AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey, we all know the good work you do around here,” he begins, placing his hand on my shoulder. “But ‘wholesome’ and ‘trustworthy’ aren’t the words people associate with the name Blake Bourgeois.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Well, at least I get laid more often than the rest of you married guys.”
This whole reputation thing is getting exhausting. My comebacks aren’t even as clever as they used to be.
David huffs out a laugh. “Keep telling yourself that, man.” He claps his hand over my shoulder one more time before he walks off, and I go on to pick up the rest of Ethan’s files in the front before I run home to freshen up before dinner.
I check my watch and notice I don’t have time for a shower, so I settle for ditching my tie and jacket before I meet JD and the others. I must be the last to arrive at the restaurant, because they’re all standing near the door when I walk inside.
And my heart immediately begins thumping harder as soon as I spot Loren among the group. I wasn’t thinking she’d be here tonight, but now that she is, I’m not disappointed. Just nervous. And she’s definitely avoiding eye contact.
I hold my breath as we crowd around the table, trying to decide whether I should make an attempt to sit next to her. To my surprise, she bolts over to the empty chair beside me, despite having ignored me since I walked in.
She finally glances up at me when I pull the chair out for her, and her huge, chocolate-brown eyes lock onto mine for a few seconds, making my chest feel tight. “Thanks,” she whispers before she sits.
“So, uh, how are you?” I ask awkwardly once we’re all seated and scanning the menus. Well, I’m pretending to scan the menu, but my eyes keep darting down to her ankle tattoo.
I may have Googled it since the last time I saw her and discovered it’s a nod toThe Lord of the Rings. I assume the connection is from her name, since it’s called a Leaf of Lórien, or something like that.
It’s cute.
She turns her mouth to the side and slips a hand over the tattoo as she considers, oblivious to my staring. “Fine. You?”
“I’m great.”
“Good.”
Okay, so, if this is how things are going to be, why did she purposefully sit next to me?
She clears her throat. “Blake, um, can we talk? Later?”
“About what?”
Her hand flies up to her neck as she tugs absent-mindedly on a necklace, forcing my attention to the contrast of her creamy skin behind the dark, wavy hair framing her shoulders. “I was actually hoping I could explain in private, if that’s okay?” Then there’s a slight flush in her cheeks, the only color in her flawless complexion, and I find myself feeling smug because she seems nervous too.
“All right.”
She probably wants to apologize for the way she brushed me off a while back or to thank me for saving her from that bad date the other day. I raise my brow and shoot her a flirty smirk when some of the confidence I’ve been missing for the past few weeks eases its way back in. Even though her rejection still stings more than I care to admit, if she’s willing to admit she was wrong to dismiss me, I can be the bigger person and at least hear her out.
“Your place or mine?” I whisper to her from behind my menu.
She glares at me. “Excuse me?” Of course she’d assume the worst.
To be fair, I usually am the worst.
“You said you wanted to talk in private.”
“Oh, right.” She chews on her plump bottom lip for a second, and it’s hard not to stare. “Can you just follow me home later?”
I nod and attempt to forget about our plans for the rest of dinner, but even the slightest chance of hooking up with Loren again—which I have no intention of doing—is enough to keep me distracted.
After taking the last few bites of my food, I glance across the table to find Tenley’s mom looking back and forth between Loren and me expectantly. I smile politely, wondering whether Mrs. T ever noticed the way Loren’s car stayed parked overnight at her house after JD’s wedding.
Then I turn my gaze to my brother, his arm curling protectively around the back of his wife’s chair, and I’m reminded of when JD recruited Loren to help him make Tenley jealous. Loren had been a great sport, coaching JD throughout the day and putting him at ease by making him laugh, mostly at my expense. But that’s how Loren and I have always operated, teasing one another or competing for the last word.
“Hmm. You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet tonight, Blake,” remarks Tenley, bringing me back from my thoughts.
I shrug. “Sorry. It’s been a long day. Believe it or not, even the best in the business get nervous when they’re tasked with bringing home their own nephew.” I reach over to muss Ethan’s hair from his spot on the other side of me.
