Was she digging for personal information about me?
More specifically, she wanted to know my type?
“Probably Janette, then,” I said. “If I’d been interested in a woman who once admitted to me that she’s been in love with most of my brothers at one point or another in her life, maybe I would’ve considered giving her a call. But then, I’d also have toput up with her collection of healing stones and herstrongbelief that burning incense can cure colds.”
“Oh wow,” she laughed. “And yeah, okay, with the flu season upon us, I can see how that would be a lot.”
“Exactly,” I chuckled. She was avoiding making eye contact, and all I could do was smile at her. Maybe I stood a chance after all? “So, was there a reason for this delightful sojourn of yours?”
She cleared her throat and gave me the most fleeting look before she glanced over at the boxing ring—and then down at the counter. “Yes, sort of. I was bored out of my mind at home, saw you were down here, and figured I could come over and ask if we could box sometime.”
I hitched my brows, surprised by her suggestion.
“Yeah, of course we can,” I answered. “Do you like close-contact sports, or…?”
“Oh, uh, no, not really, but…it looks fun. And whenever I see people going at it over there—” she gestured at the ring “—it’s easy to see it’s a heavy workout.”
No fucking doubt. “It definitely is. And it’s fun. I’m actually waiting for Darius to arrive. We’re gonna go at it for a while.”
“Now?”
I nodded and checked my phone, and he’d actually responded. I’d missed it. He was on his way, looking for parking.
“Yeah, he’ll be here any second,” I said. “You’re welcome to stay and watch if you want. Although, we won’t be boxing.”
“What will you be doing?”
“Beating each other up,” I chuckled. “I guess the closest thing is Krav Maga. Darius doesn’t like to play by the rules.”
She got smirky with me. “Do you like rules?”
Hmm. So many ways to answer that question. But I spotted my brother outside on the sidewalk, so I’d have to circle back to this later. A flirty response was no longer ruled out.
“Remind me to answer you another time,” I said, nodding toward the door. “He’s here.”
To my disappointment, Darius didn’t struggle as much with the door as usual. He scowled, of course, and he tried to push it open before it was unlocked, but then he was in.
“Look at that, my brother’s fashionably late,” I said, straightening up.
“That’s me. All about fashion,” he muttered.
Natalie smiled. “Hi, Darius. Good to see you again.”
He tilted his head at Natalie and pulled off some of that rare politeness. “Hey, Nat. He givin’ you grief? Say the word, and I’ll?—”
“You’ll what?” I drawled. “I beat you the last three times we sparred.”
“Fuck off, I was injured,” he shot back.
He wasalwaysinjured, technically. If it wasn’t an old shoulder injury stiffening him up, it was his hip or something else. The man didn’t take stretching seriously, and it was going to cost him in the long run. I might actually talk to Gray about it. If anyone could talk sense into my brother, it was Gray.
“I think I’m gonna leave you to it, guys,” Natalie said. “As fun as this would be to watch, I have tea to drink and cooking shows that aren’t gonna watch themselves.”
Oh. Why had she come down here? Merely to ask if we could box sometime?
She could’ve fired off a text or asked me tomorrow.
But all right.
