Roommate Arrangement (Divorced Men's Club #1)(7)

I want to push and ask more, but it’s hard to do that when Marty is blissfully ignorant of my crush on his brother. If Lizzy was here, she’d give me all the information I want without me having to say a thing. It’s baffling how it’s so obvious to her when Marty is completely unaware, but I’m grateful she’s never said anything.

“What happened with the breakup?”

Marty’s expression darkens as we fall into step with each other. “I still can’t believe it.”

“Believe what?”

“Look, I’m not sure how much Payne wants people to know, considering he hasn’t even told us the full story, but … Kyle cheated. Maybe a lot, but it’s definitely over.”

My mouth drops. Kyle cheated? On Payne? My heart thumps as angry indignation creeps up my throat.

Ever since I hit puberty and discovered how good jerking off felt, Payne’s been a constant in my fantasies. Not only is he so hot he makes me drool, he’s got a relaxed confidence about himself. Where some of our other friends’ older brothers were dickheads, Payne always included Marty and me.

Then he went off to college and moved to Boston, where he met Kyle. His wedding day was the one time I wished Payne wasn’t a decent enough human to invite me. Sitting through him promising some other guy forever was painful.

Kyle got to have that. Payne’s loyal—he would have been married to that guy until they died—and that stupid fuck threw it all away. I don’t even have it in me to be excited by the prospect of Payne being single when I’m too pissed that someone would do that to him.

If Payne was my husband, I’d make sure he knew how amazing he is.

“Wow.” The one word is too inadequate to encompass my feelings, but I don’t want to give myself away.

“Yeah. All I can think of are the times he stayed with us and played the part of happy families. Was he sleeping around on my brother then?” Marty almost growls. “I want to kill him.”

“Happy to take a drive to Boston with you if you want backup.”

“If I knew where he lived now, I’d probably take you up on the offer.”

“Probably a good thing since neither of us knows how to swing a punch.” Marty is a lover, not a fighter, and so am I. Where the other guys in high school were looking to get into fights, we both ran the other way. “At least Payne’s home now.”

“Exactly.”

“So where is he planning to stay?” I ask.

“Our place.” Marty pulls a face. “We offered to move both the girls’ beds into one room so he could have the other to set up in, but he tried to insist on the couch. So, we’re compromising. He’s taking one of the girls’ beds, and they’re sharing.”

My lips twitch. “Payne? In a single bed?”

“I know. I give him two days before he caves and buys something bigger.”

“Payne’s not the kind of guy to complain. I bet he makes do.”

Marty suddenly stops walking. “Hang on. You have a spare room, don’t you?”

“Umm …” Yes, Beau, the answer is yes. “I do …” And the thought of Payne living in that room? It both fills me with anxiousness and so much want that I might pass out.

“How do you feel about a roommate?” Marty laughs like he’s joking, but he’s really, really not. “It’d only be for a couple of weeks. Or so. Probably.”

Crap.

A couple of weeks is exactly enough time for me to become embarrassingly addicted to having him around.

Or … maybe it would cure me of my crush once and for all.

I hate people in my space. I’ve had roommates before, and those arrangements did not end amicably. They always found me too fussy, and I found them too loud. And intrusive. And … inconvenient.

One part of me doesn’t want to let this crush go, but the thing is, I do want to find my person, and it’s going to be doubly hard to do that with Payne back in Kilborough all … gorgeous and irresistible and available with me comparing every man I meet to him. It was easier to date when he was gone and married.

Easier, but still not successful. I’m worried I have no clue how to date. How to relate to people and loosen the reins so that I’m boyfriend material. “Fussy” isn’t something I want to be, but I don’t even know what I’m doing to project that trait.

I’m not easygoing like Payne, as much as I’d like to be.

And then, like a light bulb going off, I’m hit with the most fantastic, terrific plan of all plans.

If Payne moves in, we can both focus on the other’s flaws. I’ll cure my crush, and he can point out the things I’m doing wrong. He can make me dating material.

Oooh yes, I’m liking this.

It’s more or less foolproof.

The thing is, Payne will probably say no. He doesn’t like to put people out, but maybe if I can get the girls on board …

“You know what, I think I could do it for a couple of weeks,” I say.

Marty lets out a long breath. “As much as I’d love for him to stay with us, I think everyone would be happier if he wasn’t squished into Digit’s room.”

“Including Bridget.” She’s a bossy little six-year-old—in only the best way, of course—so I can’t imagine she’s too happy with the arrangement. “And I can’t let my oldest niece be inconvenienced in any way, can I?”