He blinked, staring at me a moment. “Your brother picked up your ex? That’s kinda weird and creepy.”
“No. My brother picked up my fiancé, whom I was living with at the time. And my fiancé left me for my brother.”
Lucas’s mouth fell open, and he stared at me a moment before shaking his head again, this time slowly. “That’s... so fucked up. I’m sorry, man.” He paused, then frowned. “So it’s... too soon? Is that it? Me pushing you at Dean is, like, opening fresh wounds?”
All at once, the air went out of me.
Lucas wasn’t interested in me. He was pushing me at his brother.
“No. No, it’s fine, I just—” Well now it sounded ridiculous and arrogant, didn’t it? Me assuming Lucas was interested in me? It was obvious, in retrospect, that he was just trying to get me to spend more time around his brother. Still, no point in beating around the bush. We were both cats. We could practically smell deception. “I just didn’t want to come between brothers at all.”
His smile turned soft, and he leaned on me again. “That’s so sweet, bossman.”
I ducked my head, trying to hide the hot flush spreading across my cheeks. “I’m not technically your boss, you know. You’re a programmer. You can just call me Landon.”
His expression turned wicked at that. “I could, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, it makes Dean squirm, knowing he’s getting all twisted up over my work superior.”
All twisted up.
Dean . . .
Oh.
Lucas grinned at me, then gave me a soft poke in the ribs with his elbow. “So. You want his phone number? I know, I know, it’s more normal to wait for him to ask for yours, or get it from him yourself, but he’s a big broody artist, and there’s no telling how long he’ll suffer in silence, thinking you’re too awesome to date the likes of a starving musician. So let’s get this party started, yeah?”
And... damn it, he was right. What the heck was I waiting for, an invitation? If Lucas said his brother was interested in me, then... then Dean was interested in me. And given the fluttery way I felt every time he so much as glanced my way, I was definitely interested in him.
Part of me worried about the whole “rebound” thing, but also, I’d never been the kind of guy who dated lightly. Dean was the first person I had been interested in since the breakup, and it had been months. I wasn’t looking for a meaningless hookup to take my mind off things with my family.
I was moving forward with my life.
“He really likes smart guys,” Lucas said, taking my phone when I unlocked it and starting to type. “And you’re one of the smartest guys I’ve met in ages, so it’s perfect. I hope you like broody motorcycle-riding artist types.”
“I... I’ve never dated one before. Geoff was in sales.”
The face Lucas made at that was priceless, disgusted and horrified, rolled together. “Gross. And if you don’t mind me saying, super not your style. What was he, like, a frat dude? Did he call everyone ‘bro’?”
He hit a button and his own phone buzzed, so he picked it up and typed back before messing with my phone some more.
I didn’t want to admit it, but Geoff had actually used the word “bro” a lot. It hadn’t really bothered me when we’d been dating, but in retrospect, it was annoying.
He handed my phone back just as Dean returned to the table, sliding silently into his seat and narrowing his eyes suspiciously at his brother. I took a moment to look at my phone and found two new contacts. Dean and, of course, Lucas. He’d even assigned them pictures—his own a silly one with his tongue out and eyes crossed, and his brother... well.
That was gonna make me feel a little pervy, but I didn’t think I was going to get rid of it anytime soon. Somehow, it didn’t surprise me at all, that Dean St. James looked incredible without a shirt on. I just wasn’t sure why his brother had a picture of it.
CHAPTER 8
DEAN
Hey.
That one-word text buzzed when it came through, and we were between songs at practice, so I glanced at my phone.
At first, I thought it was one of those scammy bait texts. I was supposed to answer, then I’d get lured into texting out a bunch of personal information.
I was about to put my phone away when another message came through.
It’s Landon.
