Chapter Twenty-Six: We Fight Right Here-3

I laughed. "Jill knows perfectly what you mean, Zo. She just likes to drag out hearing a truth she doesn't like." "I don't need a boyfriend," Jillian said, making a face. "I don't think I can find a man who can put up with me." I raised a brow. "I think the real qualification here is a man who loves you and not just puts up with you like you're a Porta-Potty they can live with because they just really need to pee." Zoe stuck out a tongue and made a gagging face. "Classy, Max." I rolled my eyes and nudged Jillian's leg. "No, seriously, Jill. Don't underestimate yourself like that." "I don't underestimate myself, that's the problem," Jillian said with a loud sigh. "I've been told I'm too smart to be a girlfriend and I told the guy it was okay because he was obviously too dumb to even serve more than just a sperm-injector for the human race. And I'm not graceful like Zoe or sweet like you. I never stop to think about what I say and I'm too willful to say yes to some guy who obviously doesn't know what he's doing. I'm sorry but I'll have to tell him and he'll hate me and the relationship will be over before you can even say second date." "Then don't go for those guys," Zoe countered, sweeping an arm dramatically as she added, "The world offers variety, you know? Pick someone smart, mature. Pick a man, not a boy." I didn't want to spoil Zoe's point but a man with a hint of boyishness was the best combination. I was engaged to one. "And how should I screen for that?" Jillian asked. "Should I ask if they're a boy or a man the first time I meet them? If their years are proportionate to their maturity level and not the number of inches on their, you know, masculine mechanism." I burst out laughing, choking a little bit, my eyes watering as some of my wine burned a path up to my nose. Zoe was having similar problems, waving a hand in front of her face as if to dry the tears of laughter that had slipped down her cheeks. "What?" Jillian asked in bewilderment. "You guys complain all the time about my crude language. I gave the guy's junk a different name, so what?" "This explains your theory on your relationship issues so much better," Zoe said, still sniffing. "But I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg. I can help you with this, Jill. I've got you on this." Jillian raised a brow. "You're like two years younger than me." "Yeah but I bet I've dated far more guys than the number of years you exceed me by so I can still give you advice," Zoe pointed out, smiling smugly for a moment before looking remorseful. "Not that I'm still dating a lot of guys. I've left my wild years behind." I snorted. "Zo, you sound like you're eighty. I was never particularly wild but I'm told you need to live a little, especially when you're still young." Zoe's lips tightened into a line. "If only the rest of the world shared your mentality, Max, but sadly, they don't. I'm a responsible adult now. I have to act like it. The papers are soon going to start dubbing me as the All-Serious Zoe, I'm sure. Maybe that'll be enough." Jillian and I exchanged glances because there seemed to be more to that statement than the obvious but Zoe suddenly perked up and whipped out her phone. "Speaking of the papers, I was doing my daily scroll of gossip sites—work research, you know, in case anyone from my team's in something nasty—and found a post about you and Luke," she said, tapping quickly on her screen before turning it to me. "They are very intrigued about the two of you. Take it with a grain of salt though. The public isn't always kind." Since Luke and I became official, I decided I wouldn't torture myself by constantly looking to find what people were saying about him or me or us. There would be attention and scrutiny, no doubt about it, but I just felt that it would be healthier for my sanity not to listen to what the world had to say about us, may it be fact or fiction. But I couldn't help my curiosity at the snapshot of me and Luke coming out of the grocery store each carrying a large brown paper bag. This was from the night we were putting dinner together for Charles's visit. The title said, 'Luke Hedenby Settling Down—For Real or For Right Now?' My name showed up in the article this time, identifying me as an employee in Luke's company but there wasn't a whole lot more information, which I was happy about. The short article mentioned sightings of us, noting the domestic nature of our relationship and contrasting it to the typical scene Luke usually featured in—out at a party or some fancy gala or a night at the bar and definitely with constant female company. Considering the noticeable absence of Luke's aforementioned well-documented activities, the speculation was that this might be the real thing although it was concluded with much doubt that Luke would change his spots just because the prey and the chase were different. Right below the article were a handful of comments—some saying that it was so romantic, some saying that Luke was too used to his old ways to change and some describing me quite creatively as pretty much the woman who would suck the life out of him (I didn't think they meant that in some sexual way). Some people were clearly not happy that Luke was off the market. I sighed and handed Zoe her phone back. "I'm not surprised really. But I'm surprised to realize that I don't care all that much about it." "You should flash that ring around in public," Zoe advised with a wink. "Then there will be no question about it. Luke Hedenby is settling down, alright." More urgently than anyone would ever imagine, as a matter of fact. I had a feeling that despite our agreed six months, Luke wasn't done talking about getting married right away. You'd think someone was chasing after him. When the champagne bottle emptied and boxes got filled, we decided to call it a night. Ryan came along to give the two ladies a ride home at his insistence after Jill drunk-dialled him and put him on speaker earlier. "Since it's been decided that you're best bet is a smart man, have you considered Ryan?" I asked Jillian quietly as I buttoned up her coat. Jillian looked at me, confused, and glanced at Ryan who was chatting with a giggly Zoe. Zoe giggled a lot when she had a few drinks. "Ryan? Like our Ryan?" "No, Ryan Gosling," I retorted. "Of course, our Ryan. More like your Ryan because I have my Luke." Jillian gave me a cross look. "You're in danger of becoming a cheesy rom-com, Max, you know that?" I just shrugged and smiled. "I'm in a new relationship so I get a pass. So? Ryan?" "What about Ryan?" she demanded, almost grumpily, I might add. "Ryan's... Ryan. He's just... there. Like all the time."