“It’s this beauty podcast. Which is actually sort of interesting, if you’re into those kinds of things. But that’s beside the point.” She shook her head. “The point is, Jared and Candy have nothing in common. Nothing to talk about at the end of the day. And so you know what happens? He callsmeto discuss politics and the latestNational Geographicarticle.”
“That bothers you?”
“No.” Her chin pulled back. “I love Jared like a brother. But I can’t help thinking men are like magpies when it comes to beautiful woman. They get distracted chasing after shiny shit and don’t pay any attention to any of the stuff that really matters.”
“And what really matters?”
“Cooperation. Communication. Compatibility.” She ticked off the list on her fingers.
“Ah, yes. The three C’s. So very romantic.”
If it were possible to light someone’s hair on fire with a look, Sam would’ve gone up like a Roman candle. “Itisromantic, you big ape. But you’re like most guys and don’t care about anything other than a pretty face.”
“I think I take offense at being judged by my gender and lumped into theall mencategory.”
“Well, I didn’t mean it as a compliment.”
He fisted his hands on his hips. There was a look on his face she couldn’t read. Which annoyed her further.
“What?” she demanded.
“I don’t know how to say this,” he said cautiously.
“Succinctly usually works best, I’ve found.”
“You sound…bitter.Like someone broke your heart. Who was it?” The teasing light was back in his eyes. “I’ll kill him.”
That would mean you’d have to commit suicide,she thought grumpily.
On second thought, it wasn’t fair to say Sam had broken her heart. It was more like…after he left Englewood, her world kept spinning, her life moved on, but her heart was an ancient flower stuck in amber. Frozen in time and form. Unchanged.
Unable to change.
“No one broke my heart,” she told him breezily. “Although I did date a guy for two years in college who ended up cheating on me with a Kappa Alpha Theta.”
Sam narrowed his eyes in mock menace. “Do you want me to killhim? Where does he live? What’s his name?”
“Brian Gibson. And last I heard he’s hocking sports equipment in Arlington Heights. But you don’t have to kill him. Or even maim him. I decided back then that revenge is best served with a side of strange dick. So after we broke up, I started sleeping with his roommate.”
Sam coughed into his fist. “Jesus, Hannah.”
“What? I’m a firm believer in letting Karma slap a bastard in the face so I don’t have to. But back to my point…”
His smile was chagrined as he shook his head. “I gotta admit, I’ve lost the thread. What were we talking about?”
“The fact that so many of your”—she gestured up and down his length—“particular persuasion—”
“You mean cis-gendered, straight men?”
She placed a fingertip on the side of her nose. “Precisely. So many of your persuasion choose partners based solely on looks. But beauty is only skin-deep. And once the novelty of sleeping with a pretty woman wears off, what’s left?”
“You tell me. You seem to be the expert.”
“I detect a hint of sarcasm in your tone.” She narrowed her eyes. “But I’m going to ignore it and answer you anyway. I’m gracious like that.”
When he opened his mouth to make what she suspected was a snide remark, she lifted her hand and plowed ahead, “In my experience, what’s left are phone calls to the kid sister-in-law because, despite Jared having a beautiful wife sitting on the sofa beside him, he has to reach out to me for mental stimulation. And while I think he enjoys our conversations as much as I do, I can’t help wondering if he’d enjoy themmorewere he able to have them with Candy. Were he able to have itallwith Candy.”
Sam grinned broadly and, for a split second, he looked eighteen again. “Don’t sell yourself or your conversational prowess short,” he told her. “I bet, if you asked him, Jared would say he’s content with things the way they are.”
