didn't even look away from the screen, tapping the controller and maneuvering with ease. "I'm not saying you've got a shrine or anything, but you've still got her girly crap all over," he said. "And let's face it, it's not like you're out there looking for anyone."
"Sorry. I've been meaning to stop by Girlfriends R' Us and pick up a new one," Adam said caustically. "Which reminds me, why haven't you guys got girlfriends, if you're on my case?"
"Not for want of trying," Fezza said.
"I have plenty of dates," José bragged. Rodney threw a gummy bear at him.
"Yeah, but you can't keep any of them," Rodney shot back.
"I'm playing the numbers," José said, his tone insulted.
Adam sighed. "I am not hung up on Casey."
Oh, really? Then why are you here, with these guys, just to avoid remembering what happened on this same night last year?
He'd been considering proposing. She'd said she had a big announcement that night. She'd said that she hadn't wanted to get serious about a relationship until her job was more settled. So he thought she'd been finally getting promoted, and she'd be open to marrying him. But instead, she'd said that she'd gotten a job in New York----and then, to make matters worse, had said that they should break up so she could focus on her career.
He wasn't hung up on her. He was gun shy. There was a difference.
"I just haven't met the right girl," he said.
"I don't care one way or another, but I gotta call bullshit on this," Fezza said. "Where were you planning on finding a new girlfriend, dude? You either hang out with us, or you go to work. Not exactly target rich environments."
Adam frowned. That was true, actually.
"Are you going to clubs or meet ups? Got a dating profile? Anything like that?"
"No." Adam hadn't considered going the online dating route. The thought made him wither a bit inside. "I mean, I met Casey by chance. If the right person comes along, I'll know."
"We're forgetting he lives with a girl," José said.
"No, he lives with Tessa," Fezza said. "There's a difference."
"Hey, not one word. She's a great roommate," Adam said quickly. "She pays her half of the rent on time, totally helps out with her part of the chores--" which was more than he could say about Casey, in the year they'd lived together, "--and she's quiet."
"That's how most serial killers are described," Fezza muttered.
"She's awesome."
"Then why don't you date her?"
Adam burst into surprised laughter. "Me? Date Tessa?" He shook his head. "No way."
"Dude, face it: unless you ask out a pizza delivery girl who comes by Fezza's house, there's no way in hell you're going to start dating any time in the near future," José said.
Adam felt anger and self-righteousness--okay, maybe just the booze--burn in his stomach. "Trust me. I can get a girlfriend."
The guys looked at him, grinning. "Bet on it?" José said.
"You're on," Adam said. "I'll bet that I can get a girlfriend before we replace Mac on the engineering team."
"Deal," Fezza said as they shook on it. "You sure it's not going to be Tessa? Because that might be cheating."
"Not in a million years," Adam said. "Never going to..."
He stopped abruptly when he heard her clear her throat. He glanced over, only to see Tessa standing in the doorway.
He felt a blush flood his cheeks. Oh, God.
"Tessa," he said, feeling like a total asshole. "Sorry. Um...didn't know you were going to...uh..."
"Can I get you a drink, milady?" José said, swooping to her side. She quickly took a step back. She'd known José for years, after all. Give the guy an inch, and he'd take your underwear.
"I just wanted to stop by and, um, hang out." She seemed to be blushing a bit, too.
"We've got some food in the kitchen," Adam said, bounding up. "I can get you a drink that isn't going to melt your face off, too."
He ushered her into the kitchen. Her expression was pensive. He wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I didn't...I mean, we were just talking..."
"I know," she
"Sorry. I've been meaning to stop by Girlfriends R' Us and pick up a new one," Adam said caustically. "Which reminds me, why haven't you guys got girlfriends, if you're on my case?"
"Not for want of trying," Fezza said.
"I have plenty of dates," José bragged. Rodney threw a gummy bear at him.
"Yeah, but you can't keep any of them," Rodney shot back.
"I'm playing the numbers," José said, his tone insulted.
Adam sighed. "I am not hung up on Casey."
Oh, really? Then why are you here, with these guys, just to avoid remembering what happened on this same night last year?
He'd been considering proposing. She'd said she had a big announcement that night. She'd said that she hadn't wanted to get serious about a relationship until her job was more settled. So he thought she'd been finally getting promoted, and she'd be open to marrying him. But instead, she'd said that she'd gotten a job in New York----and then, to make matters worse, had said that they should break up so she could focus on her career.
He wasn't hung up on her. He was gun shy. There was a difference.
"I just haven't met the right girl," he said.
"I don't care one way or another, but I gotta call bullshit on this," Fezza said. "Where were you planning on finding a new girlfriend, dude? You either hang out with us, or you go to work. Not exactly target rich environments."
Adam frowned. That was true, actually.
"Are you going to clubs or meet ups? Got a dating profile? Anything like that?"
"No." Adam hadn't considered going the online dating route. The thought made him wither a bit inside. "I mean, I met Casey by chance. If the right person comes along, I'll know."
"We're forgetting he lives with a girl," José said.
"No, he lives with Tessa," Fezza said. "There's a difference."
"Hey, not one word. She's a great roommate," Adam said quickly. "She pays her half of the rent on time, totally helps out with her part of the chores--" which was more than he could say about Casey, in the year they'd lived together, "--and she's quiet."
"That's how most serial killers are described," Fezza muttered.
"She's awesome."
"Then why don't you date her?"
Adam burst into surprised laughter. "Me? Date Tessa?" He shook his head. "No way."
"Dude, face it: unless you ask out a pizza delivery girl who comes by Fezza's house, there's no way in hell you're going to start dating any time in the near future," José said.
Adam felt anger and self-righteousness--okay, maybe just the booze--burn in his stomach. "Trust me. I can get a girlfriend."
The guys looked at him, grinning. "Bet on it?" José said.
"You're on," Adam said. "I'll bet that I can get a girlfriend before we replace Mac on the engineering team."
"Deal," Fezza said as they shook on it. "You sure it's not going to be Tessa? Because that might be cheating."
"Not in a million years," Adam said. "Never going to..."
He stopped abruptly when he heard her clear her throat. He glanced over, only to see Tessa standing in the doorway.
He felt a blush flood his cheeks. Oh, God.
"Tessa," he said, feeling like a total asshole. "Sorry. Um...didn't know you were going to...uh..."
"Can I get you a drink, milady?" José said, swooping to her side. She quickly took a step back. She'd known José for years, after all. Give the guy an inch, and he'd take your underwear.
"I just wanted to stop by and, um, hang out." She seemed to be blushing a bit, too.
"We've got some food in the kitchen," Adam said, bounding up. "I can get you a drink that isn't going to melt your face off, too."
He ushered her into the kitchen. Her expression was pensive. He wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I didn't...I mean, we were just talking..."
"I know," she
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