“Come on, Levi. I’m not that big of an ass. We both know I don’t have a problem getting a girl to sleep with me. This isn’t about that.”
“Then what’s it about?”
“It’s about getting a real shot with her.”
An overwhelming need to protect her flares in my chest.
“Why her?” I push, still unconvinced.
With a shrug, he sighs. “I don’t know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me or why she’s so special. There’s just…I need a real shot with her.”
He’s said that already. Multiple times. My annoyance flares, but I push it aside and counter, “But you said so yourself. Montague Enterprises is a great place to work. An opportunity like this doesn’t come around often—”
“I know,” he growls. “But you and I graduated at the top of our class. We know what hard work is, and we were scouted by dozens of Top 100 corporations before we decided on Montague Enterprises. I know what I’m passing up, but I also know that if I do get the job, I’ll always question if I only got it because my dad knows a guy. That’ll haunt me.”
“So, you want to withdraw?” I ask aloud before mentally adding, because that would make my life so much easier.
“Of course, I don’t want to withdraw. I’d be a fool to not grab onto this opportunity with both hands.” The conflict is clear in his expression. “But I’d also be a fool not to pursue Charlie, and I know how much the final position means to you. How much your mom needs it.”
I open my mouth to object when he raises his hand to silence me.
“I know about her health issues and that she doesn’t have anyone else. I figured this would be a reasonable solution.”
“For me to help you date my best friend, and in return—”
“I withdraw my resume for the final position,” he finishes for me.
I look at the opportunity from every angle I can before realizing there’s a major flaw in our plan.
“Charlie doesn’t date.”
“I know she doesn’t like me—”
“No. Charlie doesn’t date. Period. She’s never dated.”
“Why the hell not?” Conner asks, shocked. “She’s fucking gorgeous.”
Flinching back, I mentally pull up an image of my best friend. She grew out her long, dark hair as soon as she was old enough to do it herself. Her arms and legs are toned from years of playing softball and running like it’s an addiction. And though I’ve never seen her with an ounce of makeup, her light blue eyes and pouty mouth have always fascinated anyone she talks to, even if I’ve never really admitted it to myself.
“Yeah. I guess she is.”
“You guess?” Conner laughs at the disbelief in my voice.
“I guess I’ve never really thought of her like that.” My laughter mingles with his while I say a quick prayer to whatever gods might be listening that I won’t get struck by lightning for voicing such a bullshit lie.
Shocked, Conner leans forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees as he probes, “So you’ve never….”
“Never what?”
His brows furrow. “You’ve never slept with her or anything?”
“Dude, the only thing I’ve done with Charlie is beat up assholes who give her attention she doesn’t want. But even that’s rare. She’s more of a guy’s friend than a girlfriend.” Scratching the light scruff along my jaw that’ll be gone tomorrow morning before work, I nod to myself more than him. “That’s actually exactly what she is. She’s just…one of the guys.”
And maybe if I keep telling myself that I’ll actually believe it.
“There’s no way in hell I would’ve had as much restraint as you,” he argues. “Five minutes in the same room with her, and my mind was already in the gutter.”
“Which is why I shouldn’t even consider accepting this insane idea,” I grumble.