“The article?”
“Ruth passed around the Hockey Hunks issue about you,” Beckett says helpfully.
I look around. “But…you all don’tlikeme.”
They all laugh.
Right. They’re just mad at me.
Fine, so they all know all about my apartment and my cars and the clothes that I endorse and my favorite snack foods and a ton of other trivial details. I think quickly for something that was not included in that interview or really in any of the others that I have done over the years and that these people could easily look up. What is something they would consider a good share?
These people are truly bananas.
Bananas.
Bananas.A thought hits me, and I give them all a grin. “Okay, here’s something I’ve never said in an interview. Or in public. Or maybe out loud to another person.” I hesitate. Maybe this is a bad idea.
“Okay, come on then,” Brewser says.
“Unless it’s sexual. Donotshare something sexual in here,” Bruce says, pointing a thick index finger at me.
“I have very strong feelings about bananas,” I tell them.
The room gets even quieter. They all stop eating and drinking and stare at me.
Okay, I’m going all in. “Ilovebananas. I truly consider them the perfect food. They’re delicious, nutritious, come in their own wrapper, and are good any time of the day. But,” I add as people start nodding their agreement. “I hate when they are turned into other things. People put bananas with peanut butter, chocolate, and other fruit in smoothies and stuff. And Ihatethat.” I take a breath and keep going because it sounds crazy and, honestly, that fits right in here. “Bananas are perfect as they are. They do not need to be blended up into smoothies, added to sandwiches, dipped in chocolate, with ice cream—seriously, banana splits are theworst—or turned into bread. I don’t like banana flavored candies or syrups. A banana is good only when it is just a banana.”
I stop and take another deep breath.
Then brace myself.
There is a long moment of silence.
Then another.
Then another.
I finally look at Beckett. He’s staring at me with a huge grin. He looks delighted by my banana outburst.
Sutton has a hand over her mouth.
Everyone else is just staring.
But then the woman at the table with Leo and Harley starts clapping. “Love a man of conviction,” she says.
My eyes widen.
A few people clap with her, but mostly people laugh and start talking and finally Bruce comes past and claps me on the shoulder. “Well, that will end things between you and Nora for sure.” He moves past me.
I look at Beckett. He scoops a big bite of cereal into his mouth.
“What did I just do?” I ask.
Sutton looks from me to her brother and back. “Um…Nora makes amazing banana pudding. She’s known for it.”
“You’ll try Nora’s pudding though, won’t you?” a woman says. She’s come up to pay her breakfast tab. She lays a few bills next to the register.
Bananapudding. What the actual fuck? “Uh, no, probably not,” I say honestly.
