Duke leans forward, grabbing his own slice of pizza. His brow furrows in the center. “My feelings are hurt by this.”
I smirk, shaking my head. He’s nowhere near ready to date someone seriously, least of all a single mom.
“I’m going to shower,” I tell them.
“Me too,” Dolly says.
“Whoa, what’s going on here?” Duke says, eyes growing serious. He studies me, then Dolly.
My chest tightens. I glance at her. She freezes, gray eyes widening.
Duke laughs, shaking his head. “Y’all are too easy to prank. Hurry up. The fight starts soon.”
She grumbles, rolls her eyes, and marches for the stairs. I follow after her. Her cute little stomps on the wood floor make her ass jiggle. I watch her ponytail swing over her lower back, picturing it wrapped around my hand.
She turns off into her room, shutting the door firmly behind her. I don’t know when her crush ended so abruptly and turned into stone-cold dislike, but it’s good for both of us.
Several hours later,the fight’s coming to an end, and the sun has set outside the windows lining the back wall of the living room. Duke is on one end of the sofa while Dolly is curled up on the other side. I’m in my recliner on the opposite side of theroom. She drifted off to sleep with her e-reader in her lap an hour ago. I’ve been stealing glances her way, hoping he doesn’t wake her up being too loud.
Duke has been on his phone for the past few minutes, asking me weird questions.
“If someone breaks into the house, what’s the first thing you would do?”
I shrug. “Grab the gun in my nightstand and go to Dolly’s room.”
I realize he may find that answer suspicious, but he simply nods.
“Does it upset you to see other people cry?”
I shake my head and raise a brow. “What is this for?”
He’s tapping on his phone.
“I downloaded a dating app for you and made you a profile. It’s asking a bunch of personality questions and shit now.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t need an app to find someone to hook up with.” I realize now that he’s holding my phone, not his. “You’re a meddler.”
He nods. “Sure am. How much do you value physical intimacy and connection? I’m gonna putvery high.”
I sigh.
He continues, “How do you respond if something is bothering you? Silent treatment, ask for space, let’s talk about it? I’m going to saysilent treatment.”
Several minutes of silence follow before he asks another question. “What is your preferred budgeting method in a relationship? I’m going to putprovider. You want a housewife.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what gives you that idea.”
“Keely wasn’t the housewife type. She wanted to go out, wear designer clothes, be seen. She maybe wanted one kid in ten years, through a surrogate. You want someone who can cook,someone who wants three or four babies. Traditional, but not in a toxic way. You want to take care of her.”
I stretch my legs out. “You’re missing one important thing. I don’twanta girlfriend or a wife. I’m fine by myself.”
Duke smirks. “Okay. Whatever. I’m going to match you with a few and start the conversations. You don’t have to marry any of them. You could just hook up with one and get out of your head.”
I don’t need a woman to hook up with toget out of my head, but when my best friend’s mind is made up, he’s impossible to sway. It’s easier to go along with it.
Duke finally finishes up and hands me my phone. I grab it, locking the screen and setting it on the armrest of my chair.
“Just try it. Respond to a few messages. After you’ve talked for one week and sent at least one hundred messages, the app will reveal the photos of the other person.”
