“Sorry,” I said to Skyler, who was still grinning. “He’s . . . a lot.”
“He might be more entertaining than Murph, and that’s saying a lot.” He took a sip of whatever concoction Benji had shoved toward him, lifted both brows, then slid the glass a few inches away. “And apparently you’ve been doing push-ups for me?”
“It wasonetime. I barely did a full set.”
“And buying cologne.”
“I ran out of my old stuff.”
“At Macy’s on a special shopping trip.”
I grabbed a bar towel and started wiping down the already-clean surface in front of him. “Can we please talk about anything else?”
“So,” he said, settling onto his stool. “How much of what Benji said was true?”
“Legally, I can’t comment on ongoing investigations.”
“That’s not a denial.”
“That’s not a confirmation either.”
Skyler laughed, that bright sound that made half the bar turn to look at us. “You’re adorable when you’re flustered.”
“I’m not flustered. I’m professionally mortified. There’s a difference.”
“By your friend pointing out that you care about me enough to buy new cologne?”
When he put it like that, it sounded a lot less mortifying. “Fine. I may be a little flustered.”
“Good. I like you flustered.” He leaned forward. “For the record, you do smell amazing. Whatever cologne you bought, it was worth the embarrassment.”
Something flickered to life in my chest. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, and the hair thing is cute, even though I prefer the curls wild.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You’d better.” He grinned. “Now, can I get aCoke? This thing Benji gave me is good, but I’m too wired for alcohol. I might spontaneously combust.”
I grabbed a glass and started filling it with ice, grateful for a task that didn’t involve direct eye contact. “So the Erik conversation went well, I take it?”
“Better than well. Perfect. It was perfect.” And he launched into the story again, with even more details than he’d shared on the phone. The careful questions that had led to his confession. The immediate, crushing hug that had nearly brought them both to tears. The promise that Linnea would love me because I made Skyler happy.
“That’s Erik. When he decides you’re in, you’re in. There are no conditions and no probationary period.” Skyler took a sip of his Coke. “I feel like I’ve been holding my breath forever, and I can finally exhale.”
“And now you want to tell everyone.”
“I want to tell the world.” His eyes lit up with that manic energy again. “But you’re right about pacing myself. Tyler and Erik, then my parents. Then . . .” He shrugged. “We’ll figure out the rest.”
“Together.”
“Together.”
Chapter 30
Skyler
“So.”
