Page 52 of The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck

“You do?” I ask, looking at Alistair, who’s sitting on the end of the couch with a bottle of beer in hand.

“Where’s Nari?” he asks, ignoring me. “Why didn’t your wife stop you idiots from inviting yourselves over?”

Shane has serious golden retriever energy. He seems to be constantly smiling. “She’s out with her sisters. I wasn’t invited.”

Alistair softly laughs. “Sounds about right.”

“But it did give me the opportunity to come meet your new friend. Nari dated his sorry ass for a while,” Shane explains to me. “Then she realized I was superior in every way and dumped him. Sad for him. Great for me.”

“True story.” Gael wanders through, carrying plates and silverware from the kitchen. “Alistair has a reputation as an accidental matchmaker.”

“I heard something about this too,” I say.

“He finds amazing people, fails at having a relationship, and his friends benefit. So, what with me being single, when he started talking about you, I thought we should meet.” Gael gives me a wink.

“Makes sense.”

“Don’t flirt with her,” grumbles Alistair. “Lilah’s had enough of fuck boys. She’s off the market.”

“You wound me,” says Gael, clutching at his chest. “Fuck boy...as if. I’m a fuck man, thank you very much.”

“Ali,” I say chidingly, “I don’t recall saying I was done with dating.”

He blinks. “My mistake. Do as you please.”

“He lets you call him Ali?” Shane’s gaze is wide with surprise. “And he actually answers?”

“Letis the wrong word,” says Alistair.

“I called you Al for all of basic training. Couldn’t make it stick.”

“It concerns me that this still torments you all these years later,” says Alistair. “Have you considered therapy?”

Shane picks up his cell. “I’m telling my wife you’re being mean to me.”

“Your wife adores me. She won’t believe a word you say.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?” asks Shane. “Interesting.”

Alistair grunts.

“We don’t get to meet Alistair’s special friends until after he’s been dating them for a while,” says Shane. “Usually about a month. It’s one of his rules.”

“Lilah and I are just friends,” says Alistair. “We’re not dating.”

“But he’s been talking about you so much we couldn’t wait.”

I smile and nod. “This is all very fascinating. Tell me more about these rules.”

“He has so many of them,” says Shane. “Where to even begin?”

“Not another word,” Alistair warns.

Shane gives me a wink.

Gael clears his throat. “Back to what I was saying. I’ve given it some thought, and I believe it’s his rigid life view that tanks his relationships.”

“Nari said he was so serious all the time,” adds Shane. “But I made her laugh.”

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