Page 78 of Just for Fun
I open my arms wide. “Did she ever have the flu?”
He mimics my stance. “Well, she said that’s he did.”
“When did she say that?” I huff.
“When she called in sick at work four days ago,” comes his quick reply.
My eyes bug out of my head. “She called in sick?” And then, I process the rest of what he just said. “Four days ago?”
I turn my head to stare down the hallway toward where her bedroom is. Four days ago is when she was at my house, and we had the whole virginity debacle, after which she fled like a thief in the night, or close to it.
“From the look on your face, I’d say you are the flu,” he concludes.
I grin like a lunatic, not sure why. “That’s a terrible nickname, and I hope it doesn’t stick.”
He looks me up and down. “It depends.”
“On what?”
He shrugs. “On whetheryouwill stick.”
What he says is way too close to what Zara said earlier. I don’t like it.
“I’m doing my best to stick,” I now tell her brother. I don’t even know where that’s coming from. It’s not like I am looking for a serious relationship or anything.
I am surprised when he finally gives me the first genuine smile. He stretches his hand for us to shake, and I cautiously follow suit. There’s still a good possibility that he would want to break it.
“It’s damn good to meet you, man,” he says. “I didn’t get to say that the other day. I’m so happy Zara is seeing someone.”
He shakes my hand with a lot of enthusiasm, giving the impression that he never thought his sister was actually capable of dating anyone.
“I don’t know how you did it,” he continues. “But all the guys at the station are scared to death of her.”
That makes me laugh. “Why’s that?”
“She never smiles,” Owen explains. “And she is short with them.”
“Maybe they just don’t know how to talk to her.” I shrug and take my hand back. “She is an amazing girl. And we have a lot of fun together.”
His eyebrows furrow in confusion. “You’re having fun with my sister.”
At this point, I am kinda offended on her behalf. He is acting like Zara is not capable of normal human interaction.
“You have no idea how happy I am to find you here, flu and all,” he says.
“Hey!” I point at his face. “No one has the flu, and no one will be called that either.”
He gives me a casual salute. “Dully noted.”
We remain standing in the doorway, and I am not sure what to do. Since this is not my place, it’s not like I can just invite people in. Maybe I should wake Zara up so she can deal with this. Then again, this is her brother, and I doubt she’ll complain about him being here. They seem pretty tight.
“I was looking for Zara’s coffee maker,” I tell Owen.
The surprise on his face is almost comical. “Zara has a coffee maker?”
“She doesn’t?” There’s disbelief in my tone. I never took that into consideration.
“She’s not a coffee drinker,” Owen informs me. “I thought you’d know that, since you’re having fun and all.”
