“Not sure I’m really following, because we’re not a couple.”
“Well as far as most of Minneapolis is concerned, we’re married.”
“But we’renotmarried.”
“Maybe we should be.” He bounced a nonchalant shoulder. This man treated life like it was one big whim. Where consequences were few. Kris didn’t break a sweat about being unemployed for a year. He traveled the country doing as he pleased when he pleased. With no one to answer to, I think all the freedom had gone to his head. Who knows, maybe a quickie wedding in Vegas was on his bucket list, but it wasn’t on mine.
I stepped back so I could see his full face. “Can we be serious for a minute?”
“Sure.”
“It’s only been days. I mean you and I have only known one another for days.”
“It’s been several weeks.”
“Weeks are made up of days. And I don’t think we’ve spent enough days together to be tossing around words like forever.”
Kris squared his shoulders. “Here’s what I know. I like you … a lot … and I’m ready to put a title on that shit. So boyfriend, girlfriend, mate, life partner. No scratch that last one, life partner seems too formal. But you get where I’m going with this.”
“You want to be my boyfriend?” I’m not going to lie, saying the word out loud tickled me.
“I feel confident I can meet your strict nonnegotiables.”
I raised a challenging eye. “Don’t be so certain.”
“Come on, hit me with it.” He held out his arms and performed the bring it on gesture with his hands.
“With what?”
“The list. Every woman has one.”
“I don’t.”
Kris pulled his lips into a dubious wad.
“Maybe there’s a list of some nice to have qualities but no deal breakers.”
“Such as?”
“He has to be taller than me, even if only by a few inches.”
“I check that box in triplicate.”
“I’m looking for a man of faith.”
“I have the Lord on speed dial.”
“But is he accepting your calls?” I teased.
“Funny, you’re very funny. Go on.”
Pulling back slightly, I took a deep breath. This next one was in fact a deal breaker. And I would walk away from anyone who was unable to fulfill it. “He has to accept my sister and the fact that she will always be a fixture in my life. And understand Celeste is a blessing, never a burden.”
All the humor drained from Kris’s face. “Have other men treated your sister like a burden?”
“Men say they can handle it, but long term they can’t. I just can’t travel to Europe for a month eating baguettes and taking selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower. Shit, I can barely leave for a week-long getaway to Cabo. I don’t have a spontaneous lifestyle because my obligations to my sister supersede all that. Some guys I’ve dated felt inconvenienced and had the audacity to try and make me feel guilty for putting my sister first.”
“It sounds like you’ve dated some real jerks.”
