Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Somehow it was so logical I found myself nodding without realizing it.
Wait. Yet?
“Great.” But it made Downstairs Guy so happy…and I didn’t want to burst his bubble.
He was being polite…and helpful, right?
Brady’s mom said it was good manners to let people help even if you didn’t really need it. She’d said people like to feel useful.
And he did smile really nicely.
“So first…” He got a thoughtful expression that made him look even sweeter. “I think some kind of hanging out in a social setting would be a good idea. Yes. First thing to get out of the way…are we all going to hang out together or separately? You guys seem like the group date kind of family, but let me know if I’m wrong and we should go out two by two.”
What?
I was back to stunned stupid, so I looked over at Cash.
He wasn’t doing much better, but he looked surprised instead of like a blank moron, so that put him ahead of me. “I…”
Yep, he had words, so he got to handle it.
“We don’t date.” Cash had words but they were never the ones I expected to come out.
Downstairs Guy didn’t seem surprised because he nodded slowly in an understanding but not approving kind of way that Brady’s mom was really good at doing too. “That’s a shame. We’ll fix that, though. You guys are so in sync it would probably bother you to date the same person separately.”
We were going to date him?
Together?
“Cash doesn’t like it if you’re bossy all the time, just some of the time.” That seemed important for Downstairs Guy to know but I wasn’t sure why. “And you really don’t mind Brady being little?”
It definitely wasn’t one of the top five questions I should’ve been pondering at the moment, but it was what had popped out, so I just went with it.
“No.” Downstairs Guy seemed so confident about that he made me feel immediately more relaxed. “He’s a cutie and I was really glad when he found his Daddy. But if that question is in regard to me wanting to date him too, you don’t have to worry. I’m not a Daddy, and while he’s open-minded, I think he’s more of a traditional couple kind of person.”
What kind of person wasn’t a traditional couple kind of person?
Did that mean I wasn’t a traditional couple kind of person?
No, that couldn’t be right.
But what else could he have meant?
Downstairs Guy seemed to be the type to say what was in his head most of the time, but it didn’t always make sense. “But you’ll have to let me know what kind of boundaries you have for your relationship so I don’t accidentally stomp all over them. Limits are healthy and should be defined.”
Huh?
“Do we have a relationship?” Leaning toward Cash, I didn’t take my eyes off Downstairs Guy…mostly because I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t disappear the moment I looked away.
Had we accidentally eaten more pot brownies?
That would’ve explained a lot.
“Did Brady bring home any more brownies when he went to visit his family yesterday?” My question was serious but it made Downstairs Guy laugh.
“Nope, not a hallucination and not a spider.” He winked before grinning wider and leaning over slowly. “Remember to tell me about your limits.”
He kissed my cheek.
“See, I’m real.”
Still smiling as he sat back, he glanced between me and Cash. “Do you need proof too?”
Oh.
Now Cash was the one who was staring in shock with his mouth hanging open.
We all waited for a few seconds but his mouth never closed, and when he glanced over at me, I realized he thought I was going to answer for him.
What the fuck?
What was I supposed to say?
Somehow the only thing that came to mind was one of Brady’s lectures about Santa sending the best presents to good littles, and I couldn’t help wondering if Santa was just late on his special present to me and Cash.
“If you’re going to date us both it seems fair?”
What the fuck?
Why had I said that?
Brady’s questionable logic was contagious somehow, but Downstairs Guy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s definitely something I’ll remember about you, cutie. Fair. Got it.”
Downstairs Guy slowly rose, bent over so he could lean over the arm of the couch as he carefully inched toward Cash. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know he was giving Cash time to tell him to back the fuck off, but Cash didn’t.
Cash didn’t do much of anything, really, but he watched Downstairs Guy as he got closer and let the confusing guy brush his lips against his cheek. “Real and fair.”
We had the weirdest neighbors.
But at least he wasn’t into collecting bugs…and he smiled?
“Fair.” Cash’s mumbled response confused the fuck out of me, but it made Downstairs Guy smile again.
“That’s right.” As he carefully sat back down, somehow feeling closer to me than he had before he moved, he glanced between us. “We’re going to keep things fair and work on good communication skills.”