Page 11 of Clueless Romeo

Roman shook his head as he pushed off the barstool. "Let me," he said. "Olive is likely to try to sink her claws into you if she gets you alone."

"You and Olive ever…" I started. When he cocked a brow in question, I quickly changed my mind, deciding I'd rather not know if the two of them had ever been a thing. "Never mind. That's none of my business."

His gaze grew quizzical, but he turned and headed for the bar. What the fuck was I doing? I needed to leave because my low-key interest in Roman was starting to metaphorically leak from my pores. If he kept looking at me that way, I wasn't sure I could keep my feelings concealed. I didn't think he was into me as more than a friend, but who knows.

I debated whether I should walk straight out of the bar when a fresh beer was placed in front of me, and Roman returned to his seat. "So, you want to know if there's something between Olive and me." It wasn't a question, so I didn't reply. " Are you interested in her?"

"No," I answered a little too quickly. "I was just curious." He had no idea howcuriousI was.

Roman stared at me the same unnerving way he'd done all night. He must have thought that his penetrating gaze would cause all my secrets to spill at any moment. He shook his head, then dropped his gaze to his glass. "No, there's never been anything between us. Not for her lack of trying. I don't do serious relationships or hook up with anyone I have to see regularly."

Disappointment, pointless as it was, coursed through me at his answer. "Cupid's a heartbreaker, huh? And here I thought you'd have landed your Mrs. Right with your expertise."

Roman groaned. "Cupid, really?"

I snorted. "Blame Caleb."

"I'm used to it." He grimaced. "I got that shit a lot in high school. And then it got worse when I started connecting people as a career."

I sat forward, needing the full story. "What happened in high school?"

Roman's eyelids lowered as he seemed to consider me. "Fuck it. You're going to find out anyway. You get the nickname Cupid when your last name is Love."

My eyebrows shot high. "Your last name is Love, and you started a matchmaking service?"

He shrugged one shoulder as he sipped his beer. "It was sort of by accident."

"How do you accidentally fall into that line of work?" I wondered aloud and added, "I would have pegged you as a tattoo artist or something."

"You saying I don't look the part?" Roman smirked at me, then waited for my answer.

My gaze traveled along the ink on his arms as he ran a finger over one of the designs. I didn't have a speck of ink on my body and wasn't a fan of tattoos in general. But on Roman, they just fit. Not only that, I really wouldn't mind tracing my tongue over each and every one of them.

Shit. I really didn't want to get busted ogling my new neighbor, so instead, I snorted. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Roman burst into a full laugh that brought a chuckle from me. He was still grinning when he answered. "When I was in high school, like every other kid, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life, and honestly, this wasn't what I planned. A girl I grew up with back in Washington was into this guy I was friends with. When she figured out I knew him, she asked for my help setting them up. I agreed because they did seem like a good match. It sort of snowballed into a whole thing. I guess I discovered I was good at it and just ran with it."

I tried to imagine Roman pairing up couples back in high school.Nope, still couldn't see it. "But you know your stuff. All those pictures on your wall prove it."

"It seems so." The cocky grin was back. "I probably shouldn't tell you this. Actually, I know I shouldn't, but I trust you to keep my secret. Sometimes it becomes so routine that it's not challenging anymore. So to help keep my instincts sharp, Jazmine and I make bets on the milestones of a couple's physical relationships over time. In other words, we make bets on what they do and when they do it. Not to brag, but I rarely lose."

I wondered why he was telling me if he shouldn't. "And what do you win?"

"Oh, the stakes are dangerously high." He smirked. "Loser buys coffee."

I chuckled. "Wow, that's pretty risky stuff right there. Does that mean you lost today?"

Roman shot me a mock scowl. "Like I said. It doesn't happen often."

My shoulders shook with amusement as I poked fun at him. "Well, I promise not to tell anyone."

"You better not. It's top-secret," Roman whispered, and his lips twitched as if he was holding back a grin.

"My lips are sealed." Unlike Roman, I wasn't able to contain my smile. This was nice, just relaxing and putting work on the backburner. I was enjoying his company far more than I'd expected.

"So, you said Caleb had a girlfriend, but what about you?" Roman shook me from my thoughts.

I snorted. The last thing I needed was a girlfriend when I was still trying to figure out my own shit. I didn't know what my future looked like, and I wasn't sure if it included a woman or a man and if that person would be okay with my interest in both. It was difficult to navigate when I hadn't ever experienced one of those. So, I simply replied, "Nah. I'm not even thinking about that yet."

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