“He most certainly will,” Mary London adds. “Betsy Mae said she’d model for me.”
Well, crap, she hasn’t forgotten about that. “I’m a little old for your demographic…”
“Wait, how old are you?” Darby Kate asks, then tosses a French fry in her mouth.
“Thirty-four. Much too old to show off sorority outfits.” It’s not my age I’m worried about. I just can’t see myself applying enough self-tanner to fit in with Mary London’s crowd.
“Got a husband? Boyfriend?” Anna Claire asks, then grabs a smooshed fry between little fingers before it ends up in her hair.
“No,” I say simply. The server returns with my meal, giving me a much-needed distraction from this line of conversation. The burger is huge, one of those patties made from fresh gourmet ground beef onsite, never frozen. The fresh blue cheese on top is to die for.
“Oh!” Palmer whisks a baby from under the blanket and throws it up on her shoulder, patting its back with gusto. A little raisin of a face stares at me over her shoulder, as if pleading for an escape from its mama’s hand. Then it releases a belch so loud my head rears back in case projectile liquid comes next. Instead, a rumble emanates from its cotton-covered backside. “You should date Silas!”
I blink, turning my attention from the burping, farting baby next to me to the women all staring at me expectantly. “Huh?”
Mary London looks like she might levitate off her chair. “Yes! I can totally see you two together!”
I’m shaking my head, but everyone talks right over me.
“That man needs to find a good woman. I can’t fathom how he’s still single!” Anna Claire declares. Quick as a snake, she pulls Ruby back from the back of the booth where she was about to climb over to our neighbor’s table.
“He’s so darn picky,” Mary London groans. “I’ve set him up with all of my friends at one time or another. Just never found a woman who turned his head.”
Darby Kate starts giggling. “You even set him up with me right out of college. Boy, was that a disaster of a date.”
I wrinkle my nose. I see what they mean about Silas being a catch. After all, I’ve seen him shirtless and I’ve witnessed firsthand how gentlemanly he can be. The man emanates goodness. And he’s even working on the frat-boy look! It’s just the idea of him andmemaking a try at things that has me losing my appetite due to nervous energy.
Darby Kate turns to me, an evil glint in her dark eyes. I have to put down my burger in case I need to run right out of the restaurant. “You should flirt with him and see what he does.”
“You totally should,’” Palmer agrees.
“I don’t know…” I hedge. “He’s my boss.”
It’s not that the idea of flirting with Silas is off-putting. It’s the fact that it’s veryon-putting. I wouldn’t mind sliding my hands across that broad chest of his. Finding out if he smiles even when he’s kissing.
Mary London swipes my excuse away with a flick of her hand. “Boss, schmoss. You think he’s cute, doncha?”
“I mean…” I flap my mouth, unsure how to answer that. Sadly, my cheeks answer for me.
“Oooh! I see that blush, girl!” Darby Kate hoots.
I scoot my chair back, ready to make a run for it. Forget friends. Too much trouble anyway. “No way. I’m done with men.”
Mary London practically lunges across the table to grab my hand and hold me in place. “Yeah, you think that now, honey, but we all love having a man around. Don’t you lie to me, girl.”
Flirting? No, I’m going to kill Silas for making me come to this lunch. I could not fit in any less, even if I tried. It’s time they realize I’m not like them. “Nah, that’s what a vibrator is for.”
All three women go library-quiet for half a beat and then explode into uproarious laughter. I take a huge bite of my burger—I’m leaving, but the food is just too dang good to leave on my plate—and stand up.
Palmer somehow juggles the baby while also tugging me back down into my chair. Damn, she’s strong.
“We need to teach you to flirt. I may be a little rusty, but I think I can remember what worked on Jefferson.” Palmer’s eyebrows bounce. “How you think I got three kids, honey?”
Mary London’s laugh is as beautiful as she is. “We need to teach you to flirt with aSouthernman. It’s different here than out west.”
I hate myself for asking, but inquiring minds need to know. “How so?”
Darby Kate cages my other hand, her entire torso leaning across the table. Pretty sure the ends of her gorgeous hair are in her fries right now. The gleam in her eyes is practically rabid. “You gotta smile real big.”
