She needs new friends.
“No, I don’t know what battered fries are. But if you don’t like the fries, I’ll stop at Cod Pieces just for you. Actually, I’ll call a buddy. He has zero shame. He’ll just bring Cod Pieces fries for you. And his fiancée. She’s nice. You’ll like her.”
Two slow blinks are my answer.
Nice, inviting her on a double date with people she’s never met, Caden says.Smooth move. She KNOWS it’s a date now.
I blink back.
She purses her lips together, but I see the wobble in the corner.
She’s holding in a smile.
“You know Cod Pieces?” I ask her.
“Fast-food fish.”
“Shoestring fries.”
“They do make good shoestring fries.”
“Good. It’s a date. I’ll text Fletcher.”
Her brows knit together. “Fletcher?”
“My buddy. He’ll bring the fries. I’d do it myself, but I can’t carry them.” I tap my crutches. “Not as fast anyway. Also, I don’t care if he gets banned for life from my favorite burger joint for bringing in contraband fries. Better to let him take the risk.”
She’s still frowning at me. “That’s…an interesting friend.”
“Teammate. I didn’t pick him. But his fiancée is top-notch. You’ll like her.” I’m pushing too hard.
And I don’t even know what I want.
To take Ziggy on a date?
Yes.
But to what end?
Where would this even go?
I think she likes me.
I definitely like her.
And she’s having a baby and making a life for herself. Looking for places to live that aren’t here with me.
As she should.
We’ve only really gotten to know each other for under a week.
“Everybody needs friends,” I say in the awkward silence.
She shakes her head, then smiles at me. “Yes. Yes. That sounds lovely. Thank you. Ignore me. I just—still feelcautious about friends. Worried. Paranoid. It’s me. I’m working on it. But that’s very thoughtful. I do need to meet more people. Make new friends. Thank you. Very sweet. Kind. Fun. Is it okay with you if I take Jessica to my parents’ house again today? My mom loves her and gets so distracted that she forgets to try to buy too many things for the baby.”
“Yeah. She farts at me less on the days she goes with you.”
Ziggy straightens. “Oh. Oh. I forgot to tell you. It’s not you. Jessica. Her problem. It’s not you. She hates men in general.”
