"I want your help about something, Mr. Marlowe," he said.
"Evan is fine," I replied, lowering my cup. "What kind of help?"
He hesitated again, then looked down briefly before meeting my eyes. "About… my life."
I let out a short breath through my nose. "I don't think I'm the right guy for that," I said. "Mine's already a mess. What do you mean by 'life'?"
He rubbed his hands together nervously. "There's this woman I like," he said. "But I don't know how to talk to her."
I stared at him. "Okay… and you came to me because…?"
"You scored Mrs. Nolin in a coffee shop!"
I immediately looked around and leaned toward him. "Keep your voice down," I muttered. "Who told you that?"
"Everyone knows," he said, lowering his voice but still sounding excited. "People already think you two are a couple. Just hiding it."
"Great," I muttered, rubbing my forehead. "That's exactly what I needed."
He leaned in a little.
"That's not the point," he said. "Please, can you help me?"
