Page 102 of Flirty Fall Fling

She lists the reasons why that explanation only goes so far. Winter and Josie are already suspicious. She thinks Autumn and Julie have been trying to hook her up with me. Doris Jean has already started her own matchmaking committee to link us together.

“In the real world, a public statement doesn’t matter. The images speak for themselves,” she says. “So, what do you suggest we do about that? There is no putting the spirit back in the body.”

My eyebrow quirks up, and I smile. “That right there is why I fucking adore you.”

She tries to hold back a smile but loses the fight. I wrap my arm around her, and she wiggles away from me.

“You’re freezing.”

“Yeah. I’m keeping my snack warm right now.”

Blaire playfully swats me away, and I pull her in close.

“We’ll figure it out. Okay?”

“Okay,” she says, looking up into my eyes.

“Keep looking at me like that, and I’m going to have to kick my brother out of his own house.”

Laughter falls from her red lips. “It’s okay.”

“Now, shall we go eat?” I ask.

“Yeah, totally ready to eat your love pasta,” she says, and I shake my head.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” I mutter, sliding the door open for her.

I shake off a shiver because it was cold as fuck out there. Patterson looks up at us with a mouthful. We hold a silent conversation, and he instantly relaxes. All is well in the world—for now. I pull Blaire’s chair out for her at the spots I reserved for us.

“This is romantic,” Blaire says, chuckling, as I move to the stovetop to make our plates. “I get to have dinner with two of you.”

Patterson wipes his mouth. He stands, opening another bottle of wine. “I think you need more of this.”

“Thanks,” she says. “So, tell me something about Jamie that not many people know.”

I cough.

“Hmm.” Patterson glances at me, then back at her. “The things I could share.”

“Careful, Pattycakes,” I warn.

“Well, while I was dating Kendall, I made my brother pretend to be me to see if she could actually tell the two of us apart.”

Blaire glances at me. “And you did it?”

“I was forced. I owed a favor,” I tell her, setting the food in front of her.

She looks down at it and smiles. “Wow. This is fancy.”

“Glad you think so. It’s the only thing I can cook,” I admit. “Other than eggs.”

The next hour is the two of them against me, and I lose every time I speak. My brother needed one car ride to tell her about my crush meal and how he’d married my ex-fiancée. In return, Blaire trades him the cellar story, where we were locked in the bottom of her house.

“Seems like you’ve had a good time,” Patterson says to me.

“Yeah.” I’m grinning wide. “Coming here was a good idea.”

“Glad I thought of it,” Patterson tells me.