“Uh…the fact that the two of you are dating, but not dating. Sleeping together, but refusing to talk about it. I mean, I’ve never seen my brother sleep with someone and then be pissed when she left. That’s a new one for him. Not that I’ve been there for every romantic encounter, but he’s not exactly the type to stick around.”
“Yeah,” I laughed sarcastically. “I already figured that out.”
“But don’t let that get to you. I know he could be really good for you.”
“How do you figure?”
“Well…he doesn’t normally stay in one place, but he’s still here,” she ticked off on her fingers. “He never makes friends with anyone, but he spends more time with you than anyone in his life besides me, and he actually let the dog in the house last night.”
I gasped in shock. “No.”
She nodded with a grin. “He said it was too cold outside.”
That was a lot to take in. Like…so very much to sort through. I didn’t even know exactly how I felt about JR. How the hell was I supposed to talk about this with her when I couldn’t decipher it myself?
“I think you have your brother confused with someone else. He isn’t friends with me. In fact, most of the time, he scowls at me.”
“Scowls because he’s in love,” she said, her voice pitching playfully.
“Really?” I deadpanned.
“Well, maybe not in love, but he definitely has something for you.”
“Yes, it’s called a desire to get laid.”
“Oh, please. He could get that anywhere. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Temptation to find out what she was talking about nipped at my lips, but I bit back the question. I didn’t want to seem like one of those desperate women who had slept with a man and now had to know if he was going to call or ever look at me again.
“Aren’t you going to ask me?”
Flagging down Cora, I shook my head distractedly. “Not sure what you’re talking about.”
Scoffing, she snatched the menu out of my hand, waving it in my face. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You like him, too. Why are you guys being so stubborn?”
“It’s not stubborn. I’m just not looking for anything more right now.”
“In other words, you won’t put yourself out there for a man who doesn’t seem interested in anything more than sex.”
“Can you honestly tell me that you think he would actually want to date a woman?” I asked before I could think better of it.
“The right woman? Absolutely. I mean, he’s a little screwed up, but who isn’t?”
“I’m not interested in being a test run for him,” I admitted. “Look, he’s great. I really do like him, but the way he looks at me, as you put it, is only desire.”
“See?” she squealed. “That’s perfect!”
“Only desire,” I corrected. “There’s got to be more than that.”
She deflated at my words, but honestly, what had she been expecting? That I would chase after a man and hope to fix him?
“He really is a good guy,” she sighed.
“I know he is. He lets me sleep on his couch. Granted, I did push in the first time and sort of demand it, but he’s come a long way since that first night. And I’m eternally grateful, but?—”
“You don’t want to be his guinea pig,” she answered for me.
“Look, everyone thinks they can fix a man. That if he just met the right woman, he would give up his manwhore ways for her and become the man he was always meant to be. I’m not that naive, and I don’t have any interest in fixing a man.”
