her pay for this.
The door jingles, an interruption to his tortured thoughts, and in walks Emmett. He smiles at Dean, then does a double take and frowns when his gaze lands on Sara. He picks up his pace and comes to a stop in front of him.
“Have a seat, brother,” Dean says, shoving a chair out from the table with his foot.
Emmett hooks his thumb toward the counter. “Where’s Jinny? I thought she worked today.”
“Yeah. So did I.”
Sighing, Emmett takes a seat. “I guess I can settle for you.”
Dean flutters his lashes and raises his voice an octave. “Why, thank you, darlin’. Am I every bit as perty?”
“You do have her smile.” Emmett grins, then straightens his face and reaches a hand out to touch Dean’s hair. “And your hair. It’s so soft.” He leans forward and sniffs. “And that smell… Is it Polo mixed with BO? It’s quite lovely. The perfect combo.”
Dean shakes his head. “Dude, you’re so gay.”
“Never mind. I don’t like your attitude. And I’m a sucker for brown eyes. The blue just don’t do it for me.” Emmett snickers and leans back in his chair. “So, what’s up, Romeo? Haven’t seen you since Hemingway’s the other night, and you were pretty tight-lipped about this girl you’re infatuated with. Any news there?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Dude, come on. You’re seriously not gonna tell me who she is or what’s going on? I’ve been your friend forever.”
“Uh, it’s been six years of your questionable friendship, and no, I’m not gonna tell you.” Dean takes a sip of his iced coffee and folds his hands over his stomach. Ever since his one-on-one match with Jason last week, Emmett’s been badgering him about his “lady woes.” But telling Emmett would be a mistake. After all, he’s trying to get her out of his head, and if he talks about her with Emmett, it’d be like fanning the flames.
“You’re such a dick,” Emmett says, then purses his lips. Dean can practically see the wheels spinning as he zones off. “If you’re not talking about her, then this thing for her must be pretty serious. I haven’t seen you this hung up on someone since…” Emmett trails off before his eyes light up. “Naw. Please tell me it isn’t…”
Dean slinks down farther in his seat and takes another sip of his drink, his cheeks heating.
Okay, so maybe the fact that Emmett would rag on me is another reason I haven’t told him.
“Naw, naw, naw, man! Seriously? Not to sound like a chick, but, like, seriously? You’re still all strung up on Callie, aren’t you? What’s it been, like a bazillion years she hasn’t noticed you now?”
Dean shoots forward in his seat. “Shut up,” he hisses, then glances around as if someone might have heard him in the empty café.
“So, what’s it this time? Did she find the love of her life now and your big, giant heart got broken again?”
Dean glares at him a moment. “Knock it off.”
Emmett sighs and leans forward, shaking his head. “Sorry, man. I just hate seeing you stuck on something that’s never gonna happen. I feel for ya, bro. I do, but Callie Cartwright? She thinks of you as the younger brother she never had. Hell, she even lived with your family for a year after her parents died. She’s your sister’s best friend. Those things never work, and you know it.”
Dean clenches his jaw. Emmett has a point. In fact what he said is dead-on. He knows it, and that’s only another one of the many reasons Dean hates talking about it so much. The situation is hopeless. But in these last weeks, he’s felt a change. Not in Callie. But in himself. It’s something he can’t put his finger on, but he has this growing, unstoppable feeling that this is his time. Suddenly, after all these years, he feels the winds changing, and he doesn’t know why, but he knows more than ever that he needs to finally make a move. If only he could figure out how…
Dean pinches the bridge of his nose. “I know you don’t
The door jingles, an interruption to his tortured thoughts, and in walks Emmett. He smiles at Dean, then does a double take and frowns when his gaze lands on Sara. He picks up his pace and comes to a stop in front of him.
“Have a seat, brother,” Dean says, shoving a chair out from the table with his foot.
Emmett hooks his thumb toward the counter. “Where’s Jinny? I thought she worked today.”
“Yeah. So did I.”
Sighing, Emmett takes a seat. “I guess I can settle for you.”
Dean flutters his lashes and raises his voice an octave. “Why, thank you, darlin’. Am I every bit as perty?”
“You do have her smile.” Emmett grins, then straightens his face and reaches a hand out to touch Dean’s hair. “And your hair. It’s so soft.” He leans forward and sniffs. “And that smell… Is it Polo mixed with BO? It’s quite lovely. The perfect combo.”
Dean shakes his head. “Dude, you’re so gay.”
“Never mind. I don’t like your attitude. And I’m a sucker for brown eyes. The blue just don’t do it for me.” Emmett snickers and leans back in his chair. “So, what’s up, Romeo? Haven’t seen you since Hemingway’s the other night, and you were pretty tight-lipped about this girl you’re infatuated with. Any news there?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Dude, come on. You’re seriously not gonna tell me who she is or what’s going on? I’ve been your friend forever.”
“Uh, it’s been six years of your questionable friendship, and no, I’m not gonna tell you.” Dean takes a sip of his iced coffee and folds his hands over his stomach. Ever since his one-on-one match with Jason last week, Emmett’s been badgering him about his “lady woes.” But telling Emmett would be a mistake. After all, he’s trying to get her out of his head, and if he talks about her with Emmett, it’d be like fanning the flames.
“You’re such a dick,” Emmett says, then purses his lips. Dean can practically see the wheels spinning as he zones off. “If you’re not talking about her, then this thing for her must be pretty serious. I haven’t seen you this hung up on someone since…” Emmett trails off before his eyes light up. “Naw. Please tell me it isn’t…”
Dean slinks down farther in his seat and takes another sip of his drink, his cheeks heating.
Okay, so maybe the fact that Emmett would rag on me is another reason I haven’t told him.
“Naw, naw, naw, man! Seriously? Not to sound like a chick, but, like, seriously? You’re still all strung up on Callie, aren’t you? What’s it been, like a bazillion years she hasn’t noticed you now?”
Dean shoots forward in his seat. “Shut up,” he hisses, then glances around as if someone might have heard him in the empty café.
“So, what’s it this time? Did she find the love of her life now and your big, giant heart got broken again?”
Dean glares at him a moment. “Knock it off.”
Emmett sighs and leans forward, shaking his head. “Sorry, man. I just hate seeing you stuck on something that’s never gonna happen. I feel for ya, bro. I do, but Callie Cartwright? She thinks of you as the younger brother she never had. Hell, she even lived with your family for a year after her parents died. She’s your sister’s best friend. Those things never work, and you know it.”
Dean clenches his jaw. Emmett has a point. In fact what he said is dead-on. He knows it, and that’s only another one of the many reasons Dean hates talking about it so much. The situation is hopeless. But in these last weeks, he’s felt a change. Not in Callie. But in himself. It’s something he can’t put his finger on, but he has this growing, unstoppable feeling that this is his time. Suddenly, after all these years, he feels the winds changing, and he doesn’t know why, but he knows more than ever that he needs to finally make a move. If only he could figure out how…
Dean pinches the bridge of his nose. “I know you don’t
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