The party went late, but not late enough. Becky was stumbling drunk by the time Adam parked his car outside the two houses. He had to help get her inside and then asked if I needed a ride home. After he asked, he gave me a rueful grin. “Sorry, you’re sober, aren’t you?”
“I only had those two beers.”
“Yeah.” He scratched his head and Becky’s snores soon thundered down to where we stood in front of her door. He laughed and shook his head. “She’s something else, isn’t she?”
“She likes you.” I watched him carefully.
He stood still for a second and closed his eyes a fraction.
It was enough. I knew where he stood. “Stop being nice to her. You won’t hurt her so much then.”
He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “I know. I do. I like Becky, just not that way.”
I shrugged and started towards my car. “She’s not Ashley DeCortts, but I think that’s a good thing.”
“Hey.” He hurried to walk beside me. “Do you—would you want to meet for dinner tonight?”
I opened my car door and turned around to look where Becky’s room was. “That’s my only friend right now.”
“She’s my friend too and I could be another friend.”
My laugh was genuine. “That’s what you say now, but when I don’t put out it’s going to be a different story.” My eyes narrowed on his. “Because I won’t, you know. I never had sex with Jeff and I’m not going to start again with you. My first and only time was a mistake I will never make again.”
“I know. That’s okay. I respect you for that.”
Another one of those knots unraveled in my stomach again. Why did it happen with him? And at times when I felt he was being honest?
I tilted my head to the side and studied him. “Are you really this nice guy or is this an act?”
He grimaced. “I’m nice. I am, but I’m not being that nice to Becky.”
“No, you’re not.”
“She’s the only person that you talk to. I didn’t know how else to approach you without looking like a complete loser.”
I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t shake the slight smile. “Try not going through the friend that likes you next time.”
“Next time?” His hand caught my car door and held it open.
I looked at it, saw he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and stared him straight in the eyes. “What do you want, Adam Quinn?”
His eyes widened an inch, but he didn’t miss a beat. “Dinner. Just dinner.”
“And if I don’t want dinner? If I want to bail? If I bring Becky with?”
His smile looked painful. “Then I think you’re not being a good friend either.”
“Maybe.” I got inside and shut the door, but I rolled the window down. “Or maybe I don’t believe in friends anymore.”
He leaned down. “For what it’s worth, Becky’s the best friend you could get. Those other two were jokes.”
I gave him a small wave and started home, but I muttered under my breath, “You don’t say.”
When I pulled into the driveway, I had to key in the code for the gate. It wasn’t usually closed, but I figured the party was still in full gear. After I made sure my car was in the garage and the front gate had been closed again, I headed inside and towards the kitchen.
