Page 33 of That Moment
He whistles low. “Uh huh. That wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain lady, would it?”
I shoot him a look sharp enough to cut. “Get back to work.”
He just laughs, holding his hands up. “Hey, I’m not judging. Just saying, you’ve had that ‘woman problem’ face all morning.”
“Don’t have woman problems.”
“Sure you don’t.” He smirks, walking off. “And I don’t have a gambling problem.”
I mutter a curse under my breath, tightening the last bolt just a little too hard.
By midmorning, I’m in the office trying to focus on payroll when Dolly sticks her head in. She’s carrying a stack of invoices and that same knowing smile she gets when she’s about to pry.
“Morning,” she says, sliding the papers onto my desk. “You eat yet?”
“Not hungry.”
“That bad, huh?” She leans against the doorframe, crossing her arms. “You’ve been off all day.”
“Just tired.”
Her eyes flicker with amusement. “I saw you made it to the bonfire Saturday.”
I nod, not looking up from the computer. I know what she’s doing; she’s shit at hiding when she’s digging for information.
“I saw you and Adrienne out by the fire. Looked… cozy.”
I stop writing and look up at her. “We were talking about the Mustang.”
Dolly lets out a little laugh, one brow arched high. “Honey, you really gonna stand there and feed me that line?”
I frown. “Because it’s the truth.”
“Mm-hmm. And I’m supposed to believe two people who can’t stop making eyes at each other just talk about carburetors and timing belts?”
I push back from the desk with a sigh. “You’re reading too much into it, Dolly. It’s not about being into each other.”
She tilts her head. “No?”
“No,” I say firmly, though even to my own ears it sounds like I’m trying to convince myself. “Yeah, she’s gorgeous. Everyone knows that. But that doesn’t mean we make sense.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning she and I aren’t compatible,” I mutter, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck. “Besides, we’ve been friends for over a decade, I’m not going to screw it all up for what? One night?”
Dolly crosses her arms, studying me like I’m a particularly slow student. “You know what that sounds like?”
“What?”
“Excuses.”
I huff out a short laugh. “It’s reality.”
“God, what’s with you men?” She groans. “Why would you ruin it? Why couldn’t it be something more than one night? It’s like you automatically assume it’s doomed.”
“Don’t be ignorant, Dolly. We both know my reputation and the kind of happily ever after I can offer a woman.”
She shakes her head, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. “Reality is, you like her. And she likes you. Everyone in town can see it plain as day. Hell, I saw it when we were kids, the way you look at her like she hung the damn moon.”
