Page 39 of Secret Baby for My Brother's Best Friends

"Because I want to meet women and talk to them."

He frowns. He knows me well enough to know that's a big fat lie.

He stares at me and asks, “Where did this come from?”

I shrug. I don't want to tell him that I want to practice to woo the woman into liking me more than him.

That just feels far too pathetic right now.

But something tells me he can tell anyway, even though he doesn't laugh; amusement lingers in his eyes.

The bar doesn't help.

Mostly because Jake doesn't flirt with anyone when we get there.

It's odd. I'm used to us coming here and instantly being swarmed by women within minutes, with Jake facilitating easy conversation between them. Usually, I just sit there, answering the occasional question until he picks the one he likes the most. Sometimes, if I like her too, we take her home and call Adam over for some fun.

But that's not what happens this time.

Sure, we get surrounded by women when we get there, but Jake isn't making conversation with them. He's clearly distracted as they try to talk to him, and five seconds into the conversation, he asks me if I want to leave and go somewhere quieter.

It's totally unlike him.

We take a breather to go up the boardwalk.

I ask him if he wants to go somewhere else, but he doesn't. He stares up at the sky.

"What do you think her problem is with us?" he asks. "Because she's clearly attracted to us."

"I don't know," I admit. "Maybe Adam's right. Maybe it's because we work together and she's scared of it getting back to her brother."

He shakes his head. "That doesn't explain why she left that first night. She didn't know us then."

"I assume she was just overwhelmed after everything we did, and maybe she thinks we’d judge her or something."

"You think?"

"Maybe."

"But she was the one who asked us for that in the first place. It's strange. That afternoon, she totally came onto us, but now she's acting like a nervous nelly."

"A woman can be both."

"I guess, but to this extent?"

"Maybe she only wants one of us." That's another possibility I considered. Being with three men at once is overwhelming for anyone, but perhaps if it were just one of us...

"Do you think it's Adam she wants?"

"Maybe, or you." As much as it pains me to admit.

"I notice you didn't mention yourself."

"I don't think she likes me all that much yet."

He stops and stares at me. "You don't?"

"No." But I plan to win her over eventually.