she chose Blake.”
“Blake? Figures his name is something like Blake.” I sat back down, tipping the bottle to my mouth again.
“Oh, stop being petty, it does not suit you. To be completely honest, most of us were shocked that she chose Blake. I know I was.”
I turned and looked at my sister. She looked like she was telling the truth. “You thought she would pick me?”
“Yes, I did. I hoped that she would pick you.”
“I thought you said I wasn’t her type.”
“You aren’t her normal type, but that’s why I wanted you on the show. I knew that she would like you. I was hoping she would take a chance and pick you.”
I squinted at her. “Was there ever a guy who broke his leg?” She winced ever so slightly. “Holy shit, Holly. This was a setup from the beginning.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry, Harv.”
“Why the hell would you do that, Holly?”
“Because I wanted you to find someone good. She is fantastic, and I could see you with her. I was hoping that she would see it too.”
“How well do you know her?”
“I know Ali really well. We’ve been friends for a while.”
I paused—Ali—it was a pretty name for her. “I can’t believe this was a setup. That’s why you told me to burn my time at work. You even helped me pick out the dates.” I paused. “Wait! Did you talk to Jake about it? He was pushing me to take time off too.”
“Yeah, I kind of did.”
“Jesus, Holly. I can’t believe you did that.”
“Harvey, don’t be mad. I was trying to help you.”
“Holly, do you like it when I get in your personal business with the men you date? No, you don’t, so why would you think it would be alright for you to barge into mine? That was a pretty crappy thing to do.”
“I’m sorry, Harvey. I honestly did think that she was going to pick you. When I found out, I was shocked. I even asked her if she was serious, and she said—”
I stared at my sister. “What did she say?”
She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, wiping her hands over her head before she looked at me and answered. “She said that she needed safe, not sexy in her life right now.”
“Safe? He made her feel safe? That guy looked like a fruitcake.”
“I think she meant more along the lines of he was a safer choice, that she didn’t expect any surprises from him.”
“That’s bullshit.” I was pissed, that woman—Ali—didn’t have any idea what kind of man I was, or how protected and safe she would have been with me.
“I’m sorry, Harvey.”
I put my hand up. “I know you are, Holly, but can you just let it go? I don’t want to know anything else about her. Just stop talking about her. I wish her the best, now let’s move on.”
Holly sighed. “Fine, I’ll let it go, but for the record, she would have been perfect for you.”
I glared at her. She got up and went into the kitchen to get a beer for herself. When she returned, she asked, “What’s the score?”
Chapter Eighteen
Ali
The decision weighed heavily on my mind day and night on Saturday. Even amid Saturday night rush hour in the kitchen, my mind continually wrestled with the decision.
There was this massive piece of me that wanted to pick dancer one, just because I knew it would be stimulating and undoubtedly fun. However, the practical side of me said to choose dancer two. He didn’t make my heart flutter when he looked into my eyes, but he had a beautiful smile that I did not doubt reached right into his heart.
On Saturday afternoon, Charlie and I had gone to Holly’s office, and we’d gotten to see all four dances. This was the first time that I had seen myself in action, and after watching them, I was more torn than I had been before—at least for a little while.
Dancing with the second guy had been easy, and we looked striking as a couple. He was big; I was tiny. He was light, and I was dark. He moved with purpose, and I traveled with a grace that I would never have thought myself capable of.
The dances with the first man were incredible to watch. He brought something out in me, something that almost scared me. He wasn’t much bigger than me, and yet he had lifted and held me with more strength than the other man. When our bodies came together, our