“He’s nervous, but you can’t tell, can you?” Connor whispered as we stood off to the side, taking everything in.
“No. He’s so well-spoken.”
“He can turn it on and charm the life out of anyone. This is the biggest property he’s had to pitch. I have no doubt he’ll have an offer by the end of the day.”
“I think it’s sweet how much you believe in him.”
“He’s a good kid who was given a shitty hand. He deserves a shot at life, and he shows up daily, demonstrating exactly why he is going to take over the world one day.” He brushed his thumb against his nose. “So, shifting gears—how is this whole interview process going to go?”
“Right. I was thinking about the interview and the next steps. I came up with three different topics I’d love to explore for the article. I think it would be great if you took me to three places that reminded me of your past, your present, and your future. For example, today is great for seeing your present. That way, I can see your complete story and where it is leading you.”
“My beginning, middle, and end.”
“The perfect novel.”
“What if the ending sucks?”
I smiled. “There’s no way Captain’s ending would ever suck.”
“I like that,” he commented, nodding toward me. “That you still call me Captain.”
“I like when you call me Red.”
He grinned and looked away for a second as if he had something to say, but he shook it off before saying, “Anything else I need to be aware of?”
“Yes. I have some dates to shoot over to you for the photo shoot. We can always shift the date because I know you’re a very busy guy, but I pulled at least five dates. Once we choose, we can set up a photographer and a shoot location.”
“I’m not much of a model,” he warned.
“Trust me, you don’t have to do much of anything to look good.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Did you just call me handsome?”
My cheeks flushed a bit, and I moved my stare from his blue eyes to a couple roaming the kitchen, opening cabinets. “Don’t act surprised. You know you’re good-looking. That’s why people are calling you the hottest bachelor in NYC.”
“Is that what they are calling me?”
“That is definitely what they are calling you. Don’t be surprised if ABC calls you to audition for their show.”
“Hard pass for me. Back in my hometown, my closest friend, Jax, used to watch that show with an older neighbor. I stopped by once and couldn’t stand it. I could never survive being on that show.”
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t want to go lady to lady, test-driving the car without any true desire to purchase while the whole world watched.”
“Well, sometimes you have to taste a few different fruits before you know what you like.”
“Yeah, but you don’t shove a banana in your mouth while still chewing on a peach.”
I chuckled. “Did you just so happen to pick the two most sexual fruits you could think of?”
“What? I get the banana, but what is sexual about a peach?”
Now it was time for me to raise a brow. “Are you serious right now?”
“Serious as two kangaroos fighting.”
“You have the weirdest comparisons.”
“And you have a beautiful smile.”
I felt my cheeks heat, but I rolled my eyes to take away from that fact. “Oh my gosh, bachelor. Do these lines really work on other women?”
“Truth or truth?”
“Truth.”
“They really work on other women.”
I nudged him in the arm. “Let me guess—this is the part where you tell me I’m not like other women, right?”
“No, I never understood that.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “I mean, what’s so terrible about being like other women? Women are amazing. All kinds. I feel like guys use that line to flatter a woman while at the same time putting down all other females. And who wants a cocky asshole who has to put others down to lift someone else up? It’s like a backhanded compliment.”
I pursed my lips. “I’m trying to determine if that’s reverse psychology or not.”
“Good. I’m hoping to keep you on your toes. So, back to the peach.”
“What about it?”
“How is that sexual?”
The bashfulness came back to me, and I knew he noticed, but I tried to play it off. “It’s what the youngsters use as an emoji to speak about someone’s butt. You know, because butts are…juicy and plump.” I made a hand gesture to indicate a round bottom, and I regretted it instantly when Connor began cracking up in laughter.
He made the same motion as me. “So a peach.”
“Yup.”
“Aren’t peaches fuzzy? Wouldn’t a plum make more sense?”
I tossed my hands up in surrender. “Hey, I don’t make the rules.”
He looked so perplexed by the whole idea as he shook his head in disapproval. “I think we should start a petition to change peach to a plum.”
“I’m sure that would take off if you get gen Z in on the switch. They can make some TikToks with plums. It would go viral in a week.”
“Are you a TikToker?” he asked.
“I’m a professional lurker but refuse to post anything. I have a strong fear of people judging me.”
“You know the best way to get over people judging you? Putting yourself out there and realizing their opinions don’t matter.”
I laughed. “Aw, but the fear is strong.”
He shrugged. “We might as well do whatever it is that makes us happy. Life is short.”
If only he knew how short life can be.
“So you’re telling me you put yourself out there?” I asked.
“Oh, on the regular.” He scrunched up his face and cringed a bit. “I have a confession to make. I’m a TikTok celebrity.”
I burst out laughing. “What? No, you’re not.”
His hands flew to his chest, and he narrowed his eyes. “Wait, why is that so hard to believe? I’m definitely qualified to be TikTok
