“How you doing?” I ask him with a scowl. I can feel Colt’s eyes on me. We've literally been through hell together, and he knows me probably better than anyone, so chances are he has to know that something is up. Jeremy looks between May and me, obviously confused about what's going on.
“I'm good,” he says. I take this moment to check this Jeremy out. I don't even know what Colt was thinking. There's no way he's a match for May. Just looking at him, he looks timid and weak. That's not the type of man that May needs. She needs someone she’s going to butt heads with and then spend hours making up with. That’s me. I’m that guy.
I look over at May. “How about you? How you doing? You look pretty tonight.”
She gets flustered and drops her fork on her plate. “I'm good. Thank you,” she says.
Kinsey starts talking about the kids, and I put food on my plate from the serving platters on the middle of the table. I'm not hungry, and even though the dude doesn't deserve it, I can't stop giving Jeremy dirty looks.
Colt interrupts and says, “So, Jeremy, I was talking to May the other day, and she is thinking about going back to school to get her RN degree. That would be something if she took one of your classes at the college.”
I turn to May, surprised. “I didn't know that.” All this time that we've spent together she's never once mentioned that she was thinking about going back to school. She gives me that look, and I know exactly what it means. Because honestly, we don't do a lot of talking. She clears her throat and looks at Jeremy. It takes every bit of control I have not to reach over and pull her chin toward me. I want her eyes on me and only me.
She nods her head at Jeremy. “Yeah, I was thinking about going back for my master's degree.”
“You should do it,” I tell her. She opens her mouth and then closes it quickly. She’s trying not to look at me, and it’s plain and simple she feels guilty. Hell, she should right now. She’s basically on a date with another man. She’ll definitely be making this up to me once we get everything figured out.
Jeremy says, “Yeah, you should. Jasper University is a great school, and if you'd like to come take a tour, I'd be happy to show you around.”
May clears her throat and looks at Jeremy, and then back at me. Don’t do it. Don’t agree to another date, I tell her with my eyes and a stern look on my face. “Uh, I dunno. I mean, I’m still thinking about it, so I’m not sure.”
After that, the conversation gets a little more stilted. I do find out more about Jeremy, which is a good thing because there’s no way May could be interested in this guy. I’ll give it to him. He’s obviously smart. He’s a professor at Jasper University and teaches chemical engineering, but when he starts to talk about his Lego collection—okay, I’ve heard of people collecting some weird things, but when he starts talking about how he spends most of his free time building Legos well, then yeah, I know May’s not going to find that as a useful way to pass time. I look at Colt, and even he’s surprised by this little revelation.
It’s obvious by the looks around the table that no one is happy with the way things are turning out. Well, everyone but me. I’m fine with Jeremy fucking this up. He doesn’t have a chance with her, anyway. What I can’t figure out is how in the world Colt thought Jeremy would be a good fit for his sister. I look at Jeremy across the table, and it hits me. Jeremy is safe. He’s the exact opposite of Colt and me. His job is safe. I mean, how much danger can there be as a college professor who collects Legos? I wouldn’t say there’s a lot. And I guess I can understand where Colt is coming from, but I know he wants his sister happy, and she wouldn’t be with someone like Jeremy. No, she’d be bored to tears. Maybe I’m biased, but I’m perfect for her. Just like she’s the only one for me.
We rush through dessert, a cinnamon apple Blaze cake that Kinsey picked up at the diner. It’s world famous, but everyone just seems to be eating it and trying to get through this awkward dinner.
After his very last bite, Jeremy says he's about to leave. Colt turns to May. “Why don't you walk Jeremy out?”
She smiles and avoids looking at me again. I've never wanted to punch Colt in the face more than I do right now. He's always been so protective of his sister. Now it's like he's pushing her on this guy. Jeremy says bye to everybody and thanks Kinsey for dinner before he and May walk out the front door.