Page 56 of Fight for Me
“Oh, that’s so sweet!” Brooklyn gushed. “Jake, we’re going to make you the most eligible bachelor alive.”
Jake rolled his eyes and tossed the rejected tie onto his bed.
“So, am I changing this shirt or not?” he asked, holding his arms straight out from his sides, waiting for a decision.
The girls looked at each other as though silently conferring.
“You’ve got a gray jacket, right? Like charcoal?” Ashlyn asked after a moment.
Jake glanced back at his closet, thinking. “Uh, I have black. Like a light black.”
Now it was Brooklyn’s turn to roll her eyes. “Boys think there are only six colors in the whole world, don’t they? Okay, I’ve got it!” she said, clapping her hands together. “Get thelight blackjacket and those gray slacks you wore at Hannah’s wedding.”
“Ooh,” Ashlyn said, her face lighting up in approval. “I love a man in gray dress pants. Tommy has a pair, and his—”
“Okay!” Jake interrupted, not wanting to hearanythingabout what his sister thought of her boyfriend’s pants. “Let’s stayfocused here. I’ve got the jacket and the slacks,” he said as he pulled both from his closet and held them up. “Now what?”
His sister and cousin looked at each other again, their eyes narrowed.
“White shirt, green tie,” they said in unison, and Jake blinked. Had they actually just agreed on something?
“Okay. White shirt, green tie,” he repeated, fishing for both in the mess that was currently his bedroom. He didn’t actually own that many pieces of dress clothing, but apparently he had just enough options to make his head hurt. Stepping out of the camera frame, he started to unbutton the maroon shirt he was wearing so he could replace it with the new selection.
“Just be careful!” Ashlyn warned. “You’re my brother. I don’t want to accidentally see anything I can’t un-see.”
Jake rolled his eyes and ignored her.
“Jake has nothing to be ashamed of in that department, actually,” Brooklyn said, not even bothering to lower her voice.
Jake glanced toward where his phone was propped against a pile of textbooks on his desk and bit back a retort. Just because they couldn’t see him from this angle didn’t mean he wasn’t still part of the conversation. He shrugged out of his shirt and reached for the new one.
“How would you know?” Ashlyn asked.
“The last time the boys were all home, they were out in the yard with their shirts off. I couldn’t help noticing,” Brooklyn answered matter-of-factly. “Drew has the best abs, for sure, but he does work on the farm every day, so he has an unfair advantage. Jake’s are a solid four out of five, though—definitely would recommend.”
“You know I can still hear you, right?” Jake shouted from the far side of the room where he was pulling on the pants they’d chosen.
“Yeah. And?”
“And you’re mycousin!” he said emphatically. He slid a black belt through the loops of his slacks and then tucked in his dress shirt.
“I’m not saying I want to go out with youmyself,” Brooklyn argued. “But I certainly wouldn’t feel bad about setting you up with a friend.”
“All your friends are seventeen,” Jake pointed out, looping his tie around his neck and starting on the knot.
“It’s a compliment, Jake! Just take it and run,” Brooklyn said, clearly exasperated.
“Where are you taking her again? To a concert?” Ashlyn asked. Jake could hear a loud crinkling noise, like the girls might be opening a bag of chips.
“Yeah, the Hampton Symphony. It’s just a small-town sort of thing, but I think she’ll like it.” He shrugged his sport coat over his shoulders and checked his watch. He only had about twenty minutes before Lexie was expecting him at her apartment. He walked back to his desk and into the camera frame.
“Okay, so this has to be the last one. I’m out of time,” he said, backing up until his whole body was in the picture. “Am I presentable?”
The girls peered at him for a moment before breaking into identical grins. Ashlyn reached out and touched something on her phone screen, and Jake heard music start up on her end of the line.
“Seriously? How long have you had that waiting?” he asked, listening as the chorus of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” came blaring through his speakers.
“Since the second outfit,” Ashlyn admitted. She nodded in approval. “You look good, big brother. Go knock her dead.”
