Page 19 of Worth the Risk

Gregory cleared his head. “Uh, I’m fine. Fine. And no, I’m awake. Meeting some friends for brunch. I’m actually running late.”

Gregory hit the speakerphone button and set the phone on top of the nightstand so he could pull his socks on.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to bother. I’ll be quick. I just wanted to see if you had plans tonight.”

Gregory sputtered out a sound that was probably half cough, half choke. He made a fist and pounded himself against the chest bone.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I wanted to see if you had plans tonight,” Verity repeated with a small laugh.

“I uh…” Gregory stared at his phone like it had sprouted horns. “You’re uh… I appreciate it, but you’re not really my type.”

“Appreciate what? Excuse me? Oh, God. Do you think I’m asking you out?” They laughed at him again, this time louder and more definitive.

“Are you not?” Gregory blinked at his phone, then shoved his feet into his sneakers.

“Definitely, not. You’re not my type.”

“Oh.” Gregory felt like a huge ass. If Landon lived with Verity, which he knew he did, then God knew what kinds of things Landon had said about him in the past. Verity couldn’t think fondly of Gregory, and now here he was making assumptions that they’d been trying to ask him out.

“I didn’t mean…” Gregory stopped talking, fully aware of what he meant, and equally aware that Verity knew, too.

“You did,” Verity confirmed. “It’s okay, though. I’m flattered, honestly. But I’m calling about Landon.”

“Is he okay?” Gregory was quick to question, pulling the phone off speaker and cradling it against his ear.

Verity laughed again, that delicate sound ringing through Gregory’s ear. “He’s fine. Well, all things considered. All things being you.”

“What about me?”

“Please don’t play coy. I don’t find it an attractive quality and as of right now, I’m on your side.”

“My side?”

If someone rolling their eyes had a universally identifiable sound that went with it, it would have been the noise that escaped Verity’s lips.

“Landon left work early last night, shortly after your little parking lot rendezvous, and when I got home I found him most of the way through a bottle of Merlot. He’s a stubborn one, but I’m sure you know that.”

“Still?” Gregory asked, finding himself eager for any morsel of information.

“As long as I’ve known him, which is not much less than you have.”

Gregory found himself suddenly jealous that Verity had all the years with Landon that had been meant for him. He’d lived a good life, a happy life, mostly, and he hated sitting there feeling resentment for a hypothetical life that never was.

“Anyway,” they thankfully continued speaking, “Landon is going to be at work tonight, and I think you should drop by.”

Gregory huffed an incredulous sound. “I’m not in the market to get told no by the same person three times in twenty-four hours, but thanks for that suggestion.”

“What if I said he wouldn’t tell you no?”

Gregory swallowed.

“He may not tell you yes,” Verity added with another small laugh, “but he won’t tell you no.”

“What makes you so sure?” Gregory questioned.

“I’ve put the rules of our relationship into perspective for him.”