He held up a royal blue shirt with a floral pattern. It was pretty. Maybe too pretty for my tastes. I shook my head, and he returned it to the rack.
“Talk to us,” Silas said. “What’s with the pout?”
I sighed. “I don’t know if I should even go on the date. It’s probably going to be a letdown.”
No probably about it. No guy could possibly live up to Hank.
“You’ve been waiting for a good match for so long,” Maverick said. “I thought you wanted this.”
I shrugged.
“Oh shit,” Silas said. “You went and fell for the straight guy, didn’t you?”
“Hank is just a friend.”
And if I said it enough, I’d begin to believe it. I had to, because the universe wasn’t giving me much choice.
Maverick slipped an arm around my waist and guided me toward the benches outside the dressing room. Silas checked his hair in the mirror—god, he was so vain—while Maverick and I sat down.
“I’m just a friend, and you pined for me for ages,” Silas said. “But I didn’t deserve your affection.” He turned, his smile pained. “You were too good for me. And you’re too good for Hank.”
I shook my head. “I’m not. I mean, yeah, totally too good for you.”
Maverick laughed as Silas’s eyes narrowed.
“Harsh,” he muttered.
“But not Hank.” I sighed. “That’s why it’s so hard. He’s just so sweet. And confusing.”
Maverick tilted his head. “Confusing? How so?”
“He wants to spend so much time with me, you know? Just the two of us.”
“He doesn’t have a lot of friends, you said,” Maverick said.
“Right, but he takes the dogs home if I work late. He invites me to dinner. He has me stay for a movie and he?—”
I stopped, biting my lip.
“What?”
“I’m imagining things.”
Silas winced. “Probably.”
“Maybe not,” Maverick said. “I never thought Damonwould go for a guy, much less me. I mean, we didn’t even like each other!”
“Except you kind of did,” Silas pointed out.
“Well, still. Sometimes, people surprise us.”
I was afraid to hope for that. I already liked Hank. I was already struggling to accept reality. If I let myself look for something else…
I shook my head. “No, I have to go on the date. Even if it’s probably unfair to Marcus. I have to put Hank behind me.” I turned to Silas. “Maybe Ishouldget the assless chaps.”
“Let’s not get crazy,” he said with a laugh. “Even I was kidding when I held those up.”
“Something else sexy then. Something that says, I’m available for the taking.”
