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“You can’t tell the difference between fashion sneakers and running sneakers? I thought you Wall Street people were supposed to be smart.
“Apparently I’m the exception,” he said, sipping coffee as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Which he probably didn’t. The guy was at the peak of his career, and I was so proud of him. But I was also still a bit pissed too, all things considered.
“I still can’t believe what you pulled last night,” I said, rolling my suitcase to the door.
“Had to be done.”
I opened my purse, double-checking: phone, keys, wallet, license. Looked good. Now I just had to wait for Neo. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since I woke up. No, since last night when Min pitched this crazy idea. My gut instinct had been to say no way. It was a terrible, no-good, awful idea.
But then Garrett’s words from our discussion late last night came back to me.
“He’s into you.”
But that was impossible. I’d have sensed it. I’d have had a clue by now. Neo looked at me with nothing but friendship in his eyes. As he had for years. Though not according to Garrett.
“You could have warned me,” I told him now, sitting down at the kitchen table, satisfied I was ready to roll, my suitcase fully packed and nothing forgotten.
“If I told you I’d planned to flirt with you to see Neo’s reaction, would you have taken me to that party?”
Easy question. “No.”
“Exactly. And now you have more information than you did before. So, you’re welcome.”
We’d gone through this a hundred times since last night, but I wanted to rehash the whole thing again. “You can’t seriously think there’s something there? Come on, Garrett.”
Garrett rolled his eyes. “I have one distinct advantage over you. And that, my dear, is that I am a man.”
I was just close enough to swat him on the arm, even though I knew he was kidding. “That’s not at all sexist.”
“Let me rephrase it, then. My advantage is that, as a man, I know how other men think. And I’m telling you, without a doubt, he was not looking at you like a little sister. Trust me.”
I still didn’t believe him.
“I’ve known him my whole life, Garrett. If he’d shown an inkling of interest, I’d have noticed it.”
“Says the girl who looked like she couldn’t care less when Dominica offered up the idea. I watched your face, Thayle. Honestly, if Grado doesn’t work out, you should become an actress.”
It wasn’t the worst point in the world.
“Listen, you called me. I drove all the way here like some knight in shining armor without the side benefits—”
“Eww.”
“For the sole purpose of putting this thing to bed once and for all. You’ve been pining for this guy for years. It’s do-or-die time, seriously. Either tell him or move on. But this limbo is going to kill you.”
I glared at him for no other reason than he was right. “I’ve tried to move on. No other guy comes close.”
“Then for God’s sakes, just tell him. What’s the worst that can happen?”
“My best friend hates me for crushing on her brother and never telling her? And I lose my job?”
“If she’s your best friend, she’s not going to hate you. She’ll understand you were just trying to spare her any awkwardness. And you won’t lose your job. You’re great at it, and Grado is lucky to have you. Plus, that would be illegal.”
I made a face, at which point Garrett laughed.
“I hate you.”
“No,” he said, “you love me. And speaking of love, what’s the best-case scenario?”
