own words and certain that was not what the book meant by “assertive flirting,” shook her head. “Nothing,” she said quietly. “I have some things, I mean I need to”— Good God —“bye, Garrett.” She all but crawled to the dishwasher station to pick up her shakers.
Sage took a psychology class her sophomore year in college. The instructor had been crazy, which was ironic considering the subject. He’d started off the semester breaking them into groups and asking them to “interact as if you are the produce section of a grocery store.” Sage had never quit a class in her life. It simply wasn’t an option in her world. But when he gave her a C on their first exam with the comment “not enough heart,” she’d reached her limit. Not enough heart? The test was multiple choice. That day she went straight to the registrar and dropped psychology. She’d cut her losses and moved on.
Garrett was like psychology class, Sage thought as she continued making chitchat with the dishwashers until she was sure he’d left. She needed to cut her losses while she still had a tiny bit of dignity left. She would continue practicing her naughty skills, but not on Garrett. She returned to the bar and wondered if she should take it as a warning that her psych teacher wanted his class to play produce section and her naughty book author had a fruit salad analogy. She should probably throw the damn book out because they were both nuts. “Are you looking for excuses to quit again, little sis?” Sage heard her sister’s voice in her head.
“Oh, screw you,” she said to no one as she selected Green Day on the audio system and cleared Garrett’s cup.
“What do you know about Sage?” Garrett asked Logan as they grabbed a booth at the Chicago Hamburger Company. It was early; they’d beaten the lunch crowd.
“She’s great, why?”
“Does she date often?”
“I. . . know she did the whole online thing with Kenna months ago, but other than that, I’m not sure. Oh, she did date the Twisted Tree Winery rep. I think they’ve gone out a couple of times.”
“Huh.”
“Are you going to tell me why you’re asking?”
“No reason. I don’t know much about her, and I’m sure you’ve heard about the New Year’s Eve pickup thing.”
Logan nodded.
“She said a bunch of things and I guess that got me thinking, but shit, I don’t know. Forget it.” Garrett shoved a straw into his Coke and wondered why this kept popping into his head.
“I heard she told you she loves you.” Logan wiggled his eyebrows and it was official, Garrett felt like they were seventeen.
“She was drunk.”
Logan sat back in the booth with a stupid grin on his face. “I don’t think that matters. She’s been looking at you for a while.”
Garrett’s brow creased. “Looking at me? What the hell does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. She has a thing for you. Always has as far as I can tell. It doesn’t surprise me she told you. I’m glad she did. Sage is great.”
Garrett shook his head as the guy with the white paper hat put two red plastic baskets in front of them. “Very funny. She does not have a thing for me. She doesn’t even know me.”
“You don’t need to know someone inside and out to have a thing for them. Shit, have you been out of the game that long?”
“I’m not out of the game.” Garrett grouped some fries together and looked to Logan, who laughed and went to get ketchup for his brother.
“Last date?” he asked, setting the plastic cups of ketchup and extra napkins on the table.
“None of your damn business. I date.” Garrett dipped and ate.
Logan took a sip of his soda and waited.
“Like, last month, maybe a couple of months now. It was forgettable. That woman you set me up with who knows Kara—the florist. I can’t remember her name.”
Logan shook his head and bit into his burger. “Sandy? Yes, you’re right, she is a florist, but that date was before Halloween.”
“Was it? Shit,
Sage took a psychology class her sophomore year in college. The instructor had been crazy, which was ironic considering the subject. He’d started off the semester breaking them into groups and asking them to “interact as if you are the produce section of a grocery store.” Sage had never quit a class in her life. It simply wasn’t an option in her world. But when he gave her a C on their first exam with the comment “not enough heart,” she’d reached her limit. Not enough heart? The test was multiple choice. That day she went straight to the registrar and dropped psychology. She’d cut her losses and moved on.
Garrett was like psychology class, Sage thought as she continued making chitchat with the dishwashers until she was sure he’d left. She needed to cut her losses while she still had a tiny bit of dignity left. She would continue practicing her naughty skills, but not on Garrett. She returned to the bar and wondered if she should take it as a warning that her psych teacher wanted his class to play produce section and her naughty book author had a fruit salad analogy. She should probably throw the damn book out because they were both nuts. “Are you looking for excuses to quit again, little sis?” Sage heard her sister’s voice in her head.
“Oh, screw you,” she said to no one as she selected Green Day on the audio system and cleared Garrett’s cup.
“What do you know about Sage?” Garrett asked Logan as they grabbed a booth at the Chicago Hamburger Company. It was early; they’d beaten the lunch crowd.
“She’s great, why?”
“Does she date often?”
“I. . . know she did the whole online thing with Kenna months ago, but other than that, I’m not sure. Oh, she did date the Twisted Tree Winery rep. I think they’ve gone out a couple of times.”
“Huh.”
“Are you going to tell me why you’re asking?”
“No reason. I don’t know much about her, and I’m sure you’ve heard about the New Year’s Eve pickup thing.”
Logan nodded.
“She said a bunch of things and I guess that got me thinking, but shit, I don’t know. Forget it.” Garrett shoved a straw into his Coke and wondered why this kept popping into his head.
“I heard she told you she loves you.” Logan wiggled his eyebrows and it was official, Garrett felt like they were seventeen.
“She was drunk.”
Logan sat back in the booth with a stupid grin on his face. “I don’t think that matters. She’s been looking at you for a while.”
Garrett’s brow creased. “Looking at me? What the hell does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. She has a thing for you. Always has as far as I can tell. It doesn’t surprise me she told you. I’m glad she did. Sage is great.”
Garrett shook his head as the guy with the white paper hat put two red plastic baskets in front of them. “Very funny. She does not have a thing for me. She doesn’t even know me.”
“You don’t need to know someone inside and out to have a thing for them. Shit, have you been out of the game that long?”
“I’m not out of the game.” Garrett grouped some fries together and looked to Logan, who laughed and went to get ketchup for his brother.
“Last date?” he asked, setting the plastic cups of ketchup and extra napkins on the table.
“None of your damn business. I date.” Garrett dipped and ate.
Logan took a sip of his soda and waited.
“Like, last month, maybe a couple of months now. It was forgettable. That woman you set me up with who knows Kara—the florist. I can’t remember her name.”
Logan shook his head and bit into his burger. “Sandy? Yes, you’re right, she is a florist, but that date was before Halloween.”
“Was it? Shit,
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