Page 16 of Playing the Player

“That makes perfect sense.” I move to the fridge, grabbing two bottles of cold water and passing one to Olivia. “Where’s my Connie girl?”

Olivia rolls her eyes. “You know, sometimes I regret naming her after you.” She says as she flops down onto the couch. Isabella Connie Woods. Isabella, after Josh’s mom who passed away when he was a teenager, and Connie, because they couldn’t resist honoring the greatest man they’ve ever known.

“Josh took her to see Dee and Charlie. They should be home soon.” I sit next to her, wrapping my arm around her as she settles against me with a tired sigh. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you think our friendship is normal?”

I glance down at her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she gestures between us, “if some people were to look at us now, they’d think we’re more than friends. Is that not weird?”

“Maybe. But we shouldn't care what other people think. We know what this is.”

“And what is it?”

“You being the most annoying woman I have ever met but I can’t seem to get enough of you.”

Olivia elbows me in the ribs. “I was gonna say we’re basically siblings.”

“Yeah, that too.”

A small smile tugs at her lips. “It’s a good thing Josh trusts us both.”

“Cap knows I would never cross that line with you. I know we flirt all the time-”

“You flirt all the time.” She interrupts, “I tolerate it.”

“I prefer to think of it as appreciating beauty.”

“I prefer to think that you’re incapable of behaving yourself.”

Olivia laughs to herself. “You’re just a flirty guy. I bet you sit at home, flirting with yourself in the mirror.”

“I don’t even have to flirt with the mirror.”

“No?”

“Nope. The mirror falls in love with me the second I’m in front of it.”

She groans so dramatically that I’m half convinced she’s about to throw herself back down onto the floor.

My phone buzzes in my pocket so I pull it out.

Angel: Can we talk?

“Ohh, who's Angel?” Olivia asks, her energy shifting from sleepy to alert in point two seconds.

“No one, Olliepop.” I say, booping her nose and slipping my phone back into my pocket.

“I have another question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“How come you never have a girlfriend?”

Her question catches me off guard. No one has actually asked me that before. Everyone just assumes that I like the bachelor life, sleeping around and never taking anything seriously. No one knows the real reason why I avoid relationships like the plague. “You can’t tell anyone. It’ll make me seem like too much of a girl if you do.”