“I need you to help me find a nice guy to go out with. And then teach me how tonotbe rude to him. I need to do this for real this time.”
“If you went out with a guy who actually deserved your time, I don’t think you’d be rude in the first place.”
Aubrey swallows, her throat working tightly. “I want to say that you’re right, but I think I’ve let my job make me too . . . jaded. I see a guy and immediately think of every wrong thing that he’s ever done or said and pick apart the tiniest misstep. Every man has a secret, and it’s like Ineedto find it before it takes me by surprise.”
“You’ve dealt with a lot of shit in your career.”
“I have. But I’m never going to find someone if I keep being so . . .” She trails off, twisting her mouth.
“Guarded?”
Her laugh is deep, pitiful. “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it.”
“Don’t you think that you’re being a little too hard on yourself? You handle the team without ripping any of them to shreds. And I’ve never felt like you were searching for my flaws, either.”
She blinks at me, lips twitching. “They don’t count. I’m not ever going to date one of them. And I don’t search for your flaws because I already know all of them. I’ve watched them come out over the last twenty years.”
“And what about my dangerous, manly secret?” I counter, brow lifting pointedly.
“Which one? Are we talking about the way you change your underwear twice a day because you’re incredibly anal about cleanliness, or that you started a YouTube channel when you were thirteen and uploaded terrible guitar covers that are still there to this day?”
“You knew about the videos?”
“Obviously. I came over once and caught you recording one but decided not to embarrass you, so I left. I had to beg your mom not to tell you that I’d come by.”
My temperature skyrockets as I scrub a hand down my face. “That’s embarrassing.”
“It was kinda cute, honestly,” she teases, a grin spreading across her face.
“Oh? Yet you still never agreed to go out with me.”
With a roll of her eyes, she ignores that and pushes forward. “Anyway, you and the team aren’t great comparables for the men I’m going on dates with. So, will you help me?”
“I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do for you, but yeah. Of course I will.”
“Think of yourself as my dating coach.”
I chuckle, giving in. “You need to actually be open to listening, then.”
“I am. Spencer isn’t going to best me.”
Not if I have anything to do with it, he isn’t.
6
“Areyou sure you’re up for this?” I ask, clicking my fingernails together. “If you’re too tired, we can just do this another day.”
Finn smiles at me from across the table. We’re hidden in a dark corner of the restaurant, and even behind his heavily tinted sunglasses, I can see the warm support glittering in his eyes. After only getting home three hours ago from his latest round of away games, he’s here with me instead of sleeping the exhaustion away.
“I’m probably more ready than you are. You look like you’re trying not to throw up.”
I can’t argue with him when he’s this right. “You’re sure he doesn’t have a wife? A girlfriend or hidden love child from the past?”
“Yeah, Bree. I’m sure. The worst thing this guy has done is pay his taxes late.”
“So, he’s not responsible, then?” I groan as soon as the question escapes.
Finn laughs under his breath and nudges his glass of water toward me. “Take a drink and then a breath. This is going to be just fine as long as you keep a level head.”
