Page 38 of Dr. Stone
“Yeah, and I’ve mentioned wanting abs like Chris Hemsworth. Doesn’t mean anyone’s delivered them to me with a bow,” he fired back, shaking his head. “Jesus, man. You’re Stone. Cardiothoracic god. You don’t chase a woman with chew toys—you chase her like she’s the only one worth the hunt.”
I narrowed my eyes. “If it helps, I don’t suck in bed. That much I know.”
He barked out a laugh. “Buddy, you’re proving my point. You think the win was what happened that night. It wasn’t. It’s whatyou doafter. Right now, you’re looking like the guy who peaked on the yacht. And trust me—no one wants to date the highlight reel.”
I bristled, jaw tight. “So, what? I’m supposed to compete with Titus dollar-for-dollar? Helicopter for helicopter? That’s not me.”
“Exactly,” Collin said, voice suddenly sharper, almost serious. “That’s why you’ve got the edge. You don’t win her with flash. You win her by being the guy who sees her, who shows up, who’s got more grit than gloss. Stop second-guessing and stop playing small. She doesn’t need another billionaire. Women want a man who’s willing to fight for them instead of throwing shiny toys at the problem.” He paused, pinning me with that maddeningly direct stare. “You do want the girl, right?”
I exhaled, somewhere between frustrated and relieved. Leave it to Collin to shoot me in the chest and hand me the bandage in the same breath.
“I thought that’s what I wanted,” I admitted. “But I’m not sure anymore. We can’t even seem to have a normal conversation. Half the time my brain shorts out, and the other half she’s ready for battle.”
Collin rolled his eyes. “God help me. That’s called being nervous, hot shot. Shocking, I know.” He gave a low chuckle. “That’s why you’ve got me. I’ll get the ball rolling for you. But tell me this—” he pointed at me like a prosecutor—“you’re cool that she has a kid, right? You can handle the whole stepdad thing?”
“Jesus, dude,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “I’m not trying to marry the woman. Can we maybe start with a normal date before you sign me up for Little League practice?”
“Well, you’re dating a single mom, big man. You’ve got to have some concrete end-game goals here. You don’t waste a single mom’s time or energy if you plan on being in their life. They’re noteasydates, and you should always think long-termbefore you even step on the path so no one gets hurt, especially the kids.”
“How would I know if I want to be a fucking stepdad or not? I like the woman and want to get to know her better. I’d like to see if there is potential for more between us, but like I said, I can’t get past the small talk.”
“You mentioned she wants a dog?”
“Right.”
“Then you’re going to show up with the fucking dog she wants, offer to pay for obedience school for a year, and do everything to make her and her son feel blessed to have you in their lives. The small talk will wrap up on its own. She just doesn’t trust you yet. You haven’t forgotten you were her one-night stand, right?”
“That usually never works against me,” I said.
“Well, this time, you fucked a woman who has a sense of self-worth, and she’s going to make you bust your balls if you want more, not the other way around. That’s where your problem is,” he said. “You’re way too used to women begging for you, not the other way around.”
“I don’t think getting her a dog without discussing it with her first is a good idea,” I said, feeling frustrated that I was even having this conversation with Collin Brooks.
“Dude, trust me,” he said. “We’re getting information fed to us through Ash, okay? Titus has already made plans with her again, and she accepted. This whole love triangle you’ve entered is going to end up with your ass babysitting the kid while Titus flies her off to Paris for fashion week. Do you follow me?”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, you went a little too fucking hard on the Mr. Nice Guy routine. Casanova Tycoon has got you beat by miles right now, my man. You’re not a fucking chump, so don’t act like one,” he said.
I chuckled, “Well, that’s all you fuckers ever refer to me as whenever I bring up my hot and spicy nights.”
“That shit is just to keep you on your toes. We can all see a difference here, and whetheryoueven know what is so different about Andie, the truth is written all over you thatsomethingis fucking different.”
I sighed, “Fuck, this all almost seems like too much work.”
“If you can win the girl in the end, it’ll be worth it. Nothing perfect in this wretched life is ever free,” he chuckled.
“True,” I answered.
“Come on. It’s only six-thirty, and that gives us about thirty minutes to get Jake caught up and get some game plans in motion. One thing that must happen is that you’ll make time for her every day and allow her to see she’s more important to you than your fucking job.”
I couldn’t believe it had come to this, me seeking relationship advice from these two clowns. The only reason I was going along with this was because I had to admit that when it came to relationships, I didn’t have the first clue what to do or where to start. I guess I could thank my parents for that.
EIGHTEEN
Jace
After plentyof time playing the victim, I finally owned up to what I really wanted—Andie. And I was done with the small talk and bullshit excuses.
