“We have a new Picasso collection this month. Attracting quite the crowd.”
Daniel raises his eyebrows, clearly picking up something’s wrong. Usually, when Summer talks about the gallery, she goes on forever. I don’t think Alice clued him in, though.
“Can I ask you two something? And you’ll answer honestly?” Summer asks, standing straighter.
“Sure,” Daniel answers.
“Do I give off non-dating vibes? I mean, is it something I do that makes men think, ‘oh, this one’s just for fucking?’”
“What?” Daniel blinks. Yeah, Alice clearly didn’t clue him in.
“Summer!”
“Sorry if the word “fucking” offends your brotherly ears, but I need some perspective.”
Daniel and I exchange a look.
“Of course you don’t give off any vibes—” Daniel begins, but Summer holds up her
hand.
“I asked for the truth.”
Well, since she asked.
“You wear your heart on your sleeve,” I explain. “And you see everything through rose-colored glasses.”
“So what you’re saying is I should be bitter and mistrustful?” she asks, stricken.
“No, just...more careful.”
“So it is my fault,” she says miserably.
“What? No, I didn’t mean that.”
Daniel groans. “Fantastic job, Blake.”
“Come on, help me out here.” I place one hand on Summer’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault that a douchebag played you.”
“Did you talk to Alice?” She narrows her eyes to slits.
I’m really winning this, but I give it a shot, though I can never lie to Summer. “No.”
“Liar.”
Daniel gestures with his head toward an empty space between two booths, and we move the party there because we’re standing in everyone’s way.
“Can someone fill me in?” Daniel asks. “I feel like I’m missing half the conversation.”
“In a nutshell, my dating life’s a joke.”
“Just putting it out there, but if you give us his name and address, we’ll happily deck him,” I offer, only half-joking.
“You know, brotherly duty and all,” Daniel adds.
She shakes her head. “You both sound like Logan!”
I theatrically clutch my heart.