Searching for Perfect (Searching For #2)(28)
Author: Jennifer Probst

He avoided his brother’s gaze. “Yep.” No. I danced around like a girl to reveal my inner goddess. So humiliating.

“Good, gyms are great to hit up women. Any prospects yet?”

“Soon.”

The waitress came back to the table. “Another round?”

Connor reached out and placed a hand on the curve of her denim-clad hip. “Absolutely, darlin’, keep them coming. But make sure you come check on us often. I haven’t seen such a beautiful face in a long time. You inspire me to be a better man.”

Huh? That didn’t even make sense. Wasn’t that from Jerry Maguire or some chick flick? Nate waited for the scowl or her disgusted expression from such a lame line. Instead, she beamed and winked. “Part of my job, honey. Make sure you keep the tips coming, too.”

Connor laughed and leaned back in his chair. “Saucy one. May have to ask her out.”

Irritation hit. How the hell did his brother get away with this crap? Nate would’ve had a black eye and a pending harassment lawsuit by now. Kennedy would’ve killed him for such an approach. Was it just the bars? Maybe a different level of social interaction was expected at these establishments?

He decided to ask. “Hey, have you ever had a woman turn you down?”

His brother snorted. “’Course not. I keep telling you, Ned—ugh, Nate—just compliment their physical beauty and be direct. Women hate flowery shit, pussyfooting around, and a man who’s afraid to make a move. Got it?”

No. “Yeah, got it.”

Jerry clinked his bottle against Connor’s. “Nice to see you here, Ned. Taking a break from rockets to slum with your brother?”

Connor punched his arm. “Call him Nate.”

“Oh. K. Hey, I heard you put in the application for the supervisor position. What’s that about?”

Connor shrugged. “I got the time in, know the jobs, and handle the men well. Why not?”

Jerry’s brown eyes were shot with red. His laugh was a little slurred, and Nate couldn’t say he cared for the guy, but he’d been Connor’s friend and coworker for years. “Not for nothing, but Ed’s going for the position. Might as well pull out now.”

His brother stiffened. An expression of disappointment flickered over his face and was quickly replaced with something else. Something that made Nate suck in his breath.

Self-loathing.

“Oh, didn’t know Ed wanted it. Maybe I should pull out.”

Jerry slapped him on the back. “Yeah, he got that wrapped like a Christmas present, buddy. The foreman loves him, and he’s got a college education in management. No need to waste your time.”

“Why is it a waste of time?” Nate asked. “Connor has just as good a shot as Ed.”

His brother studied his beer bottle. “Nah, Jerry’s right. No need putting myself through the bullshit when it’s already decided. Probably a lot of extra hours and responsibility. Who needs it?”

“Absolutely,” Jerry agreed. “Did you snap up that pretty little thing already, Con? When are you going to learn to share and not hog all the women?”

“Part of my charm,” Connor joked halfheartedly before lapsing into silence and nursing his beer. Nate sensed a shift of energy, a darkness that settled over him like a pissed-off spirit intent on a haunting. Funny, his brother always acted like he enjoyed his low-maintenance life. Refused to go for his degree at home, laughing as he gave his usual reasoning that there was only one brain in the family. When the hell had they become embroiled in stereotypes? It had been going on for so long that it was second nature—he even remembered his mother stating repeatedly that he had the brains and his brother the looks. Who was she to judge them? She’d left to pursue her own life and knew shit about them.

It seemed like all of Connor’s confidence was directed only toward scoring with women. Maybe Nate could help turn it around. He spoke up. “Promise me you’ll keep your application in for supervisor anyway. Forget about the competition.”

His brother snorted. “Why bother? Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m serious. I’ve seen you on the site. You know how to relate well to the crew, you know scheduling, and you’re smart.”

His gaze swung around. A flicker of resentment shot at him. “No, I’m not. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“You think you can handle it, don’t you?” Nate challenged, not willing to let up yet.

“Yeah. But Ed likes to wear those fancy suits and meet with the managers afterward. He’s in the club. Got a degree. Talks smart like you. I’m not in his league, man.”

Time for the big guns. “Con. Do me a solid.”

His brother gasped. “No fucking way. You can’t use a solid for that!”

“Yes, I can, there’s no rules to it. Now you have to do it.”

“That’s like a pinky promise for girls! We did that years ago—you can’t hold me to a solid.”

Nate grinned. “I can and I just did. Do it or I’ll call you a pussy for the rest of your life.”

Connor glared. “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Nate drained his beer. “Whatever. You want to pretend you’re not scared to go after a big-time job, go ahead. Pussy.”

“Fuck! Fine, I’ll keep in for it. But no more solids after this one. I call the game completely off.”

Nate bit back a satisfied chuckle. Got him. They’d been addicted to the Cartoon Network show Regular Show for years, and knew every episode by heart. When one of the characters on the show tells the other one to do him a solid, it was the ultimate dare. If you didn’t take the challenge, you were termed “pussy” for the rest of your natural life.

He still remembered when his brother got him to drive around the block stark naked to prove no one paid attention on the road. Yeah. He’d proven his brother wrong on that, especially when the police came to the door from a 911 call tracking his plate.

Bastard.

His brother was pissed, but Nate could live with it.

He relaxed and drank his beer.

eight

ARE WE READY, ladies?”

They sat on stools at the Purple Haze bar in Verily. The bar was a mix between the casualness of Mugs and the upscale restaurant Cosmos. Done in various shades of violet, from the fabric seats to the walls, it was decorated in trendy glass, mirrors, and lights to give it a fresh feel. Computer monitors were set up along with large television screens and attracted the technology set who wanted to drink and not stray too far from their gadgets. It was popular with the after-work crowd, but Tuesday nights were pretty dead and would give them the privacy they needed to give this exercise the right atmosphere.