Page 8 of Best Friends

“You’re both cops?” Amanda’s green eyes are wide as she stares at me. “Have you ever shot anyone?”

I smile because if I had a nickel for every time someone asked that, I’d have a fuck ton of nickels. “No. I’ve never shot anyone.”

Her face falls. “Oh. I guess I just assumed.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” I laugh gruffly.

She waves me off, giving a sheepish smile. “No, gosh, I’m the one who’s sorry. I sound blood thirsty.”

“Nah, you’re fine,” I say. “A lot of people wonder about that.”

“I’ve shot someone before,” Malcolm volunteers with a grin.

Both of the women squeak excitedly.

“When?” Amanda asks.

“Why?” Cecilia follows next.

“It was a robbery suspect.” Malcolm mimes pointing a gun up at the sky. “He pulled a piece on me and I was forced to discharge my weapon.”

“Oh, wow.” Cecilia covers her mouth. “How scary.”

Amanda leans forward. “Was it weird to shoot someone?”

“I didn’t enjoy it, but I did what I had to do,” Malcolm says nonchalantly.

“Gosh, did the bad guy die?” Amanda asks, but then she blanches. “There I go again sounding like a blood thirsty lunatic.”

Malcolm smiles. “You’re curious. Lots of people are. No, he didn’t die.”

“Whew.” Amanda laughs.

Shrugging, Malcolm says, “Well, he shouldn’t have pulled a gun on a cop.

He’s acting cavalier about the incident for the benefit of the women, but he’d been upset at the time.

Even though the perp lived, Malcolm had second-guessed his reactions over and over.

Nobody official questioned the shooting, but Malcolm was super rattled.

Whether we know it’s part of our job or not, shooting another human being is a disturbing thing.

“You’re so brave, Malcolm.” Cecilia rests her head on his shoulder, and my stomach clenches. She takes every opportunity possible to touch him. It’s her right, I guess, seeing as she’s his date, but it still eats at me.

I turn my attention back to Amanda, hoping to distract myself.

She’s a very pretty alpha, with jade green eyes and long hair the color of autumn leaves.

She’s just the kind of girl I’d usually be into.

But I struggle to feel physically attracted to her.

It’s not her, it’s all me. I like her a lot as a person.

She seems sweet and intelligent, but I just don’t feel anything sexual for her yet.

Hopefully, as the evening progresses, I’ll get in the mood.

“What do you do for work?” I ask her.

“I teach English.” She watches me like she’s waiting for a reaction.

I grimace. “Uh-oh. Have I been dangling participles all evening?”

Laughing, she says, “No, not at all. And even if you were, I promise I wouldn’t judge you. Everybody always freaks out the second they find out what I teach.”

“Oh God, right?” Cecilia jumps in. “I’m a psychologist and everyone assumes I’m psychoanalyzing them anytime they open their mouth.

The truth is, I just want to have fun and not think about anyone’s mental health.

I’m not looking to seek out the crazy person in the room. I’m just looking for a good time.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Malcolm grins, clinking his glass with hers.

He’s definitely getting into the spirit of things much easier than me. He’s effortlessly flirting and touching her. Meanwhile, I feel irritable and drained watching him dote on her. Something is definitely wrong with me. I seem to have lost the ability to be normal around Malcolm.

“You probably get that too, though,” Amanda guesses, watching me with her cheerful green gaze. “People immediately get nervous around cops. I know I do. I assume that you’ll magically know if I ran a stop sign ten years ago.”

I smile. “People do get weird sometimes. But unless you run a stop sign right in front of me, you’re safe.”

Amanda gives a flirty smile. “Well, I wouldn’t mind you pulling me over and frisking me, officer.”

I’m taking a sip of my beer when she says that, and I choke on my drink. Malcolm gives me a concerned look, but he changes the subject.

“The other thing people ask us is if we use the police computer database to look up the personal information of attractive women we pull over.” He grins. “We don’t.”

“You’ve never done that?” Cecilia asks.

“Nope.” Malcolm shakes his head. “Definitely not allowed.”

I’ve finally stopped choking on my beer, so I weigh in. “It would be unethical to look up your information for personal reasons.” My voice is so stilted, I sound like I’m at a job interview, not on a date.

Amanda leans closer, twisting a strand of her red hair around her finger. “I wouldn’t mind if you looked up my personal information, Carrick.”

Oh God. She’s flirting with me.

Well, of course she is. We’re on a date. She’s the normal one.

“I’d never do that.” I laugh a little too loudly, and take another gulp of beer.

I try not to fixate on the way Malcolm is smiling at Cecilia, but my gaze keeps getting drawn to them.

Cecilia gazes into Malcolm’s eyes, running her tongue over her bottom lip, and my gut clenches with what feels like jealousy.

“Have you and Malcolm always been best friends?” Amanda asks, pulling my attention back to her.

“Yep,” Malcolm answers before I can. “C. was my neighbor growing up.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Cecilia says.

“It was.” Malcolm gives me a warm smile. “We’ve known each other most of our lives.”

I nod, trying not to get too distracted by his white smile. “When I was a kid, my mom never wanted me in the house. She always kicked me outside. Malcolm was stuck entertaining me,” I tell them, meeting Malcolm’s gaze.

“It wasn’t a problem. I loved hanging out with you,” Malcolm says. “Still do.”

“That’s so cool to have known each other that long.” Cecilia sighs.

Nodding, I say, “My parents divorced when I was five. My mom wanted to find a replacement dad for me as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the guy she picked didn’t like kids.” I laugh so they won’t feel sorry for me. “That’s why she always shoved me outside to stay out of their hair.”

“Oh, no.” Amanda frowned. “Are you close to your real father?”

I grimace. “No. Once he left us, I never saw him again. He started a new family in a different state. Georgia I think.”

Amanda gasps. “Aww. That’s awful. He just abandoned you?” She rubs my shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

Malcolm’s gaze sharpens when Amanda touches me. But then he looks away and puts his arm around Cecilia’s shoulder, smiling down at her. “C. and I got even closer in high school.”

“Yeah.” I laugh, leaning back in the booth. “I got picked on a lot because I was short and skinny for my age. Malcolm fought a lot of my battles.”

“Only at first.” Malcolm shrugs.

“Well, yeah. As soon as you kicked a couple of guys’ asses, people left me alone.” And alone is what I would’ve been too, if Malcolm hadn’t taken me under his wing. For whatever reason, he’d wanted to be my friend.

Malcolm meets my gaze. “That’s cuz I love you, man. Nobody hurts you as long as I’m around.”

My cheeks warm when the two girls make little “aww” sounds again. My natural surly instincts kick in. “Malcolm just loves saying cheesy crap like that. He’s an awfully needy son of a bitch.”

Amanda and Cecilia gasp, but Malcolm just grins.

“Ignore him,” he says. “C. loves me too. He just won’t ever tell me. He’s got issues.”

Shrugging, I stifle my smile. “Just keep telling yourself that, Malc.”

“You two are so cute together.” Cecilia rests her chin on her palm.

“It’s adorable. I think it’s nice that you can share your feelings so freely, Malcolm. A lot of guys are closed off,” Amanda adds.

“Thanks.” Malcolm looks embarrassed.

“Anyway,” I say with a smirk. “I had a growth spurt and now I’m the hunky and macho stud you see before you.”

Amanda sighs, resting her hand on my bicep. “You certainly filled out nicely.”

Our eyes meet. “Thanks,” I say gruffly, forcing myself to lean in and give her a peck on the cheek.”

She giggles and drops her hand to my thigh. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s the truth,” she whispers. “You’re super sexy. I told Cecilia that the first time I saw you at Frankie’s.”

Her compliments make my face hot, and when I look up and meet Malcolm’s gaze, he looks annoyed. Confused by his expression, I frown and give him a questioning look, but he just looks away.

“You two should get a room,” he says. His tone is teasing, but I know him well enough to see that something is bugging him.

I guess Cecilia doesn’t want to be left out of the flirting.

She puts her head on Malcolm’s shoulder and smiles at whatever he whispers to her.

My stomach aches as I watch them. Instead, I turn my attention to Amanda.

She lights up when I give her my full attention.

I still worry that I feel no sexual desire for her.

What am I going to do if we go back to Malcolm’s place and I can’t get it up for Amanda?

Fortunately, the food arrives so all the cuddling and suggestive looks take a pause.

The conversation is lively and the beer helps me relax.

The thought of having sex with Amanda still does nothing to arouse me.

However, if I let myself think about my night with Malcolm and his naked body on top of me, my dick gets super stiff.

Am I going to have to think of my best friend naked just so I can get it up long enough to have sex with Amanda?

That seems so fucking wrong. I can’t do that, right?

After dinner, and as the waiter is clearing the dessert plates away, Cecilia gives Malcolm a seductive glance. “So, are you going to invite us back to your place, or not?”

“I was just about to suggest that.” Malcolm winks at her. “You beat me too it.”

Amanda gives a little giggle and she strokes my thigh.