it, too?
Sighing, she took a gulp of her iced tea. "Am I that bad?"
"Maybe not to the average person, but remember I am a professional. I'm a jury consultant, Mariah. It's my business to see what people want to hide from others. Body language is more than a hobby for me."
"He'll be gone soon. He never stays in Chicago very long."
"And how do you feel about that?"
"I–I'm okay with it. Like I said, we're friends. That's it."
Grant's gaze dropped to his hands and then back up to her. "I think...that just maybe...this guy affects you more than you want to admit. I think you still have feelings for him."
She shook her head, denying his words. "No, I don't. It's been over for many years."
"You know, it's really okay," Grant replied with a grimace. "I like you, Mariah. You're beautiful, funny, smart, and talented. You're exactly like the person that I've been hoping to find."
There was a but at the end of that sentence.
"But?" she prompted.
"I kind of get the feeling that you're not into me."
It appeared that he could read her like a book. She wasn't sure she was a fan of that.
"I like you a lot. You're a great guy. Really terrific."
"There was definitely a but at the end of that sentence," he said with a grin. "But I just don't do it for you, right? It's okay, Mariah. I promise I won't get all weepy and start writing bad poetry."
He didn't seem the type, honestly. Her ego should be a tad more bruised but it actually kind of helped that he wasn't heartbroken. She didn't want to hurt anyone.
"I'm a terrible person," she stated firmly. "I should be head over heels for a guy like you. You're great."
"You are not a terrible person," Grant laughed. "Not even close. It's just not happening for us and that's okay. I'll tell you what...how about you and I be friends and you and your ex-boyfriend rekindle your romance? I think you still have some feelings there."
"I do," she admitted and not happily. "But I don't want to have feelings for him. There were good reasons we split up when we did. We were both so young and we hadn't experienced anything of life. Plus, Ryan is so damn stubborn. Do you know he never admitted he was wrong? Ever. Well, until yesterday. He admitted it then and apologized but that's how stubborn he could be. He didn't want to compromise on anything."
"It sounds like he does now. Do you think he might have changed?"
Ryan had changed. The question was...how much?
"I do, but it's been a long time. I'm not sure we even know each other anymore."
"Then get to know each other," Grant suggested. "It sounds like you still care about him. It might be worth finding out if he feels the same. But let me suggest that you might know more about him than you think you do. You spent your formative years together, after all. Sure, he might be stubborn but is he a good person? Is he honest? Hardworking? Does he care about others and have empathy? Do your morals and values align?"
"He's all of those things."
And more.
"Do you think he still has feelings for you?"
"That's a loaded question," Mariah said, pleating the napkin between her nervous fingers. It was a query that she hadn't wanted to think about too closely, afraid of the answer. "I have no idea how he feels. I know that his original plan was to avoid me."
That statement made Grant smile.
"Then he still feels something. If he didn't, then it wouldn't be any big deal to be around you. It sounds like you and this Ryan have some unfinished business."
Mariah frowned. "Is this what you usually do on dates? Talk the women into going after other men? It seems like a rather limiting strategy."
"I'm an idiot when it comes to love and relationships. But there is one thing I know for sure, and it's that I want the person I'm dating to be totally into me. If not, then I need to move along. No harm, no foul. No recriminations. Maybe friends were all we were meant to be."
"You want to be friends with me?"
"Everyone can use more friends."
It was almost the exact same thing she'd said to Ryan.
"I think that I'd like to have you for a friend. You're a nice person, and wise, too."
"I like laying some wisdom down every now and then. So what are you going to do about Ryan?"
"I