Page 7 of Necessary Roughness
“Don’t go!” I found myself saying. “I’m enjoying flirting with both of you.”
“Is that what we’re doing?” Knox asked. “Flirting?”
I leaned a little closer to him. “Am I not being forward enough?” I cut my eyes toward Logan. “Stick around and chat with me. At least until I finish my beer.”
I blinked. I couldn’t believe how blunt I was being. I loved it. And based on their reactions, it seemed to be working.
“I won’t go anywhere.” Logan took a pull from his cup. “What do you want to talk about?”
“What’s the most controversial opinion you have?” I asked.
“That’s a random question,” Knox said with a snicker.
“I like it,” Logan said, crossing one arm over his chest. It was thick with corded muscle. “Controversial opinion. Hmm.”
“I’ll go first,” I said. “Peanuts are the worst nut.”
Both of them blinked down at me in surprise.
“Peanuts?” Knox asked.
“Peanuts,” I repeated with the utmost seriousness.
“I was expecting somethingreallycontroversial,” Knox said. “Like an opinion on the death penalty.”
“Nope!” I said happily. “Peanuts.”
“I don’t know if that’s really controversial…” Knox began to say.
Logan’s face twisted in a scowl as he interrupted his friend. “Okay, that opinion isverywrong.”
I stuck my chin out stubbornly. “Literally every other kind of nut is better. And no, I don’t care that peanuts are technically a legume instead of a nut. My point stands. Cashews, almonds, pistachios… all superior to peanuts.”
“What the actual fuck!” Logan said, eyes wide with humor. “Peanuts are amazing.”
“False,” I countered.
Logan put his hand on my shoulder and leaned closer. “Two words: peanut butter.”
“Inferior to almond butter,” I replied.
Knox laughed, but Logan was only further incensed. “There’s no better feeling than slowly shelling a bag of peanuts while watching a baseball game.”
“Shelling a bag of pistachios is better,” I answered.
“I’m with her,” Knox said. “Pistachios are better at a ballgame.”
Logan let go of my shoulder and looked around. “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Is this gaslighting? I feel like I’m being gaslit right now.”
Knox was smiling at me. “Thatisa good icebreaker question.”
“Right?”
“Fuck both of you,” Logan joked. “They’re a working-class nut! Peanuts work in a steel mill in Pittsburgh, while cashews are… I don’t know. They’re like finance bros working in a Manhattan skyscraper.”
“What does that make almonds?” I asked.
“Almonds are wannabe actors who move to Los Angeles to become rich and famous, but end up working in porn to pay the bills.”
