book."
"What?" Ty barked out a laugh. "You? Need
advice on how to get someone to like you? Now I
have heard everything."
"Ty …"
"Sorry, but this is just too much. I never thought
I'd see the day when you needed a guide book to
help you win a man."
"Look, I feel dumb enough about this as it is," he
said, feeling defensive. "I'd appreciate it if you'd
just back off, all right?"
"Okay, Ash. I'm sorry." Ty giggled a few more
times before his laugher died off on the other end
of the phone. He hiccupped a couple of times
before he could pull himself together. "So, tell me
about this book."
"Never mind. Just go and have fun. I'll see you
at the shop tomorrow."
"No, I'm serious. I want to help."
Ash swore he could hear his best friend's smile
through the connection, but he decided to go ahead
and tell Ty everything anyway.
"You know that advice guy who writes for
OutLoud Magazine ? Valentine?"
"The 'online wingman'?" Ty laughed. "The Dear
Abby of the gay community?"
"Yeah, that guy. Well, he claims to be a gay guy,
but no one actually knows who he is. Could be
some sixty-year-old, straight, retired school
teacher named Molly for all we know."
Ty snorted. "Okay. So, what about him? Or
her?"
"Well, he's written a series of dating books to
go along with his column. The one I have is called
The Party Boy's Guide to Dating a Geek . I think
it's really going to help—assuming I can make
heads or tails of this stuff."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Well, for one thing, what kind of movie series
starts with the fourth movie, releases two more,
then waits over fifteen years to release the first
movie? And do I need to see them all in order?
Who the hell thinks of this crap? Why would
anyone bother seeing the first three if the others
were going to come out?"
"Uh, yeah. Good luck with that." Tyson's
chuckle drifted over the phone. "Well, sounds like
you've got your hands full. Go rent the movies.
That may help. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, thanks a lot," Ash grumbled even as he
added them to his Netflix queue.
"Oh, and Ash? Live long and prosper." Ash
could hear Ty still laughing as he hung up.
"Way to have my back, buddy," Ash said to the
phone. He flipped through the rest of the book, not
understanding much of it. He didn't get the
references or the humor of most of it. One thing
that did make sense was that he needed to get Fee's
contact information as soon as possible. Getting
digits was something he knew about doing. He had
a jar full of cocktail napkins, business cards, and
scraps of paper in his room. If he wanted a booty
call, he could cover his eyes, reach in, and pull out
the phone number of a ready, willing hot body.
But the hot body he wanted belonged to
someone who didn't seem to be very willing. Yet.
Since the book was putting him to sleep, he picked
up the phone and dialed his brother's number.
"Ash? Everything okay?"
"Fine, why?"
"I just figured you'd be a couple of drinks in
already. Slow night?"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, bro. I'm not
that bad."
"Okay, Ash. If you say so."
Ash's knuckles hurt from gripping the phone a
little tighter. Did everyone see him as this flighty
airhead with nothing more on his mind than the
next drink? No wonder Fee had turned him down.
"Sorry to disappoint you. I'm having a quiet
evening at home reading, if you must know."
" You're reading?"
"Why is everyone so shocked to hear me say I'm
reading? It is a skill I picked up somewhere
around first grade, you know."
"Hey, calm down. I'm just surprised, that's all. I
don't think I've seen you pick up a book that wasn't
required reading since middle school." Jack did
have a point. Reading was not something Ash ever
did for fun.
"Look, I was just wondering if you had Fee's
number." Ash nibbled on his lip, hoping he didn't
sound as idiotic as he felt.
"Fee? Nah. Mari's got it, but she's not home right
now. Why do you want it anyway?"
"I, uh, just wanted to