Page 89 of Betting on the Brainiac

“Can I get credit for not saying it?”

“No, because your face is saying it.” She sits at the table and takes a peach from the fruit bowl. “Go ahead, get on with it.”

“The joke?”

“No, your plan to distract me like I won’t know what you’re up to.”

I fill a cup of water and take a seat across from her. “Sometimes I hate having smart friends.”

She lifts an eyebrow and waits.

“Okay, I swear this isn’t a distraction tactic.” At her skeptical look, I amend, “Or it’s notonlya distraction tactic. I need advice. What’s the difference between being physically comfortable with someone and being attracted to them?”

She takes a bite of her peach while she thinks. “You cuddle with everyone in the apartment. You’re definitely comfortable with us. You trying to tell us there’s something more?”

“Y’all wish.”

She nods. “That’s your answer.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“You can be physically comfortable with a guy but not be into him.”

“Right.”

“You crushing on your husband?” she asks.

“No.”

She smirks.

“I’m not,” I insist.

“If you say so. But when youareinto someone, how do you know?”

“It’s obvious. Sparks even if you’re not touching. Stomach swoops. Can’t wait to get his mouth on my mouth. Or vice-versa if he’s taking too long.”

“Right, the kiss thing.”

“There are one billion songs about how a kiss tells you what’s really up. So yeah, I like to get to the kiss sooner than later.”

She takes another bite of her peach before she says, “Then kiss Oliver and put it behind you.”

“I can’t do that.”

“You can and do kiss whoever you want.”

“Because they don’t matter!” That came out more heated than I intended and both of her eyebrows go up. “I mean they don’t matter in the sense that I’m not married to them and also doing a big business deal with them.”

“So the only reason you don’t want to kiss Oliver is because you’re married to him.”

“You know what I mean, Ruby Ramos. If things get awkward between us, I have to deal with it for a whole year.”

“Fine. Don’t kiss him.” She takes another bite of her peach. “Is he planning to date?”

“While we’remarried?” Not sure why I need to emphasize that when I’m the one who told him he should.

“Date while you’re married for business and no other reason, yes,” Ruby says.

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