Page 18 of Decidedly Off Limits

Nothing will ever happen between you and him, I reminded myself.Maybe in another universe it might’ve worked out between us, but too many elements were working against us in this one.

As I walked to my car after finishing work for the day, my phone pinged.Are you still mad at me?I didn’t recognize the number.

Who is this?

Trent. Why, are you mad at other people too?

Yeah, my brother. Maybe.

Maybe your date from Friday?

Before I could respond, he sent another text.Have you heard from him yet?

It’s only been 3 days.

What, is he scaling Everest?

Based on what Stephen had talked about on Friday, I wouldn’t be surprised if hewasscaling Mount Everest.

Ha ha! What about the 3 day rule?I replied.

What 3 day rule?

The rule where you don’t phone the girl for 3 days so not to come off as desperate.

I followed the text with another one.Aren’t you supposed to be working, Mr. Workaholic?

Yes, but I wanted to see how you’re doing.

That was the same Trent I’d known for as long as I could remember. He used to come to my house all the time to hang out with Liam. Sometimes he’d get there before my brother showed up. Instead of going home and waiting for Liam, he’d ask me about my day, give advice to whatever problem I was dealing with at the time (which in retrospect wasn’t always the greatest advice), and I’d listen to him talk about his day. Even before I started crushing on Trent, I’d sometimes (often) willed my brother to come home late, just so I could get in more alone time with him.

I’m fine,I typed, but do me a favor.

What?

Next time I’m on a date, please DO NOT crash it.

He didn’t answer immediately, so I figured that was the end of the discussion and he’d gone back to work. A few minutes later I received another text from him.So you want a second date with him?

I didn’t say that.

So you don’t want to go out with him again?

I sighed.Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying.ExceptI was only now realizing that.

My car sat at the far end of the staff parking lot. I’d just opened the door when Trent sent me another text.How come you don’t want to go out with him?

Wow, what was with all the questions about my date? Oh, yeah. My brother.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Trent was writing a report on this for Liam, like I was a company he analyzed for his job.

I don’t know. I just didn’t see it going far.Other than some fun under the sheets for one night.

Which I never got to experience in the end.

Trent never responded to the text, not that there was anything to say. I had made his job that much easier. His report for my brother? Completed in triplicate. The Viking had been my only prospect for a relationship, unless I wanted to go out with someone who didn’t like ice cream.

And that was never going to happen.