“Agreed,” Max says with a nod. “It’s fine. Maybe I’ll just bring Tiffany along. She’d get a kick out of it.”

Max and Tiffany have been together for more than ten years, with no sign of marriage in sight. She’s been through everything with him. Sundays are their one day off a week together.

“Good idea.” I wonder if I can talk Addie into coming too.

What am I thinking? This isn’t a backyard barbecue. This is work.

“Wanna start that new song for Starla tonight?”

I shake my head and close the laptop. “I can’t. I have to get ready to go.”

“Go where?” Max asks with a raised brow.

“I have a date.” I grin, but don’t look him in the eye. He’s going to give me shit. If I don’t look him in the eye, maybe he’ll leave me alone.

“A date? With who?”

And maybe not.

“With Addie.”

Silence. Finally, I glance up to find him watching me, hands on his hips, a frown between his eyebrows.

“Addie from the restaurant?”

“That’s the only Addie I know.”

“So, you have a girlfriend?”

“No.” She’s not a girl, she’s an incredible woman.

“So, you’re gonna bang her?”

“You’re starting to piss me off, man.” I cross my arms and stare Max down, eye to eye now.

“I’m confused. You don’t date. You work and you sulk, and sometimes you get laid because you’re Jake fucking Knox, but you don’t date.”

I sigh and rub my hands over my face. “What’s your point?”

“That’s pretty much it.”

“I like her,” I reply with a shrug. “I want to hang out with her. It’s really that simple. There’s no need to make a big deal out of it.”

“She’s beautiful.”

I narrow my eyes on my friend.

“Come on, man,” he says with a chuckle. “I may be taken, but I’m not six feet under. She’s a beautiful woman. Smart. Too smart to waste her time with a bozo like you.”

“I love you too.”

“Do we need to have the talk?” His grin has turned pure evil now. He loves flinging shit at me.

“Fuck you.”

“Be safe. Condoms are important.”

“Stop talking.”

“No means no.”

“Shut the fuck up, Max.” But I can’t help but laugh. God, he’s a bastard.

“Be a gentleman. Open doors, pull out her chair, and all that happy horseshit. Oh! Do you need money for dinner?” He reaches for his wallet. “She shouldn’t pay for dinner.”

“I’m going to deck you.”

Max is laughing in earnest now, almost doubled over at my expense.

Asshole.

I turn away and walk to the door, not looking back at him.

“Compliment her shoes!” he calls out behind me. “Girls like that!”

I flip him off, then jog to the house to quickly shower and change clothes, and just as I pull out of my driveway, my phone rings.

“Keller.”

“Hey, handsome.”

Christina.

“Did Max call you and tell you to give me shit about my date tonight?”

“I don’t know what any of those words meant,” she replies. “I haven’t talked to Max.”

Well shit.

“But now I want to know everything.”

“Of course you do. Why are you calling?”

“Oh no,” she says with a laugh. “You’re not changing the subject. Spill it.”

I take a deep breath and merge onto the freeway. “I have a date with Addie tonight. And before you start,” I say, interrupting her, “Max already gave me a bunch of shit.”

“I like her.”

“You do?”

“Sure. What’s not to like. Hold on.” She doesn’t bother pulling the phone away from her face as she talks to her husband. “Jake’s going out with Addie tonight. Yes, on a real date. I know, I like her too. I told him that. Oh, you think she’s pretty?”

“Chris, do you want me to let you go so you guys can talk about Addie, or was there a point to this call?”

“Sorry. We both approve.”

“Thank goodness,” I reply sarcastically. “Otherwise, I’d have to call and cancel.”

“So, now that you have a girlfriend, does this mean I won’t see you as often?”

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. I knew she’d tease me. “No, you won’t see me anymore because you annoy the shit out of me.”

“Aww, you’re so sweet,” she says with a smile in her voice. “If you talk to Addie like that tonight, you’ll get laid for sure.”

“Why is everyone so damn worried about me getting laid?”

“Well, everyone should get laid,” she says, as though I’m a slow child.

“Getting laid isn’t my objective tonight,” I mutter.

“What is the objective?” Christina asks.

“To have dinner. To spend time with her. To get to know her.”

“You’re seriously going out on a date.” Her voice is heavy with surprise, and that just pisses me off.

“I’ve gone out on dates before.”

“Okay, all joking aside,” she says, her voice excited, but sincere. “I really like her, Jake. She’s smart and funny, and she runs her business brilliantly.”

Hell yes she does.

“You look good together,” she adds.