“I’m thirty-two, and I haven't even thought about marriage or babies.” His face looks like he'd rather die than get married. “So you should cancel.”
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
“Why are you bossing me around in my own house?” I throw my hands up. How does he always get me this worked up?
“What’s your roommate's name again?” he asks. Why does he want to know that? Is he crushing on her or something? My stomach tightens.
“Cece,” I tell him.
“Double C,” he calls out.
“You gave her a nickname,” I mutter under my breath. I don’t know why I’m getting upset, but I am. Why don’t I get a nickname?
“What do you want?” she asks Dane before she glances my way. “Why are you pouting?” I suck my bottom lip in.
“I’m not,” I lie.
“We can’t let her go meet a stranger on her own.”
I try to get a word in as Dane talks to Cece as if I’m not standing right here.
“That’s kind of what dating is.” Cece is right. It is. Pretty sure at least.
“Fine. We’ll double.”
Cece scrunches her face like she is thinking about it. “You’re paying.”
“Deal,” Dane agrees in less than a second.
“I’m going like this.” She motions to her all-back attire. She has a black shirt that looks like Freddy Krueger got his hands on it. You can see her bra right through it. Her jeans are as torn up as her shirt. I actually made them for her.
“Don’t give a shit what you wear,” he informs her before his gaze slides back to me. “You should put pants on, though; you might get cold.” Cece laughs, but I’m not sure what’s so funny.
“Oh this is going to be wonderful.” Cece grabs her purse. “I’m not only getting dinner but a free show too.”
Instead of putting his hand on Cece’s back, I feel his warm touch on mine as he leads me out of our place. Dane was right. I should have canceled. Not that I’d ever tell him that.FiveDane“I didn’t realize we were doubling or I would’ve asked for a different table,” Old Man Pete says, trying to hide his irritation at the surprise guests, but it’s not like he can voice it since Joy introduced Cece as her roommate. You never want to piss off a relative or a roommate. That’s a general rule in life that applies to all situations, especially dating. Not that I would know about the dating bit since I don’t think I’ve been on a proper date since maybe high school. I’ve been busy hustling.
“This is good, though. Since we’re close to the kitchen, our food will be hot when it arrives,” Joy reassures the guy. She flashes a pretty smile at him, and I grit my teeth.
Cece jams an elbow into my side.
“What?” I frown.
“No hitting the date,” she hisses to me under her breath.
“How’d you know?”
“You growled.”
“I did?”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s kind of hot, but don’t make a scene. Joy wouldn’t like that.”
Kinda hot but don’t make a scene? What constitutes a scene? I wonder as we follow the hostess toward the back of the restaurant. The hostess stops at a table by the kitchen. There are two chairs on each side. I’m not a fan of this configuration, but before I can rearrange the seating, Cece steps on my foot.
I frown again. “What now?”
“It’s her date with Pete. You’ll have to sit by me.” She tugs me toward her side of the table.
“Are you going to sit down?” Joy asks with a bite in her tone. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was jealous, but since she’s on a date with another man, I don’t know how that can be.
I pull out the chair for Cece. When she sits, she wrinkles her nose at Joy. The two have some sort of silent conversation that puts me on edge. I want in on this closeness. No, I want in Joy. Period. Why she chose Pete is a mystery, though. The guy looks more bland than a piece of cardboard. He’s dressed in gray pants and a lighter gray collared shirt. His black loafers are so shiny I think I can see my reflection in them.
I drop into my own seat filled with irritation. If she needs a man, I’m right here.
“So how do you know Cece?” Pete asks.
I lean back and stretch an arm behind Cece’s chair. Joy’s eyes narrow. I feel like that means something, although I’m not sure what. “I’m her neighbor. Our kitchen windows look into each other’s houses. Ain’t that right, Double C?”
Joy cocks her head to the side. “How come Cece has a nickname and I don’t?”
“Your name is perfect the way it is.”
“And mine is terrible?” Cece queries, one eyebrow arched.
“Ah, nah.” I scramble for an explanation so I don’t get a water glass dumped over my head. I wonder what a scene exactly entails. If I kick Peter’s chair out from under him, he breaks his tailbone and has to be taken to the hospital, would that constitute a scene? “It just came to me like your idea to wrap my Jeep in Saran Wrap came to you in the middle of the night.” I lean forward as if I’m going to share a secret with Pete. “Double C and Joy are always over at my house doing shit. They practically live with me.”