“Are you hung up on someone else, then?”
He studies my face, and I give him as blank an expression as possible. “Like who?”
He watches me for another beat before shrugging. “I don’t know. Women still ask me to introduce them to you, you know. Katie’s friends. Especially since that TED Talk.”
“I didn’t know people still watched those.”
“It went viral,” Monty says. “Do you not know that? On YouTube. Clips on Instagram. Apparently, you looked ‘dreamy’and seemed ‘really nice and articulate for a nerd.’ I don’t tell them that it’s because you’regivinga talk and not talkingtoorwithanyone.”
“You don’t think I’m nice?”
“’Course I do. It’s just never been a priority for you to convey it.” He gets all googly-eyed for a second. “Katie’snice. She’s really nice.”
“So you’ve mentioned.”
He appears to be waiting for me to say something else, but I don’t.
“It is customary to say that you look forward to meeting my girlfriend,” he says.
“I do look forward to it. But the last time I met one of your girlfriends, you told me you were done introducing me to your girlfriends.”
“You told her she was puerile.”
“And she had no idea what it meant. Which, as I recall, was one of the reasons you gave for breaking up with her,” I say. “I thought your coworker was an asshat too. What was his name? Daryl?”
“Correct. I did decide that I’d never introduce you to anyone I care about even the slightest bit ever again.”
“Which is why I don’t bring it up. Although, to be clear, Iwouldlike to meet the woman who makes you this happy.”
“I am happy.” Monty smiles dreamily. “You should give my sister a call,” he says without signaling a change of subject first.
I get risotto caught in my throat and start coughing. “Really?”
He’s studying my reaction. I wipe my mouth with a napkin. I think my teeth are chattering. My palms might be sweating. This is not optimal.
“Yeah, I mean, I know you’re busy. But I worry about her out there on her own.”
“I thought she had a roommate.”
“She does, but I mean, she…you know, she’s so free-spirited. Olivia, I mean. And I just…”
Something about his expression makes me sick to my stomach all of a sudden. “Did something happen?”
“No, no. Not really. My mom just mentioned that she was doing some modeling gig with a photographer, you know, and he was…unprofessional. She got out of there before anything happened, but I guess it spooked her.”
My hands are balled up into fists on my lap. My ears feel hot. I have no idea who this photographer is, but if he were in front of me right now, he would be the first person I’ve ever kicked the shit out of, and I would feel so good about it.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I say carefully. “What can I do?”
Monty polishes off his bourbon and looks at me for a long time before saying, “Just let her know that you’re there for her, I guess. As a friend of the family, you know. So it doesn’t feel like such a big city.”
“Of course. I’m sorry I haven’t done that yet—I didn’t think you’d…”
“I never told you to stay away from her.”
“Right, no, I guess…” I feel my cheeks getting warm. I force a little laugh. A chuckle? I’m chuckling.
“Are you still choking on that risotto?” he asks.
