I cuddle Hope a little closer. These types of feelings make me feel like such a jerk. Kay has always been my biggest cheerleader and she deserves every bit of her good fortune.
“Hey Eli. You can’t bear to let Kay out of your sight for even one afternoon, huh?”
Eli grunts but the corners of his lips turn up slightly. When we first met I was completely intimidated by him but after witnessing how the big, strong guy turns to absolute mush at one word from my best friend, I know his gruff looks are just a mask. He’s one of the good guys.
“Hey, Sasha. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Eli, I’m fine. Don’t keep your brother waiting.” Kay sounds completely exasperated so I have a feeling this is a familiar argument. Even though I’m jealous of the way Eli looks at her, I’m not sure I could deal with that type of alpha male. That much attention at once could be exhausting.
“I’m going. Put your feet up,” Eli orders and then kisses Kay on the forehead.
Once he’s gone, Kay immediately sits back up and grabs the package of cookies again. “So what’s been going on with you? Dating anyone new?”
“I’m not dating.”
At that blunt statement, Kay looks over at me sharply. “Since when? Have you taken some religious vow that I’m unaware of or something?”
“Let’s just say I’m on hiatus. I have a knack for picking the wrong guys so I think staying single is the best thing I can do for myself right now.”
Kay purses her lips. I know this look. She’s trying to figure out how to tell me that she disagrees without hurting my feelings. “That seems a little drastic. You just need to meet the right guy. Eli could introduce you to some of the guys who work for him.”
“I don’t think a set up is the answer. When I’m ready I’ll start dating again.”
“No offense sweetie, but you have broken radar when it comes to men. It’s time you let someone else choose for you. I was actually going to try to fix you up with Tank before he started dating Emma," she says, mentioning one of Eli's employees.
“The fact that you were thinking of putting us together proves my point. Setups never work. Tank and I didn't even like each other at first.” Even though I've always thought Tank was sexy in a dangerous sort of way, we didn’t exactly hit it off when we met. Probably because he suspected me of stalking Kay and manhandled me a few times.
Kay crunches on another cookie. “My point is that he’s exactly the type of guy you need. One that Eli has done a background check on so you know what you’re getting into. What about Tank's brother?”
I shake my head. “Finn is engaged, remember? Emma invited you guys to the surprise engagement party she’s throwing for him.”
She gives me a knowing look. “Not him. The brother he asked Eli to find. Luke? I’ve seen his picture and he is a cutie.”
Dang. I was hoping to throw her off but I guess she’s already heard about Tank finding some long-lost family members. Kay doesn't know that I've met Luke before.
"He's some sort of computer genius. He's also young. Really young." I'm hoping she'll stop asking questions about Luke. She can be like a dog with a bone sometimes when she gets an idea in her head.
Kay rolls her eyes. “He’s our age, I’m pretty sure. Early twenties.”
“Really?” I actually hadn’t known that part but knowing Kay she snooped and looked at the background check Eli did on him. “He looks like a baby. You know I like my men a little more mature than that.”
“I guess I can’t argue with that.”
Kay definitely understands how I feel on that score since her fiancé is about a decade older than we are.
"You know how people do those cleanse diets? Well, that's what I need for my dating life. I'm on the stay single plan. A man fast!"
Kay doesn't look impressed.
“Well, whenever you get tired of your man-less diet, I'm sure I can set you up with one of Eli’s cousins or something. As fine as the Alexander boys are, you know there have to be some hot cousins on that family tree somewhere.”
By the excitement in her voice, I know she’s not going to let this go. So I just nod and then try to think of something, anything, to distract her.
“You’re still coming to the engagement party right?” It's hard to believe that it'll be here so soon. When Emma found out that I was opening a small business, she asked Finn to introduce me to some local business owners. This party is going to be a networking dream. I’m excited but also nervous.
“Yeah, we’ll be there. Eli has gotten to know Finn pretty well lately. It’s good for him to get some guy time in. It'll be good for you, too. You've been holed up so long ever since the show—"
“No talking about that day! You know the rules.”
“Sasha, it's really not that bad. I saw the video—”
"Kay!"
She looks a little scared, probably because of the death glare I'm giving her. "I'm just saying that you've cut yourself off from the world for the last two months. Yes, whoever uploaded that video to Youtube is a jerk but you can't let this keep you from living your life."
She stops talking and sits back with a disgruntled look on her face when I make a cutting motion with my hand across my neck. “Okay, okay, no talking about it. I’m just saying it’s not that big of a deal.”