Waking Up Pregnant(8)

                Yeah, he was definitely more dangerous than she’d given him credit for.

                Time to clear things up.

                “Look, Jeff. I’m flattered, but I don’t date customers. Ever.”

                “I noticed when I came in. I like it.”

                Mmm, and this she was definitely familiar with. “Because it makes me a challenge?”

                “Yeah,” he answered with an unrepentant grin and glint of mischief in his eyes.

                And okay. Not so familiar after all. “Wow, and honest, too.”

                “It’s the best policy. Eliminates the potential for all kinds of trouble. Ensures everyone is on the same page. But back to the issue at hand...I’m a fun date. You’d have a good time. There’s got to be somewhere in town you’ve always wanted to go but haven’t gotten around to. Tell me what it is and I’ll take you tonight.”

                Darcy was about to shut him down, but as she stood there looking at that half-playful, too tempting smile all she could think was how many things she’d told herself she’d get to sometime, but never managed to do. And how long it had been since she’d really had fun.

                Now her time was up. She was leaving tomorrow.

                Jeff was offering her a chance to— God, was she seriously considering this?

                She never said yes. Never gave in and did the fun thing for fun’s sake. Maybe tonight, after living the straight and narrow for so very long, she could afford to break the rules without worrying about tomorrow.

                “I’ll think about it.”

                * * *

                A few minutes later, Jeff was exchanging back claps with Connor Reed, whose call had been the typical success his buddy made of everything he set his mind to—the only glaring exception being a broken engagement from two weeks prior. One Connor wouldn’t acknowledge any kind of emotional reaction to whatsoever. Hence, the bromance intervention in progress.

                Because Jeff had been there. He knew what it was to be blindsided with the realization that the perfect romance you were about to bet your future on—not so perfect after all.

                “No, I don’t love him, Jeff. It’s not about him. Or you. It’s about me feeling trapped and doing something desperate to escape. I’m sorry.”

                Yeah, it sucked.

                So, they’d done the gambling bit the night before, hit a few clubs and bonded in the manly way guys were most comfortable bonding. Thereby ensuring the whole guys’ weekend spiel Jeff had lured Connor in with, wasn’t a total snow job. But the grunts and knuckle bump portion of the weekend was at a close, and their friendship being what it was, Jeff made no bones about it.

                Pushing the Scotch he’d ordered in front of Connor, he jut his chin at the drink. “You might want to get a head start on that.”

                Connor shot him the half smile he’d never quite figured out how to make whole. “Little old for drinking games, aren’t we?”

                “Time to put your big girl panties on, man. I brought you here to talk feelings. Deep emotional feelings. And because you know I’m your best friend and always right, you’re going to sit there and take it like the man I know you can be.”

                The half smile was gone. “Jeff, I told you—”