Page 64 of The Scars I Bare
“Yeah. I mean, would you like to go on one?”
A sweet smile peaked the corners of her mouth, and pink dotted her cheeks. “Lizzie,” she answered.
“Huh?”
“I’d need to find someone to watch Lizzie.”
“Oh.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “Maybe Molly?”
Her lips pressed together as she thought it over.
“But you’d better ask her,” I added, looking down the hall toward Jake’s office. “Yeah, you should definitely ask. I think I’m on their shit list for a week at least.”
That eyebrow rose again, this time a hint of amusement painting her face. “Okay. When?”
“When? Well, before the date would be good.”
Her smile widened as I realized what she meant.
“Oh, tomorrow? Dinner? If that works.”
“I’ll let you know.”
And, with that, she began to walk away but not before her fingers brushed the tips of mine.
“Dean!” Jake hollered. “In my office.”
“Shit,” I cursed under my breath.
“Somebody’s in trouble,” I heard Cora sing in the other room.
By the time I made it down the hall, I had half a speech prepared and spared no time in delivering it the second I crossed the threshold. “This isn’t how we do this, Jake! You know the rules of combat when slinging the shit. I just gave you some; now, you have to wait and find the proper and right time to throw it back at me.”
When I took a second to breathe, I caught him eyeing me, his arms crossed in front of him with his feet doing much of the same.
“Are you quite finished?”
“Uh…”
“Good. Shut the door.”
I did as I had been told and took a seat, feeling like a delinquent child in the principal’s office.
“Now, you have two options. Taps is pretty nice, but if she’s not a beer drinker, then it’s kind of a pointless place. Unless you’re trying to sell her on the food, then it could still be an option.”
I looked at him like he’d lost his damn mind.
“What? You asked me for dating advice,” he said, his voice softer than usual. “So, I’m giving it.”
“Yeah, and you said you didn’t have any.”
He shrugged. “I have my moments. Or at least, Molly seems to think I do.”
My eyes narrowed. “What gives?”
He let out a huff. “Thin walls, okay? I heard you bomb out there, and that can only mean one thing. Either you really do suck at this whole dating thing, or Molly’s right. And, since Molly tends to be right about most things—and I swear to God, if you ever talk about her in that way again—”
I held up my hands in front of me. “Promise, it’s out of my system. Now, what is this about Molly being right?”
