Dante smirked. “Yeah, your wingman with real wings.” Being a phoenix meant sometimes you had to make lame jokes.
“Somehow, I don’t think you’ll need them. Just distract the girl I don’t want so I can swoop in on the one I do want.”
“I know how being a wingman works.” Dante grabbed the remote off the coffee table.
“Then how about it? Will you do that for me?”
After a long pause, Dante sighed. “I guess so. As long as you don’t expect me to get involved with anyone.”
“I don’t expect anything of you, except that you go with me so I don’t look like a total loser with no friends. Tonight is all about me.”
Noah knew how his brother would react if he even hinted that he was going to turn the tables on him. His plan was to push Dante toward someone who might interest him. Someone other than Mallory Summers.
Dante was a ladies’ man. He couldn’t help flirting with a pretty girl, and Noah knew it. He’d even flirted with Gabe’s girl, Misty, once. He’d only done it to push Gabe into her arms, and it had worked. Even though it had looked like Dante might get a punch in the nose for his trouble, he’d turned on the charm like a pro.
Hopefully, this club would be full of attractive single women. Noah hadn’t had a girlfriend in a while, and thinking about meeting someonedidappeal to him. But tonight really wasn’t about him. It was about Dante.
“Do you have something decent to wear out?”
“What do you mean? I’ll wear whatever I usually wear.” Dante frowned and clicked on the TV.
“I just thought, you know, maybe we can go out and get something a little newer.”
Dante clicked off the TV. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re acting weird.”
“I am not. What’s wrong with just wanting to look good when we go out?”
Dante sat up. “Are you hoping I’ll look good so I’ll find someone other than Mallory to focus on?”
Noah shrugged. “You could at least be open to it. Mallory Summers isn’t the only girl on the planet. Who knows who you’ll meet, if you’re not a total a-hole?”
Dante rose, still clutching the remote control. “If this is a setup…”
“It isn’t. I swear. I really do want to get out there and meet somebody for myself. I’ll admit I wouldn’t be unhappy if you found somebody too, but—”
Dante threw the remote on the floor. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“I knew you didn’t like Mallory. Just because she’s having some sort of medical issue or crisis doesn’t mean you get to pass judgment on her. She’s none of your business.”
“That’s what I was saying this morning. But no. You had to drag me into it, and frankly, I’m kind of glad you did. It seems like you need some perspective.”
Dante raked his hands through his hair. He looked like he was going to explode. Instead, he just dropped back down on the couch. “Maybe it’s time to get my own place.”
Noah staggered back about a foot. “Your own place? Why? Just so I’ll mind my own business?”
“Yeah.” Dante picked up the remote and clicked on the TV again.
“Look,” Noah said. “We’re best friends as well as roommates. And brothers on top of that. There’s no way we can stay out of each other’s business. If you want to get your own place, fine. But it’s going to be a shithole. We can’t afford anything decent on our own.”
Dante ignored him.
Noah had to leave before he said anything more incendiary. He didn’t want his brother to start packing. Real estate in Boston was ridiculously expensive, even to rent.
