Chapter 7 #2
“Alright. Let’s get back to you then,” Kaisa said.
“Can we not?” I asked, nearly begged.
“Do you like Pyre?” Melody asked.
I opened my mouth, looked around at them, then closed it again.
“Come on,” Maya prompted. “We won’t tell anyone.”
“Well, Lyric, once she gets back,” Kaisa amended. “But no one outside our circle.”
Sighing, I looked down at my hands. “I think he’s very handsome.”
“We know that, girl,” Mona said with a wave of her hand. “But do you like him?”
“I-” I swallowed as they all seemed to collectively lean toward me, waiting to see what I’d say. “I don’t really like men.”
Their eyes all widened.
That was when I realized what I’d said. “I mean, I like men.” Now they just looked confused. I sighed. “I don’t really date.”
“Yeah, yeah, we’re trying to fix that,” Kaisa said. “Could you like Pyre?”
Looking over at Ainsley, I told her, “Please don’t tell him this.”
“Your secret is safe with me. I only told them about the kissing thing because they’re your friends,” she replied.
“Okay,” I said. Taking a deep breath, I admitted, “I don’t really know him, but I wouldn’t mind getting to know him.”
“I knew it,” Harlow told the group. She was wearing a smug smile. It was as if I’d admitted to them that I was in love with the man.
“But-”
“No buts,” Ainsley said with a shake of her head.
“But it’s important,” I said quickly before she could cut me off again for saying but twice.
Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. But what?”
I’d tried to tell Ainsley before, but she’d dismissed my concerns. I needed them to understand. “I’m not exactly the kind of woman that men chase…”
“Why not?” Mona asked.
“Yeah, you’re gorgeous,” Kaisa said, sounding confused.
“And sweet,” Ainsley added, echoing what she’d told me before.
“Successful,” Harlow continued.
“Why wouldn’t he be interested in you?” Maya asked.
“I-” Searching for how to explain it to them, I shrugged. “My job for one.”
“I already told you, Pyre’s a weirdo in his own right,” Ainsley pointed out. “Not that you’re weird,” she added quickly. “Just anything you do probably won’t seem strange to him.”
“Well…I guess,” I said. “But I don’t really act…normal.” The way they were looking at me made me feel completely lame.
“Normal…” Harlow said.
It wasn’t a question, but I answered all the same. “I don’t dress the way other women do. Or have hobbies they u-usually do. Or pets like they have.” I pointed to Penny with that last one.
“Do you want to dress the way other women do?” Kaisa asked, looking dumbfounded.
“Well, no. Not exactly,” I said. “But men like that… Don’t they?”
“Like we’re experts on men,” Maya said with a laugh. “We’re single.” She looked over at Ainsley. “Most of us anyway.”
Ainsley shrugged. “Not like I really get what attracts them either. And Warrant isn’t exactly typical so studying him isn’t helpful. Until right now I thought I was the only one into weirdos. But that whole club is a basket of weird and apparently you like one, too.”
“Men like women,” Harlow declared. “You just need to find one who likes the kind of woman you are. Don’t change yourself for them. Find the type who loves everything you are.”
The others all nodded. Mona looked over at Harlow and grinned. “That was beautiful, Harlow.”
“Shush,” she said, scowling at Mona before the other woman could tease her.
“She’s right though,” Ainsley said. “If I could find a guy like Warrant, you can find one who likes opossums, sweaters, and dead bodies.”
“Maybe not so much likes dead bodies,” Kaisa said, making a face.
“Yeah,” Maya added, “that makes it sound weird.”
“Doesn’t mind your job,” Ainsley amended.
“We should come up with a plan to get them together,” Melody suggested, her eyes widening.
“No!” I said with enough force that they all stared at me in surprise. “Thank you,” I added, voice softer this time. “I refuse to throw myself at a man. If one is interested then so be it, but I’m not forcing anything. That’s how you end up disappointed.”
“But you won’t turn someone down who is trying to date you?” Harlow asked, sounding suspicious.
“Of course not.” I’d only had a handful of men seriously attempt to get to know me. None of those relationships had ended well. Which was why I wanted love, but didn’t go out of my way to find it anymore.
“Because if you do, you know they won’t leave it alone,” Ainsley warned me, pointing to all the other women. “They’ll be setting traps of their own, worse than what Warrant did last week.”
“I knew he was responsible for that,” I gasped.
“Of course he was,” Ainsley said with a laugh.
“Like you won’t be helping us,” Mona teased.
“Didn’t say I wouldn’t help,” she replied with a grin. “Just said you all wouldn’t leave the poor woman alone.”
We all laughed. I shook my head, wondering what I’d do without these women.
Though, I didn’t have the slightest intent on approaching Pyre.
Ains was right, though, if I rejected any of his advances these women would start playing match maker.
I wasn’t insane though, if a sexy biker started trying to woo me, I wasn’t going to stand in his way.
I just didn’t believe it was going to happen.