“Would you want Zaria if she looked like, I dunno… Tammy from the bakery down the road?”
Nate swallows hard. “That’s incredibly judgmental of you… Tammy is great. Just because she has a giant wart on the end of her nose does not make her ugly. Or the bald spot in the middle of her head, either. She’s unique, her personality is amazing, and fuck are her baked goods the best in all of LA!”
“You’re dodging the question, Nate.”
He groans and rolls his eyes. “Okay. So sure, if Ria looked like Tammy but had Ria’s personality, sure I would probably struggle a little more—”
I scoff. “A little?”
“Okay, fine, so looks are important to me, too. But you shouldn’t base your future on looks alone, that’s all I’m saying.”
“I’m not. I have nine other dot points to go by.”
He chuckles. “Speaking of which, I still have four more to hear, so fire away.”
“Oh, right. Seven… must have good hygiene, washing, brushing, all that stuff. No unkempt girls allowed.”
Nate chuckles and nods. “Yes, that’s actually a good point.”
“Eight… no tattoos or piercings. I want her to maintain that sweet image.”
“What do you want? Like a Betty Homemaker? A desperate housewife?”
I chuckle. “No, I just…” I sigh. “I really want anicegirl.”
He tilts his head and shrugs. “Just because a girl has tattoos and piercings doesn’t mean she isn’t nice. I mean, look at Alex out there. That woman has piercings, and I’m pretty sure she’s got tattoos too, but she’s one of the nicest people I know.”
I think back to the blonde and aqua-haired, petite grunge girl out in Nate’s gallery—the complete smasher of pretty much most of my rules—and smirk. She’s a quirky little thing. Cute as hell, and I’m sure she’s super nice, but not the image I want hanging from my arm. She’s too similar to me. I have that rocker look down pat—tattoos, piercings, everything rock star—so I want my girl to reflect the innocent side of me.
“Yeah, Alex seems nice, but how does the world perceive her? When they look at her, they don’t think of her as a nice girl, do they?” I question.
Nate gnaws on his bottom lip with a slight nod. “Yeah, probably not. I gotta admit, the first time I saw her, I was like… okay, who’s this grunge chick.”
“See, she doesn’t exactly ooze… ‘I’m a nice girl, and I’m perfect for you,’ does she?”
Nate exhales. “But I guess the saying ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’is true. She’s been through a hell of a lot to get to where she is. The hair and the piercings are all defense mechanisms for Alex. She’s a fucking tough girl. She has to be with what she’s been through.”
Nodding, I sink a little further into my chair. I’ve judged Alex without knowing her story. I thought she was a tough chick with maybe an attitude problem. I didn’t realize her ‘look’ was because of her demons. She’s far more intriguing than I first thought. I want to know more about Alex. Where she came from. What she went through to get to where she is.
“So, what’s number nine?” Nate asks.
I smile. “A sense of humor.”
Nate nods. “That’s a good one. Okay, so number ten must be good. Hit me with it.”
I look him in the eyes. “Has to get along great with my twin.”
Nate’s smile falters, and his face becomes super serious. I wonder if he’s annoyed or genuinely shocked when he exhales and slaps my shoulder. “Thanks, man… that sure means a lot.”
“Any girl that’s with me has to be okay with you.”
He grins and stands, then moves over to the small bar fridge under the sink and pulls out a couple of Buds, handing me one. “Well, it’s going to be fucking hard finding a girl to check all those boxes. But if anyone can find her, Matt, you can,” he affirms, clinking his bottle to mine.
With a small chuckle, I nod. I know my list is not only long, but some of the things on there are somewhat odd. And the chances of finding someone who has every single quality is almost next to impossible. But somehow, someway, I know there’s a woman out there close enough to this checklist for me. I just have to look hard to find her.
Suddenly, the door swings open, and Alex flies in, smiling so beamingly full at Nate I know instantly she has something to share. “Okay, you want the good news or the bad news?”
Nate tenses instantly and sits taller in his chair. “Um… in that order, I suppose.”
