“I think I do.”
“You think?” he asked.
“I know it,” she said. “Which brings us to your sister at some point too.”
“I don’t care if Raina knows,” he said. “She’s not my boss.”
“I think she believes you think you’re the boss of her,” she said. “You know the whole punching people in the face thing if you don’t like them.”
He laughed. She was getting back to the person she was before they started this conversation. “We have been bossy to Raina over the years. We had to protect her.”
“I can see that,” she said. “Raina is shy and quiet, but she has this inner strength once you get to know her.”
And it was things like that that made him realize Megan wasn’t all fun and games.
She saw things in his sister that many didn’t.
He knew Megan was the one that befriended Raina at work. Who always sought Raina out to have lunch together. To get her to feel like she belonged.
“She does,” he said.
Their food was brought out and placed in front of them. Neither of them had gotten coffee and he found that funny. “Do you not drink coffee?” he asked. “I just realized it.”
“I do. One cup when I get up with cream in it. I don’t even finish the whole cup. It’s not like I need the caffeine hit as much as it’s a warm soothing thing in the morning. What about you?”
“The same,” he said. “One cup before I leave the house, but mine is the caffeine hit to get me going. The rest of the day it’s mainly water.”
“I’d think you’d be a sports drink person,” she said, putting her napkin on her lap and picking up her fork and knife.
He did the same. “Nah. One a day if that. Water is better for you.”
He’d followed a strict diet for years. He had to when he was training and it was the one thing he hated the most.
Not having to do it didn’t mean he ate or drank like shit, but he still liked having that freedom. He figured he burned it all off most of the time.
“I drink a lot of water. Not because it’s better for me as much as it won’t add to the size of my butt.”
“Your butt looks pretty nice to me,” he said.
“Why thank you,” she said. “After this big breakfast I had planned on paying for a day pass and burning it on the treadmill at your place.”
“No need. It’s on me,” he said. He held his hand up when she went to talk. “Hear me out. If we want this to work or try to at least, you can see me there. Not saying that will be in exchange for other times alone, but the fact you might be willing to make the effort, it’s the least I can do.”
“Will you come and talk to me if I’m there?” she asked.
“Haven’t I already done that?” he asked, frowning.
“You have, but that is different.”
“Oh, you mean will I let people know we are more than friends?” he asked. “We haven’t gotten there yet.”
She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “But you want to.”
“Shit yeah,” he said, stuffing his mouth with the waffles. Damn, they were good. The sweet sticky maple syrup he’d dumped on hitting the spot. He figured this was a splurging type day and was going all in…even with the hot chick sitting across from him.
“Good,” she said. “We can eat for a few minutes then. When you’re stuffed you can tell me more about this fighting thing I don’t seem to know about. Something tells me you might need to work it out in your head. I have a feeling it all plays into you having the gym.”
He appreciated that she seemed to understand that and was giving him the time.