Page 264 of The Hopelessly Bromantic Duet
Asking all sorts of questions.
Did you dislike Ezra for the reason I’m hoping you did? Because you were jealous of him since he was with me? Since it sounded like you were, and that would honestly be awesome because I’ve been there, done that, when it comes to your exes too.
Or other questions.
What are you looking for in a relationship, River? Because I know you’re looking. That’s not a secret. You barked it out the other night at your bar. Like, maybe... could you be looking for a guy like me?
I stuff more pumpkin seeds between my lips since I’m not ready for answers I won’t want. Like,I’m holding out for Frank Ocean,orgimme a silver fox I can call Daddy, or worse.Notyou, Owen.If I’m finally going to tell my friend how I feel, then I need an escape hatch in the event of hisno.
An escape hatch that ideally leads directly to my apartment so I can mope around with ESPN, andDiscovery Prism, and a playlist, and cake, and a really good book, preferably with zero romance, angst, or heartbreak in it. Maybe something with pirates. Or talking animals.
Yup.
I officially know when to tell River I’m crazy for him.
Not fucking now.
I can’t handle spending the next forty-eight hours at Nisha and her wife’s rental with a guy who might reject me.
That’ll be uncomfortable, not just for me, but for everyone.
My job is to present a positive face. To smooth relations with the press and public, and to make sure my players shine. That carries over to my personal life. So, I’m not going to put River, my friends, or myself in an awkward position simply because I couldn’t wait to blurt out a lovesick confession.
Nope. I do PR for a goddamn living. I know better than most that there’s a time and a place for everything, and my job is to find the right time, place, and alsowayto say things.
Which means I’ll tell himafterwe leave Nisha’s.
Maybe on the way home from Friendsgiving.
Like, say, when we’re cruising back across the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco.
Or maybe when we’re a block away from my apartment.
Because if his answer is anything other thanThank God you finally said something, because I am wildly crazy about you too, and by crazy about you I mean I need to fuck you right now and then date you, and be your boyfriend, and can you please show me how good you can be to a man, like you said you want to? Because, Owen, I desperately want everything you have togive,I’ll be more devastated than I was that time I went into my favorite bakery and they only had a red velvet abomination.
River’s phone pings, and a text message alert pops up.
I say nothing since, well, it’s his phone.
His eyes swing briefly from the road, then a smile bursts across his handsome face. “Ooh, it’s Echo. There might be a dog pic. Imma need to pull over right now.”
Cracking up, I gasp for air at his antics, and the way they relieve my own sexual tension. “You can’t be serious.”
But he’s slowing the car, checking his mirrors, indicating he is very serious. “As a shark. Can you check? See if there’s a pic.”
Wow. River is even more addicted to his dog than I thought. “Okay,” I say, doing as told. Grabbing his phone from the holder, I slide my thumb across the screen, but it’s locked.
“Six-nine-six-nine,” he says.
I groan. “Are you twelve?”
“Do you have something against sixty-nines?”
“Nope. I have somethingforthem,” I say, taking the ante and raising it.
River narrows his brow. “Well played.”
As he presses the brakes, I confirm the existence of a dog pic. He’s going to lose his mind for this shot.