Page 58 of Sportsball is for Lovers

“I had a good time,” I finally say carefully. “But it was only ever meant to be a one-time thing.”

Okay, twice.

Three times.

Fuck. I slipped up at the Seder.

Okay. Fourtimes. That’s it. No more.

Yoni laughs, shakes his head. “Why don’t you try something?”

I shrug. “I don’t want a relationship.”

He blinks at me. “Since when?”

“Since always?”

“You write romance novels,” he reminds me. “You love love.”

“I do. Love is great,” I explain. “Sex with love is awesome. But babe, I can’t take care of myself. You are the only reason I’m a halfway functional adult human being. I’m not in a place where I could stand on my own two feet and manage a relationship.”

“Or, and hear me out,” he says, “You date casually and get laid and be happy?”

I scrunch my face at him.

“It doesn’t have to be a serious relationship,” Yoni says gently. “There doesn’t have to be love and romance. Let him in, just a little bit.”

I smirk. “A little?”

He shudders. “Babe, that’s my brother.”

“Hey, you’re the one⁠—”

He throws a slice of bell pepper at me. “I meant into your heart. Let him into your pussy as much as you want, even if that’s not at all. He’s a good guy.”

“You have to say that. He’s your brother.”

“Yeah, he’s my brother,” Yoni repeats slowly. “I think you should date my brother.”

I chew my lip.

“I mean, he’s not a doctor or a lawyer or anything, but he’s pretty cute, if I do say so myself.” He winks. “Go out a few times, get laid. If you get along well enough, bring him to your parents’ anniversary party in a few months.”

I bolt upright.

The anniversary party.

“You don’t seriously think…”

Yoni shrugs. “If nothing else, he can be a good buffer.”

“Yeah, and then my mother will ask about him for the next five years,” I gripe.

“She might,” he allows. “Or it could turn into happily ever after and⁠—”

This time, I throw an apple slice at him. He catches it in his mouth.

“Shut up,” I mutter.

Happily ever after is a lot of pressure to put on a hookup.

And that’s all it’s been. A hookup. I haven’t spent any time with Jared—on purpose. My body sings out when his is near, craving his attention.

I have to face it: he’s part of my social circle now. We’re going to keep running into each other.

Should I just go out on a freaking date with him?

The sex is good. Fuck, the sex is phenomenal. Do I want more than that? What if he turns me down?

No. He came to the bookstore. He asked me to coffee. I’ll buy that he didn’t seek me out, but once we crashed into each other…

“Okay, fine,” I finally say.

Yoni’s face lights up. “You’ll go out with him?”

Against my better judgment, I nod. “Are you going to tell him? Or should I?”

He laughs. “I think it will be better coming from you.”