Make Me by Alyssa Turner Page B

try. Just wrapping up with an old friend.” He eyed Kyle. “Shouldn’t be long.”
    Rebecca paused. “Wait, I don’t want you to go out of your way. I can…you know…get some Chinese or something.”
    Kyle draped his gaze all over him, his blue eyes inquisitive. Manny turned away, keeping his voice light and easy. “No, no. I want to cook. You haven’t lived until you’ve had my mother’s baked trout.”
    “Anything I can do?”
    “Just be hungry when I get home.”
    “No worries. I think I have that covered.” She giggled, and Manny realized he could come to adore that sound. “See you later.”
    “Looking forward to it.”
    Kyle was still staring at him when he turned around. “Who was that?”
    Manny sniffed. “Hmm? Oh, I met someone.” Why not leave it at that and let Kyle fill in the blanks for himself? He didn’t owe him an explanation. Kyle had made it perfectly clear that they didn’t owe each other anything when he shut Manny out of his life. Now here he was, standing in front of him, appraising his every move. He had just met Rebecca Sinclair. But the last day and a half had been better than any he could recall in a long while.
    Kyle took a step in his direction, and Manny headed for the door before those addictive lips found their way back to him. He trained his voice to sound unaffected. “See you when I see you, I guess.”
    Kyle grabbed his arm. “I’m sorry. If I could go back…Can’t we be friends again, at least? Dude, we have too much history.”
    It was true. Manny and Kyle had plenty of history; memories of all sorts flooded his mind. His best friend had seen him at his worst, at his best, at his happiest. He’d also seen him through agony and then put him there himself with a few simple words.
    “I can’t.” The choke in Manny’s voice was entirely unwelcome. “Gotta go.”
    “The fundraiser?” Kyle asked.
    Shit, he’d already forgotten about that. “I don’t know.”
    “My mom will actually haunt you about it. She’ll probably send over secret service to come and drag you there by force.”
    Manny couldn’t help but smile. “She’d probably love it if I showed up in fatigues.”
    “You know her as well as I do.” They shared a chuckle. “So?”
    Manny scraped his bottom lip with his teeth, still making up his mind.
    “Bring the new guy. I want to meet him.”
    “Woman. Her name is Rebecca.”
    Kyle raised his eyebrows. “Switching sides again, huh?”
    Manny shrugged. “I like to keep my options open. Anyway she’s great, and she’s waiting for me.” He made for the door, holding it open for Kyle expectantly.
    They walked out together, but Manny took a sharp turn away from Kyle and the driver waiting with the BMW 7-series sedan.
    “Remember, two o’clock,” Kyle called after him.
    Manny lifted a hand in his direction in half a wave, beginning to jog in the direction of the subway station.
    An hour later with an armful of groceries, Manny knocked on his own door. The delicate face that greeted him was a welcome sight. He grinned at her. “Hope you’re ready to have your mind blown.”
     
     
     
    Rebecca was definitely ready for something. “Are you always so sure of yourself?”
    “No, not always.” Then with a dip of his head and the sexiest twist of his lip, he continued. “But this right here is something I know won’t disappoint.” He pulled a whole fish, head and all, from one of the bags. “Nice, huh?”
    She nodded. But he wasn’t looking at the fish. He was looking at her.
    “Get much done at your office?” he asked, placing the bags on the counter and then washing his hands.
    The interest he took wasn’t lost on her. Surprisingly, the idea of confiding in him didn’t make her shudder. “I’ve been transferred. Not even sure what my job is now.”
    He frowned. “Boy, I thought I had a shitty day.”
    Rebecca waited for him to share, but the moment passed.
    “I bought some beer. Feel like taking the edge off?” He pulled a