Page 26 of Betting on the Best Friend
“Awkward: I get you’re not interested, and I’m embarrassed because I feel super obvious.”
“Don’t,” I say. “You’re cool. Smart. Pretty. If I was looking to date right now, I’d have already asked you out. I’m sorry my head isn’t in the game.”
“I don’t have to pretend I care about mineral rights,” she says. “It’s all good.”
I grin. “Pretending to care about mineral rights for me might be the most flattering thing anyone has ever done.”
“You’re welcome. Here’s where it gets weird. You’re not dating because of Ruby, right?”
Strangers assume Ruby and I are a couple all the time. I have a lot of practice with this. “We’re just friends.”
“But you want it to be more.”
“Nope.”
She tilts her head to study me. “Katie told me about Ruby’s situation. Long relationship. Recent breakup, ex just got engaged. And now Madison is trying to find Ruby a new guy. Do I have it right?”
“You’re well-informed.”
“I know it’s weird that I know this and I’m bringing it up. But I pay attention. Based on what I’ve seen when I’m here, I want to help Ruby, and that means helping you.”
If this conversation takes any more turns I might get dizzy. “You want to help Ruby?”
“I have my own recent breakup, and Katie was nudging me toward you as a way to snap me out of it,” she says. “I’m not in a place to start something, but if there was a way to pull me out of my funk, I’d give a kidney to whoever could do it. I’d like to help a girl out. I won’t bore you with the reasons why, but file it under karmic justice.”
“Women and their projects,” I mutter.
“Sorry, did you say that you admit you have a thing for Ruby and you want to hear my plan over lunch? Because there’s no point in telling it to you if you’re not into her.”
I haven’t talked to anyone about this because Ruby or Oliver would be my go-to. But as Sydney stands here, sincerity written all over her face, I think I need a listening ear, even if it’s for a reality check.
“All right,” I say slowly. “Here’s my confession: Ruby and I are just friends, but I’m working on changing that.”
She smiles. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Admitting it? No. Changing it? Different story.”
“She doesn’t know you’ve got more-than-friends feelings, does she?”
“No.”
She glances at her watch. “I have forty minutes left on my lunch break. Want to grab some food and solve this?”
“Solve it?”
“Solve it.”
“Lunch is on me. Let’s go.”
Ruby eyes us with naked curiosity when we get back to the desk.
“We’re going to lunch,” I say. “You good?”
“Oh, I thought you and I were . . .” Ruby trails off, her eyes traveling between me and Sydney. “Have fun.”
As Sydney and I walk out together, she says, “If tacos are okay, I’ll drive and you talk.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
