“So. Two questions…was it worth it? And not because of the money. I know how you are about that.” Tao studied me over a plate of bacon and eggs.

I rolled my eyes. “That’s only one question, genius.” Sipping from a cup of coffee, I thought about it a moment and then shrugged. “I got a thousand dollars out of it. He’s a nice guy. A nice, rich, white guy…who’d engaged. The money was the only thing to get out of it. Well, that and a nice meal, a headache from spending a ridiculous amount of time flying in such a short time.” I paused for a second and then added, “And sore feet.”

“Sore feet?” Tao gave me a puzzled look.

“Yeah. I was walking all over the airport, then New York City, and then the airport again. I was only prepared to work at the salon for five hours.” With a glum sigh, I leaned back in my chair. “I flew all that way, and I didn’t even get any pizza.”

“Poor baby.” He snapped a bite of bacon off before pointing a finger in my direction. “So question two…how badly are you kicking yourself over being hot for this guy?”

“What?” Heat flooded my cheeks, and I ducked my head, pretending to root through my purse for something – anything. I snatched a tissue out and wiped at my nose needlessly. “I'm not.”

Tao wasn’t fooled. Best friends rarely were, and he and I were closer than most. “Come on, Allie, how hot is he?”

Puffing up my cheeks, I blew out a breath. Shit. I knew better than to try to lie to him. “Jal is…wow. I think that sums it up.”

“And if he wasn’t rich?” Tao asked. “I mean, there’s nothing we can do about him being white, but if he wasn't rich, then what would you do?”

Him.

The thought leaped into my mind so fast I couldn’t stop it. The filter didn’t activate in time, and judging by the way Tao started to grin, he knew just what direction my mind had gone.

Grabbing the napkin from the table, I balled it up and threw it at him. He batted it aside, chuckling.

“Hey, sweetie. It’s not my fault your mind is going down that dirty, dirty path.”

I stuck out my tongue. Childish, maybe, but Tao sometimes brought that out in me. “Look, there’s no point in discussing it anyway. He’s about to get engaged. I took him his engagement ring, Tao. Besides, you know, how I am with guys like him.”

“Guys like him.” Tao rested his chin on one fist. “It’s kind of–”

“Don’t. We’ve had this fight before, okay?” I stole the last piece of bacon off his plate. I’d told the waitress not to bring me any, and I hadn’t intended to eat anything except the omelet on my plate, but my appetite got the better of me. Not an uncommon occurrence for me, especially when Tao's food was involved. He smacked my hand, but I knew he’d asked for the large order of bacon for a reason. He knew I’d steal some.

“So what are you up to this weekend?” I asked, changing the subject away from me.

“Met this guy. We’re getting together for lunch tomorrow.” He dragged a piece of toast through the yolk on his plate before biting into it.

I shuddered. “How can you do that?”

“Cuz it’s delicious.” He smacked his lips. “So…anyway. You think you can keep your phone handy in case I need you?”

“Think you will?” I glanced around the diner, the breakfast crowd already mostly gone, the mid-morning crowd yet to arrive. There were only a few others in there besides Tao and me. It was one of our favorite places to hang out.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Tao shrugged. “I like the guy. We hit it off the few times we talked, but this is the first date. He’s full-on gay. Doesn’t seem to care that I’m bi, but you know how that goes.” Tao lifted a shoulder. “Not to mention the fact that sometimes you meet a guy, and he’s just an ass.”

“Or a girl who’s just a diva.” I fluffed my hair.

“Well, yeah, but I love you anyway.” He winked at me. “What about you? Anybody on the horizon other the pretty, rich white boy?”

“Like I’ve had so much time to go looking.” I hooked my hands behind my neck and rolled my head from side to side. I'd slept on it funny, and now it was a bit stiff. “Maybe I need to stop sleeping with you on my free time and actually go out.”

“Hey…let’s not get crazy.” He glanced over as somebody came in, his mouth turning down into a hard straight line.

Once I looked over, I saw why. Richard Bloom, Tao’s ex, and the biggest dick I’d ever met, had just strolled in. And that wasn't “biggest dick” in any sort of positive way. I'd been tempted more than once to kick him in the nuts until he cried like a little girl.

He caught sight of us and gave a stiff smile, taking the table farthest away and indicating to the waitress that he needed two cups of coffee.

I once more felt that familiar kick-in-the-nuts urge.

“We can go if you want,” I said.

“No. He’ll be convinced I’m leaving because of him. I’m over it…mostly.” Tao smiled at me, a real smile. “The worst thing was not seeing what he was doing – feeling like a fool.”

“Nobody likes to feel like a fool.” I reached over and caught his hand, linking our fingers. “I hear love tends to do that to us – make us all into fools. Makes me wonder why in the hell anybody would wanna mess with it.”

“Because when it’s good, it’s worth it.”

We hung around another ten minutes, deliberately taking our time with our coffee, and I made sure to hook my arm through his, leaning against him as we sauntered to the door. Rick the Dick had never liked me, and when he found out that Tao and I sometimes shared a bed when we weren't otherwise involved…well, it hadn’t made him like me any more. He was one of those men who thought there was only straight and gay, and he hadn't liked it when Tao insisted he really did like both. I waggled my fingers at him and chirped out a greeting as we passed by his table.

“You’re such a mean little bitch,” Tao said, grinning at me as we passed through the door.

I smiled back. “I know.”

I didn't need some false sort of romantic nonsense or fantasies about someone I could never have. I had my family. I had Tao. I didn't need anything or anyone else.