"Well, what? You want my input on why men don't see you as a sexual being?"
"You are a man."
"So I count as a man, but not really?"
"Exactly." She nodded.
Derrick sighed and threaded a hand through his hair before sitting back and studying her again. "I don't know. I've never looked at you like that, but I guess...You've got a nice rack."
"Thank you?" She wanted to cross her arms over her chest just hearing the words aloud, but she fought the urge.
"You're welcome. Your hair, too, is nice."
"Thanks."
"But it might be nicer if you did something to it. You wear it in that bun every day. It's...pretty when it's down." He said the word "pretty" awkwardly, like it was a slippery fish he was trying to catch with his bare hands.
"Okay, okay."
"Your clothes too, are..."
"What?" she almost snapped.
He frowned. "Do we have to do this?"
"I need to know."
"Okay, so you maybe could dress sexier. This is from an objective point of view, mind you."
She glanced down at her blouse and slacks and quirked her mouth to the side. "Like how sexier?"
"I've never seen your legs, for starters. Not that I want to. Those things are probably so white they'll blind you."
She bit her tongue, ashamed that he was pretty much on the nose with that one. "Okay. Right. So, tan and wear skirts."
"Or at least pants that don't have those 70's pleats down the middle."
"Wow. Harsh." She winced.
"You asked for the truth. You could probably get away with showing some cleavage, too."
"Right. Okay. I can do that." She thought again of the frightful whiteness of her skin, even despite the Hawaiian heat her fair skin never managed to do anything but burn. But she could try again. For Zac.
"If this guy is into girls who are taken, though, it seems like your best bet is just to get a boyfriend and see what happens." Derrick snorted and took a bite of his sandwich.
"Yeah, where would I find some poor sucker to agree to date me so that I can get another guy to notice—" She stopped dead, suddenly noticing the impressive cut of Derrick's jaw, the flex of his muscles while he held his food. Derrick who was always there for her. Derrick who was her beautiful, platonic friend.
"What? You come up with someone?" Derrick laughed, "I don't think Freddricks will go for it if that's what you're thinking."
"No, not Freddricks." She met his gaze and tried to impart as much meaning as she could.
In an instant, he shoved away from the table and waved his hands frantically. "Nope. You got the wrong idea there, lady."
"Derrick, come on."
"You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend? Who hell would believe that you and I would be together?"
For an instant she was stung. Wow. He really thought he was that much better looking than her. Of course, he was, but there was no reason to call attention to it. Not when everyone in the world could tell just by looking at them.