Folk Around and Find Out (Good Folk: Modern Folktales #2)(40)

I considered Patty for a tick, her posture, the turn of her lips. “Why would you assume that?”

She huffed a laugh devoid of humor. “That’s why you wanted to date me.”

Rearing back an inch, I studied my friend. What put a bee in her bonnet? “Is it so wrong to be thought of as impressive?”

“Hank, you make surface-level judgments about people and define them based on one thing. Then you put them in buckets without actually knowing who they are. You were never attracted to me, we had no chemistry, and you’re probably not attracted to Charlotte either. We’re in your impressive bucket, and so we’re someone you’d like to date. I mean, Charlotte is an odd choice for this bucket, but that must be what you’ve done. It’s what you always do to women you claim to be attracted to.”

I shook my head, ready to deny her claim. Admittedly, I’d felt no chemistry with Patty during our dates, so the theory held water in Patty’s case. But that wasn’t the case with Charlotte. Definitely not the case with Charlotte.

“You did the same thing to Sienna Diaz in college. She told me how you two dated,” Patty went on, picking up my half-empty beer and placing it on a coaster. She then produced a towel and wiped off the water ring left behind. “You thought she was impressive, and so she became someone you wanted to date. Same thing with Genevieve Taylor. She graduated from the right school, is the best defense lawyer in all of Tennessee, will likely run for office next year, and so she is date-worthy.”

I mulled over Patty’s words. Patty was impressive. Odd but impressive. She had several advanced degrees—two PhDs and a master’s, all from Baylor—that she had no intention of ever using. She was a perpetual student, she loved learning. She’d turned her momma’s business around when she was seventeen years old, and now they were thinking about franchising. She was a hard worker, great at softball, and a talented painter. Patty was definitely impressive.

“I still don’t see the problem with admiring an impressive woman.” I picked up my beer for a gulp, careful to put it back on the coaster.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. But don’t mistake it for attraction. A woman wants to be wanted for more than her accomplishments!”

I snorted. When I thought of Charlotte, when I’d caught myself daydreaming about Charlotte more and more since she’d strolled into my club, wearing her tiny gold cross and black tank top, the fantasies had nothing to do with her accomplishments.

“Go on.” Patty hit the table. “Tell me what else you find impressive about Charlotte. I know there is a list.”

“She’s . . .”

“Yes?”

I scratched the side of my jaw. “She’s a good mom.” And her kids—the middle two, at least—are amazing.

Patty blinked once, frowning. “And?”

“She’s really strong. I mean, she can lift a crate of whiskey, no problem. I caught her bringing in liquor crates with our bartender on Wednesday.” It was sexy as fuck.

“So can lots of people.” Patty’s gaze narrowed.

“No, listen. We had to move tables around the main room last weekend, and she pitched in like a trooper, lifting loads like Dave, Henry, and me. And she’s funny—so damn funny. Sweet. Too sweet. And witty.” My eyes moved to a spot over Patty’s head. “She doesn’t seem to get embarrassed no matter what, and I love that. And Christ, her body. I can’t stop thinking about her legs. She’s got this freckle on her knee, right above the kneecap, and I keep looking for it when she wears shorts or skirts. Isn’t that stupid?” I chuckled, grinning at Patty. “I love that she can laugh at herself and makes me laugh at myself and . . . What?” I stopped talking.

Patty’s eyes were enormous and her mouth had fallen open.

“Hank!” She reached over and smacked my hand. “You like Charlotte.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying.”

“No. You said that you were attracted to her. But you like her, too. You like her as a person. She’s not doing anything, she’s simply existing, and you’re falling for her. And I’m sorry, but these things you’re listing don’t sound ‘impressive.’” Patty put finger quotes around the word impressive.

I scoffed, offended on Charlotte’s behalf. “Excuse you?”

“No, no. Don’t misunderstand. Me, Genevieve, Sienna, we’re all impressive on paper. We could be garbage-fire humans with the depth and personality of a Japanese land snail, but our résumés look amazing. However, Charlotte, what has she done? What has she ‘accomplished’? Hauling liquor crates? Having freckly knees?” Patty turned her head to the side, smiling at me.

“She’s accomplished plenty,” I ground out, shifting in my seat. Perhaps it was a bad idea to discuss this with Patty.

“How many degrees does she have? How many movie deals? Does she have an Oscar? Or did she graduate top of her class from Princeton law school?”

Letting my head rest against the back of the booth, I scowled at Patty, not liking what she was implying. It sounded like she was saying Charlotte was less-than because she didn’t have fancy degrees or awards, and I took extreme issue with that.

“Let me put it this way instead.” She drummed her fingers on the wood surface, making tapping sounds with her short nails. “Would Genevieve and I laugh at ourselves? Are we self-deprecating? Do we have any freckles on our knees?”