Jerk

Then he snaps his fingers. “You know what? I think I figured it out.”

I lift an eyebrow. “Figured what out?”

“The problem. Why you’re not catching the right guys. I think you’re too much in your head.”

“In my head …?”

“I can see it in your eyes,” he goes on. “And I think it’s why you insist on using dating apps instead of meeting people in the real world.”

“Huh? That’s not true.”

“Dating apps are easier for you, right? You get all the time you need to plan and fine-tune your first impression, hide your flaws, show only a version of you that you want them to see … but guess what? Everyone else does the same thing. And by the time you actually go on a date, neither of you recognize the guy from the profile.”

Honestly, I didn’t take him for being so brainy about all of this. My head swims with thoughts. Or maybe I’m just buzzed. “Hmm.”

“That’s why your last date didn’t work out,” he explains. “Well, judging from your profile pic, at least, which you showed me. You’re sweaty, in the gym, looking super tough and dominant. That isn’t what you’re about, but your date thought it was, so he swiped right. Then all of his fantasy-building from gazing at your profile pic didn’t pan out when he met you.”

I frown. “So it’s my fault?”

“Well, not fully. He did the same thing, didn’t he? He should have indicated that he’s looking for a dominant type of guy. Or better yet, search on a different dating app altogether that caters to his interests, if he keeps meeting guys who aren’t into his thing.” Danny takes a sip from his drink.

I gaze at the side of his face. He’s so sincere. So analytical. He just gets deeper and deeper. “How did you and your boyfriend meet?”

The question throws him off. “Me and Joey? Oh.” He sets his hands on the counter. One of them is very close to mine, where I’m gripping my drink. “Well, he and I were … a weird sort of friends-of-friends situation. He was new in town. We had mutual friends at the gym. It was inevitable.”

I’m staring at his hand. “Inevitable …?”

“Sure. I mean, I really wanted a boyfriend. I was going through a rough time after my dad died.”

I look up at him. He looks so beautiful, even in the dim lighting. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks. I guess Joey was … exactly the caring kind of guy I needed.”

I nearly choke on my own breath. Caring? That douchebag? “Wow.”

Danny must hear the tone in my voice. “Wow?”

My tongue feels looser. Okay, maybe I am buzzed. “I guess I’ve just … not seen that side of Joey quite yet.” I let out a cackle—which was supposed to be just a chuckle. I clear my throat. “I’m surprised, that’s all I mean.” I go for another sip.

“Surprised about what? How caring Joey can be?” He smiles with amusement. “It is a bit surprising, I know. But underneath that rough exterior, I swear he’s a gentle soul, especially when you get to know him. He can—”

I laugh, cutting him off. “Joey comes off as an awful human being most of the time.” Whoops, I didn’t mean to put that so bluntly. How many of these drinks have I had? “Sorry, that came out wrong.” I take yet another sip, then rethink it. “Actually, no, it didn’t come out wrong. It came out exactly as I meant it. Joey’s a … a fucking dick.”

For a second, Danny thinks I’m kidding. Then his face tightens and he tilts his head.

And then my heavily-bound flood gates fly open. “He’s rude to you at the gym, Danny. I see it. I hear it. He’s demanding. He’s unkind. I can’t even imagine what he’s like when it’s just the two of you alone.”

Danny stiffens up. “He’s not that bad. He’s just a bit … challenging now and then.”

I roll my eyes. “And you call yourself an honest person?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“For someone who is so ‘honest’ all the time, you sure like to do backflips justifying your boyfriend’s heinous behavior.” I gulp the rest of my drink and slam the glass on the counter a touch harder than I meant to. I guess I misjudged the distance. “I said it already, and I’ll say it again: Joey is a fucking dick.”

Now Danny is annoyed. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I’m just reporting what I see. Joey is nothing like you. He isn’t caring at all. For all I can tell, you’re deeply unhappy with him.”

“I’m not unhappy!”

“And I’m supposed to take advice from you on how to find a guy for myself?” I laugh suddenly. “Do you even see what’s happening tonight? Everyone wants you. Not me.”

“Romeo.”

“And by the way, you’re the only person on Earth, apart from my late great grandmother, who calls me by my full name. It’s annoying. I go by ‘Rome’.” I clear my throat. My eyes are super watery, I have to blink to see straight. “Actually, calling me by my full name is adorable, and I kind of like it. And that annoys me.”