Free Twice Smitten (A Modern Fairy Tale) by Melissa Blue Page B

to?” Drew had also left his jacket in her office. He stood with his hands in his pockets, taking in the street in an unhurried manner.
    “There’s this Mexican place. We can grab something quick.” She turned in the direction of the restaurant and waited for the argument.
    “Ok.”
    She gave him a sidelong glance, but he was still enamored with the scenery. “So, what do male-female friends talk about?”
    “My other female friend, and even my cousin, confide in me about their relationships. What’s going in their life in general. You know, hash over our feelings unlike my male counterparts,” he said in a dry tone.
    “No need to be sarcastic. I don’t have any so I don’t know the protocol.”
    “Not one male friend?” He shortened his stride to match hers.
    She frowned at the action, but answered his question. “Not a one. There’s Sasha and Emma. Trust me, they’re a handful in the friends’ department.”
    “After ten years, they should be like family now, and family is not the same as friends.”
    “Probably not, but I never really understood how you and Greg became buddies.”
    “Forced at first, because we were the same age. You know how parents are. Get along or else. Then the mischief started. Nothing like getting into trouble together to secure bonds of friendship.”
    Abigail thought of her friends and had to laugh. “Very true. I’m sure Greg told you about the break up dares my friends and I do for one another.”
    “He did mention them.”
    The tone was off, but she went ahead anyway, turning on the next block. He didn’t miss a step. “If we’re with a guy for six months—don’t ask, long story—and there’s a break up, straws are pulled, and the challenge is a dare. Emma was the one who started it, and as karma would have it, she’s the one who usually ends up with the short stick.”
    He slid his gaze to hers. “What’s going to happen when all of you get married off?”
    The question gave her pause. She’d never thought that far into the future. “Emma’s engaged now. She’s different, but I think real love changes you. There’s a security in it that deepens who you are and what you believe, but I don’t think it changes the core of who you are. So, I don’t think our friendship will end.”
    He bobbed his head in agreement. “You do want to get married?”
    “The thought of one man forever scares the beejesus out of me.” She stopped in front of a small building. “Here we are.”
    It looked like an every-day restaurant with cloth-covered tables, but inside was already packed with people. Most of the warm bodies lined up at a take-out window.
    He opened the door for her and didn’t go in until she did. “Don’t look so shocked. I have manners.”
    “It’s a ploy,” she said with a smile.
    “Let me guess: Crafty is my middle name?”
    “No. Charm.” She grabbed a menu from an empty table and handed it to him. “So, do you want to get married?”
    He scanned the menu. “Yes.”
    She jerked away from the line to look at him. No coy smile with the announcement. He wasn’t joking. “Wow. I’m trying to imagine you all…married.”
    “Facets,” he said, and put the menu back down at the empty table, right when a couple sat down.
    She tried to imagine the type of woman who would steal his heart. Abigail simply couldn’t. “Who? What kind of woman?”
    Hands back in pockets, he shrugged. “I don’t know. Someone who can surprise me. In and out of bed. Someone who makes me laugh, and I do the same for her. Sexy, considerate and honest. Challenges me.”
    “Sexy?”
    “That would be the word you latch on to.” He scratched at the scruff along his jawline. “I would ask what you think I believe sexy is, but I know the answer.”
    She couldn’t argue, but Abigail did anyway. “We’re being friends. I was going to be nice. What do you think sexy is?”
    “Depends.” His gaze clashed with hers. “A woman’s wrist. It can be delicate or sturdy,