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I bit my lip. I’d had a sneaking suspicion that was a possibility. But that didn’t make it wrong for me to want a man who was willing to pursue me. Maybe it meant Austin and I were fundamentally incompatible.
The thought made my stomach twist.
I didn’t want another man. I wanted Austin.
“So the text was…”
Leave it to Megan not to let well enough alone. “Austin asking me to the Valentine’s banquet on Saturday.”
“Talk about waiting for the last minute.” Megan shook her head. “I return to my previous bonehead comment. Are you going to go?”
“I don’t know. Are we at the Valentine’s date stage of things? Isn’t that for established couples?”
Megan grunted. “Maybe you two are so perfect for each other because you’realsoa bonehead. Are you or are you not in love with my brother?”
“I don’t—”
“Bzzt. Answer the question. Yes or no.”
I sighed. “Yes.”
“Are you in love with or in any other way interested in Luke?”
I probably wouldn’t get away with qualifying that answer, either. I could see being friends with Luke. We had a few things in common. Even if he had terrible taste in food. Well, it wasn’t all bad. Mia’s had been fantastic, as usual. But I didn’t know how anyone went long periods of time without eating something spicy. “Maybe?”
“I’m calling that a no.”
I laughed. “Really? Maybe means no now?”
“In this case it does. Come on, maybe you and Luke end up being friends, but if there was chemistry between the two of you, I would have heard about it by now.”
That was probably true.
“Look. I know you’ve been trying to play off your interest in my brother. I remember decorating the bookstore at Halloween, even if you don’t.”
“Oh, I remember. If you recall, I’d already told you I could hear you talking about me. So yeah, I caught your little, ‘if you love him so much why don’t you marry him’ thing. As well as the rest of your commentary to Whitney.” And fine, it had been the kick in the pants I’d needed to share my feelings with Megan. Right now? The jury was out about whether or not that had been a good idea.
Megan’s cheeks blazed red. “I’m not apologizing.”
“Fine. I didn’t ask you to.”
“The point, however, is that this has been going on a long time. And yes, fine, my boneheaded brother only came to his senses because Luke came on the scene, but doesn’t he at least getsomecredit for not just walking away and moping forever?” Megan wiggled her fingers and made a kissy noise.
I turned to see what she was looking at and smothered a chuckle. Ada had poked her head out from under the credenza that held my TV and was eyeing us suspiciously.
“Pssh pssh. Come here, Ada.” Megan leaned forward, beckoning to the cat.
I wanted to tell her that was the opposite of how to get Ada to come, but I would’ve been proven wrong before the words were fully out of my mouth, because Ada slunk across the floor and leapt into Megan’s lap.
“There’s my girl.” Megan rubbed Ada’s head and shot me a triumphant look.
“That’s what I want, too. You see?” I nodded at Ada. “Why is it okay for her to need someone to chase but it’s not okay for me?”
“Well, we can start with the fact that she’s a cat.” Megan blew a wisp of hair out of her face. “Do you really want someone who isn’t going to take no for an answer and just keeps after you, wearing you down, until you finally cave?”
“No. Of course not. I just…ugh. You don’t understand.” Maybe I was inconsistent, but I believed there was a middle ground here. One where I didn’t have to be the one making it clear I was interested before a guy took a chance on asking me out.
“I do understand.” Megan reached over and touched my leg. “But you love Austin. He’s not an alpha male caveman. He’s a math teacher.”
