I’m sure it seems unreasonable. After all, I’m no stranger to beautiful women, and I’m not exactly shy. “I could see how the night was going to unfold. I’d have to recount the story and then have them sing my praises for something anyone would’ve done—anyone could’ve done.”

She cocks her head to the side and studies me. “Not anyone, Carter.”

I shrug. “I hate them acting like I’m a hero when in the scheme of things . . .” I grimace, unwilling to finish that sentence. In the scheme of things, I’m a fucked-up failure. In the scheme of things, I’m just lucky, and the real hero of the JHFD died in a warehouse fire in April.

“Well, it wasn’t so bad,” she says. “And now we’re even. Right?”

“Right.” I’m ready to tell her we can make excuses and get out of here, but the young women who were leering at me earlier descend on our table.

The first extends a hand to Teagan, flipping her straight honey hair over one shoulder. “Hi, I’m Jennifer. I wanted to meet the woman special enough to claim the heart of such an amazing guy.”

Teagan shakes the offered hand. “Nice to meet you.” She chases the words with a long pull from her martini that suggests otherwise.

“How do you two know each other?” Jennifer asks.

“We’ve been friends for a long time,” I say, watching Teagan, who’s staring at her martini so intently that I’m pretty sure she’s preparing to write an ode in its honor. “It took me a long time to find the courage to tell her how I feel.”

Jennifer presses her palm to her chest, her jaw dropping. “Oh. My. God. That is so sweet.” She looks at her friend and squeals. “They were friends. And he’s been into her forever, and just recently found the courage to do something about it.”

Wow. I didn’t know I needed a translator.

“Oh my God. So sweet,” the second woman says.

“You are so lucky,” the girls tell Teagan in unison.

Teagan coughs on a gulp of martini, then nods as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “So lucky.”

“We’re disappointed, of course,” the first woman says. “We drove eight hours for a chance to bid on Carter.”

“Heartbroken, really.” The second one drags her gaze over me. I try not to squirm, but it’s an effort.

“But we love love, don’t we, Brit?”

“Totally,” Brit says. “Love is our favorite.”

“Right,” Teagan says. “I mean, who doesn’t?”

“Right?” Jennifer says.

I reach across the table for Teagan’s hand. I’m probably going to burn in hell for this, but it might be worth it to get that tortured we all know this is fake, would someone kill me now look off her face. “It turned out Teagan had been harboring feelings for me the whole time too.” Her gaze snaps up to meet mine. Good. At least she’s looking at something other than her drink. “I’ll never forget the day you showed me all those journals where you wrote me secret love notes.”