Called her?What the fuck would Xavier be calling Kay for? Luke’s stomach hardened like cement. “Wereyou supposed to call her?” he asked, casually reaching out and grabbing two beers for them. He needed something,anything, to show he was calm about the bullshit Xavier was spouting.
“I mean, we’re practically family now, but even if we weren’t, they expect you to, don’t they?” returned Xavier. Luke shrugged, his muscles tensing as he forced himself to remain quiet.
“Except, you wouldn’t call, would you—Mr. Ice-Cold and Doesn’t-Give-A-Fuck?” That title, the first time he’d ever heard Xavier call him that, described him to a tee. He had learned to control his emotions, had learned not to give too many fucks, but this was Kay that Xavier was talking about and, for reasons he couldn’t yet work out, it was impossible for him to not be bothered by Xavier’s commentary. “Are you going to call her?” he asked, gripping his bottle with more force than necessary. He needed to know whether Xavier had any designs on Kay. They weren’t strictly family, and if Xavier thought he stood half a chance with her, he’d go for it. Luke knew what the guy could be like.
Xavier shook his head. “She’s not my type.”
Luke released his grip on the beer bottle, and a slow exhale followed. “I didn’t think Izzy was your type either, but that hasn’t stopped you from pursuing her.”
Xavier seemed to be thinking about it but didn’t give anything away.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again,” Luke told him, “you don’t have anything to prove.”
“We have a love-hate thing going,” Xavier insisted, before breaking out into a mischievous smile. “It’s always the prelude to better things.”
“Love-hate?” Luke chortled. “It’s beenhate-hateeach time I’ve heard from you.” It was odd how different Xavier saw things. The same could be said of him and Kay. She had only suggested that they have dinner. She hadn’t expected a proposal, nor a declaration of love, just goddamn dinner, and he’d behaved like a total dumbass over it. He’d treated her in a shitty way.
He sat with Xavier for a while longer, showing a polite interest in his friend’s plans for winning Izzy over, but he soon excused himself and returned to his office.
He hadn’t liked it—Xavier talking about Kay. He hadn’t liked it one bit. Picking up his phone, he decided to call her, but his finger stayed poised over theCALLbutton. If he called her now, if he sought her out, and apologized, then suggested dinner, what would happen? What signal would that give her? It might give her ideas, make her think he was malleable. Did he need the added complication?
No.
He wanted no baggage, no headache and no emotional fuckery.
But an image of Xavier’s smiling face flashed in front of him. If Xavier didn’t get anywhere with Izzy, the guy might be tempted to get it on with Kay. Luke’s gut twisted. The fuck he was going to risk that happening.
He called Kay, but she didn’t answer. He was about to text her, but he didn’t know what to say. If she’d picked up the phone, he could have made a joke about being hungry. A text was different. It was outthere, and irretraceable. Not only that, but nuances could change the way she interpreted the message.
He had a better idea. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he snatched his keys from the desk and walked out of his office. He would turn up at her door. He got into the elevator with good intentions but by the time it reached the ground floor, he had changed his mind again.
Going to her place now would mean something, and he didn’t wantanythingto meansomething.
