He grunts and closes his eyes. “It’s my dad’s fault.”
“What’d your dad do?”
Collin lets out an overdramatic sigh. “I’m not supposed to say. But you won’t remember this in the morning anyway, so I guess I could tell you.”
He rolls his head to the side and opens his eyes, pinning me with an electric-green puppy-dog gaze.
I go into crisis-prevention mode. “No, that’s not a good idea. I’m not—”
“He told me I have to date. One woman. That’s it. And then I have to”—he drops his voice and adds with sincerity—“get married.”
“What?” I’m momentarily stunned.
“Crazy, right?”
“Um, yeah. Why?”
“For the lection.” He pauses. “Election,“ he emphasizes. “Apparently, I’m a playboy, and I need to prove I can settle down. But ha. Joke’s on them. I don’t want to get married. And who’s going to marry me?”
I have no clue how to respond to any of this, and I’m going to go ahead and assume that question is rhetorical. “So don’t get married, then.”
Collin flings his arm up to his forehead. “I don’t have a choice. The donors are demanding it. I can’t let them down. I can’t let my dad down.”
I lean back on the coffee table and cross my arms. “Seems like a pretty big ask.”
“It is. But I can handle it.” He starts shaking his head. “No, I can’t. I don’t know anyone who would want to marry me. Do you?” He blinks. “Hey!”
Oh no.
“Collin,” I say, warning lacing my voice, but it’s no use.
“What about you? Will you marry me?”
And there it is. I sigh. I always thought when a man proposed, it would be romantic. Not a drunken declaration issued only for political gain.
Before I can say anything, Collin starts talking again. “Has anyone ever told you your eyes are incredible?”
I suck in a breath. He’s drunk and not in his right mind, but it’s still a nice compliment.
“That blue.” He shakes his head ever so slightly, still peering at my face. “It reminds me of the color of…of…” He taps his chin, and I wait. “Ice Mountain Gatorade.”
Well, of all the romantic declarations I could have thought of, being compared to a sports drink isn’t exactly one of them, but now Collin is smiling a soft smile.
“That’s my favorite flavor.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “I think it’s time for you to get some rest, Rattler.”
He whips his head back and forth and then groans. “Don’t want to move.”
I nod. “Lie back, then. I’m going to dim the lights.”
“How romantic.”
“Shut up, you weirdo.”
He laughs as I cross the room to the light switch. I grab a blanket off the back of his recliner on my way and cover him up with it.
He lets out a contented sigh. I’m about to turn away when he captures my wrist in his.
