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They’d been playing this gae at the last Christ deal to her Until now

"You think if you and I--that you’ll lose your job?"

She shot hi one of the bosses doesn’t scream job security toon to a woman after she slides between your sheets Once you’re done withto want to see me in the office day in and day out year after year? How freakin’ uncomfortable would that be? Furthermore, would I want to see you? Not that I’d have sex with you anyway"

His mind was in a tailspin as he tried to process what Tori had said "Just what kind of reputation do you think I have?"

"It’s not the reputation I think you have, Brody It’s the one you do have Everyone in town knows you sleep with any woet bored after a week or so--if they even get to hang around that long Then it’s dumpsville, and on to the next one"

He frowned "I do not"

"Uh yeah, you do So, no thanks, not interested in being just another notch on the great big bedpost of the infamous Brody Kent I like my job, I love your faedly awesoh I’ to lunch"

She shut the door behind her Brody stared at the closed door, duht of hiive a shit about wos?

And what the hell did she edly awesoed his fingers through his hair Christ He had no idea

Wyatt opened the door and caood You’re here Ethan’s pulling in, too I’ Want to have lunch?"

Brody lifted his head "What do you know aboutThankfully And don’t start sharing now"

As Ethan walked in, Wyatt tossed his briefcase on his desk "Hey, Ethan, what do you know about Brody’s sex life?"

Ethan stopped dead, looked at Wyatt, then Brody "What? Have you been drinking?"

"No But I think Brody has"

"I haven’t," Brody said "But I just had the oddest conversation with Tori"

Ethan ruaze to Brody "You talked to Tori?"

"Tried to"

Wyatt took a seat in his chair "And you soh I don’t kno"

"You probably brought it up," Ethan said with a s to her about the Christmas party, and our lack of coured out Or at least so on that But did you know that I apparently have a reputation as some kind of manwhore who has sex omen and then dumps them?"

"Oh, yeah, I’ve heard that about you," Ethan said

"You are kind of a dick to women," Wyatt said

Brody just stared at his brothers "Seriously You both think this"

"When was your last serious relationship, Brody?" Ethan asked

"You irlfriend?"

Ethan shot Wyatt a look "Clearly the tern to him"

Wyatt shook his head

"Okay, so I’ve never had one"

"And you’re what? Thirty now?"

"So? I’ve been busy"

Wyatt snorted "Yeah Busy screwing a bunch of different women No wonder they all think you’re an asshole When was the last tiht a woht about it "Uhhigh school, maybe?"

Wyatt looked at Ethan "Case closed He’s a douche"

Ethan nodded "Agreed Let’s go have lunch I’ry"

"Hey," Brody said "I’m not that bad"

Ethan and Wyatt headed for the door "Keep telling yourself that, bro You coe here"

Wyatt wrinkled his nose "The fridge of moldy mystery? Good luck with that, man We’ll be back in an hour"

After they left, Brody leaned back in his chair and pondered what Tori had told him

So he had a lousy reputation omen He could accept that He’d been no Boy Scout, but he couldn’t recall any of the woht teary phone calls fro him He never made promises to any of them, never wanted a relationship, not while he’d been busy with his brothers building the coize for that But maybe he’d led these woreat tiain,left by hi

Ah, hell This hy he never did the whole ro He had no idea how to do it or how to do it well Short-ters were more fun and more his style

But the way Tori looked at his she said

She’d looked horrified at the thought of losing everything thatinvolved with hi a risk? It hadher job--he knew it did But in order to find out as really bothering her, she’d actually have to talk to hiers through his hair and went to scrounge through the fridge Tori was just going to have to be soh issues to deal with