Page 33 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“It doesn’t,” I say. “Have fun with your gamer girl.”
“I will.” He slides into the gaming chair and starts the game. As I’m grabbing my stuff, I hear him go, “My brother thinks you’re like a sixty-year-old man. Hilarious, right? You’re not… right? Ha… that’s what I told him.”
Joaquin swings in his swivel chair and flips me off with a grin.
I flip him off because he’s a dork and head out to the meeting. I don’t even get parked before Ezio zips in front of my car and opens the door for me.
“Let me get that, let me get that,” he says as he reaches for my seat belt. I try not to notice the way his fingers skim across my hip before he unfastens the seat belt.
“Ah, thank you. I forgot how to unbuckle it, so I’m really glad you showed up just in time. I was prepared to slither out from it. I was afraid my car had turned into Stephen King’s Christine and was going to consume me. So caring of you.”
“Don’t use that sarcastic tone on me if you don’t want to turn me on,” Ezio warns me.
“You just gonna pop a stiffy out here because I’m tossing sarcasm your way?”
“I am in a fragile state. You’re off being wooed by Zach. Julian is trying to set me up on a dating app, but they’re all so gross.”
I hesitate as that sinks in before questioningwhyI would hesitate. Why not just tell him Zach likes him and move on? Zach’s a really good guy, and I actually think he’d match Ezio quite well.
“Like look at this guy,” he says as he flashes me a picture of averyhandsome man.
“Damn, he’s?—”
“Hideous, right?” he asks and then swipes left on him.
“Was he?” I ask,veryskeptical. “He was literally one of the sexiest guys I think I’ve seen.”
“Absolutely not. Did youlookat him?”
“Sure did,” I say. “But evidently not close enough.”
He’s already on to the next guy. “Look at this man’s profile. ‘Looking for Mr. Right’? Dressing that way? As if. He’s clearly the kind of guy who has bodies in his basement.”
“He’s dressed very nicely! Could someone even dress nicer than that?”
“It’s too nice. He’s trying too hard to lull you into a sense of security before murdering you.”
“Good thing you’re a vampire, then, so if he does turn out to be a murderer, you could just smack him to the ground.”
Another swipe to the left a moment before I see that he’s got a message.
Ezio growls as he clicks it before looking at the message which reads: Hi, I’m John. It looks like we have a lot in common. What are some hobbies you enjoy?
“What the fuck’s he want? An autobiography? I bet he’s a bot.” And with that, he deletes it.
I stare at him while I try to understand what just happened here.
Slowly, I reach out for the phone. I just need to find him a nice guy, right? And then he’ll move on. Or I could tell him about Zach.
“You’re not going to be able to find someone good enough,” he says. “They’re all atrocious.”
“Are they? I oddly am struggling to comprehend this.”
“This one guy didn’t want kids. Can you believe that?”
“Doyouwant kids?” I ask.
“Fuck if I know!”
