Page 56 of The Problem with Dating

“Yes.” She nodded. “It is so.”

“But do you want to be friends with me?”

“Of course I want to be friends with you.”

I shook my head. “No, you don’t.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I’ve been mean to you.”

She shrugged. “You apologized, and since you’ve apologized, you’ve been quite nice since then.”

I leaned toward her and whispered, “That’s the sangria.”

She leaned in closer. “No. That’s just your true self slipping out. If Tatiana says you’re nice, then you’re nice.”

“You trust her that much?”

“I do. She was my mama’s best friend. I’d trust Tatiana with anything. Though one thing did throw me off that she told me about you.”

“And what’s that?”

She swayed from side to side as she took her steps, with me still holding her. “That you have a crush on me.”

“What?” I coughed out, shaken by the realization.

“I know.” She nodded. “I thought it was far-fetched, too.” She gazed at me. “But it’s not outlandish. I’d have a crush on me, too, if I were you.”

“Oh?”

“I’m a good thing, Alex.”

Why did I feel as if that wasn’t a lie? For the next ten minutes, Yara talked and talked and talked. She yapped on and on about any and everything. She talked about dogs, flowers, penguin waddles, Cole’s cruelty, global warming, and Ritz crackers with cream cheese.

“I’m just saying, you should add that to your tapas list. It would pair great with your balls,” she said.

“I’ll consider it,” I said when we approached the apartment building. As we walked inside, I held the door open for her and walked her to the elevator. We went straight to her floor, even though she told me she could make it to her apartment. There was no way I was not going to not make sure she entered said apartment safely, though. I told Tatiana I’d get her home in one piece, and that meant watching her close the door in my face and hearing her turn the bolt lock.

Unfortunately, the moment we reached Yara’s door, she paused. She patted her sides. She patted her chest. She patted her ass. She then turned to me and pouted. “Keys.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You don’t have your keys?”

She patted her body all over once more, then shook her head. “I don’t have my keys.”

“Where’s your purse?”

She shrugged. “Don’t know.” A long, exhausted yawn fell from her lips. “I left it at your restaurant maybe. I’ll go get it.”

She turned in my clown shoes and started for the elevator. I reached out and grabbed her arm. “No. We’ll get it in the morning. You can stay at my place tonight.”

Yara’s face grew flush and she dramatically placed her hands on her hips. “Are you trying to get lucky tonight, Alex? Because I’m not an easy girl.”

“Don’t worry. That’s the last thing on my mind.”

She pouted once more. “Thelastthing?”

I smiled a little. “Maybe not the last thing, Goldie.”

---