Page 14 of Rewrite the Rules

She rolls her shoulders nonchalantly as if she’s explaining a simple math equation. “Alan and I were always such good friends. We liked spending time together. He made me laugh, he was easy to talk to, he’s intelligent. Come to think of it, he reminds me a lot of you. You’re both really good with people.”

It takes me a minute to really comprehend what she’s insinuating because I’m caught up on the way she’s absentmindedly sucking on her chopsticks with her rose-red lips. It’s enough of a distraction to cause a ten-car pileup.

“Adler, I’m not gay.” I pull off my glasses and touch the temple tips to my lips. “There are ways I can prove it to you.”

Adler’s mouth falls open and her sparkling blue eyes double in size. Panic crosses her face and for once she doesn’t have a witty reply teed up and ready to hit back.

I’ll admit that was a little HR inappropriate. But it’s my company now, don’t I get to make these rules? Plus, Aura’s HR is outsourced. I’d literally have to compose an email to tell on myself.

“I…I…um—”

“Oh my God, I’m messing with you. Look at your face,” I say, laughing, copying her joke from earlier and exacting my revenge.

Adler huffs and rolls her eyes at me before returning to her noodles. “This is turning out to be such a fun little lunch date,” she mumbles, refocusing her attention on removing peanut specks from her dish. “And for future reference, that joke is only funny when I make it.”

“Ha! I disagree. But to clarify, what I meant earlier is that I don’t do relationships.”

“Oh.” Adler can’t hide the disappointment in her voice. Her phone vibrates on the table. She flips it over and grimaces. “Will you excuse me for a second?”

Adler exits the restaurant and I busy myself with my rice to fight the urge to walk up to the register in her absence and order her a new peanut-free dish. I’ve been accused of being a ‘fixer’ in the past. Not in a complimentary way. I force myself to leave it alone. Adler is a big girl, she can handle her own lunch. I don’t need to rescue her.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. And again. Then the quick buzzes become a prolonged vibration due to the rapid-fire messages. I know it’s my brothers before I even check my phone.

Jackson:Where the hell are you baby bro? I’ve been knocking for ten minutes.

Oh shit, that’s who’s been calling me. I didn’t want to interrupt my conversation with Adler so I didn’t bother checking.

James:What planet are you on? He’s in Denver.

Jackson:Visiting?

Jacob:No, he moved, dummy. Hey, can I borrow one of your trucks this weekend?

Jackson:Joel? Wtf? Did you sublet? Whose door am I knocking on?

Jacob:Run. His ex is still living there.

Jackson:@Jake – fuck no. Don’t trust your driving.

James:@Jake – yeah what Jax said. Enterprise it, dude.

Jackson:How do you move from the state and not tell your big bro?

Jacob:You all suck hard. And you’re not our keeper, Jax. Baby bro is a grown ass man.

Jackson:He may be. You’re not. What happened, Joel?

James:Messy breakup and he basically packed up in the night and hightailed it.

Me:Do you guys even need me in this conversation?

Adler returns to the table and slumps heavily in her chair. I tuck my phone away. If there’s one thing my mother taught me, when you’re with a lady, especially one you care about, she gets your full attention.

“Everything okay?”

“Yep.” She tugs on the end of her ponytail, alternating her hands, as her eyes cloud over.

“Adler, is everything okay?”

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