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“So, how did you two meet?” Grant asked as he pointed between Brinley and Annalise.
Nathalie smirked and leaned down onto the table, as if she was trying to get closer to hear. “Yes. Please tell us. I’ve been dying to know.”
Nathalie was an asshole, and Brinley loved that about her. She felt bad for Annalise though who was currently coughing on the last sip she had taken of her drink.
“Oh, um,” Annalise struggled to answer so Brinley put a hand on her knee to help her calm down.
“I work at a bar in the city that Annalise happened to go to with a friend a few months ago. Her friend ended up having to cut out early, so we talked a lot after that. I mentioned that I was studying for my MCATs, and being the sweetheart that she is, she offered to help me study. I don’t think she expected me to take her up on her offer, but I did, and I’d say it worked out well for both of us.” Brinley winked at Annalise, knowing she would catch on to the fact that the last part was actually in reference to Brinley helping her “study.”
A small smile parted Annalise’s lips, and she brought her hand on top of Brinley’s and squeezed it in a silent thank you that Brinley immediately recognized. Annalise looked around the table as she slowly regained her composure. “Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun learning about a bunch of stuff that’s over my head.” When the whole table laughed at that, Annalise visibly seemed to relax even more. “I actually have to run to the restroom. I’ll be right back.” She squeezed Brinley’s hand once again, and even though Brinley had no idea why, she could tell Annalise wanted her to go along. She knew Annalise wasn’t the type of girl to hook up in a public restroom, so even though she wished that’s what this was, she knew it wasn’t.
“Now that you mention it, I have to go, too,” Brinley said as she stood from the table at the same time as Annalise. Luckily, no one seemed to think anything of it and they started a new conversation before Brinley and Annalise even walked away.
When they entered the restroom, Annalise’s eyes searched the room as if she was checking to see if anyone else was there. Once she was apparently satisfied with what she found, she put her arms over Brinley’s shoulders. “I’m really sorry I didn’t tell my friends that we were, um, well…”
“Fuck buddies? Friends with benefits? Teaching you how to have sex with women?” Brinley chuckled. “I didn’t expect you to tell them any of that. That’s no one’s business but your own, especially when you’re still trying to figure certain things out. Plus, you invited me because I’m your friend, right? Not for any of those other reasons?” Brinley had no idea why she felt so vulnerable asking that question. It’s not like it actually mattered why Annalise invited her.
Annalise wrapped her arms even tighter around Brinley’s neck, bringing the two of them so close that Brinley could smell Annalise’s breath, which was now a mixture of mint and vodka. “Of course that’s why I invited you. Don’t get me wrong, I love the extra benefits we have going on, but throughout all of this, you’ve become one of my best friends. I couldn’t imagine celebrating my birthday without you.”
Now Brinley felt choked up. Get your shit together. You’ve only had one drink. “That’s really sweet. I’m happy I get to celebrate with you.” Brinley had told herself she wouldn’t ask about the deal with Annalise and Grant, but her curiosity got the best of her. “So, you weren’t lying about Grant. He’s a great guy. Any chance of something starting up between you two again?”
Annalise’s eyes went wide as she put the slightest bit of space between her and Brinley.
What was that all about? Am I overstepping?
“Not at all. When Grant dumped me, I was heartbroken and didn’t understand it at the time. He wanted to settle down, and I wasn’t ready, but I thought that was a stupid reason to break things off. He was right to do it though. There was a reason I wasn’t ready to settle down. It was because deep down, I knew I didn’t want to settle down with him. Our relationship was pretty perfect, and that’s all I focused on at the time, but now I can see that the passion was missing.”
Brinley nodded. “That makes sense. You deserve a lifetime of fireworks and butterflies. You shouldn’t settle for anything less than that.” Ew. When did I get so poetic?
“Do you really mean it?” When Brinley nodded, Annalise closed the space between them once again. Only this time, she also placed a kiss on her lips. When she pulled back from the kiss, her face was red. “Sorry. I’ve just been thinking about doing that all night.”
“You know you can do that whenever you want.” Brinley moved her hands to Annalise’s ass and gave it a squeeze before quickly moving them away. She knew she couldn’t do more than that, but she also couldn’t resist. “And honestly, there’s nothing I want more than to stay in the bathroom kissing you all night, but I don’t think you’ll be able to pull off the whole friends only thing if someone catches us making out in the bathroom.”
Annalise laughed and removed her arms from around Brinley’s neck, a touch that Brinley immediately missed. “You’re right. I guess we should get back out there, huh?”
“I guess we should,” Brinley said, a goofy smile on her face that she couldn’t have wiped away if she tried.
When they left the bathroom, Annalise pointed over toward the bar where Grant was standing. When he saw them, he motioned for them to come over. “I’m going to go join him. Do you want to come?”
Brinley could tell Annalise was only asking to be polite, and she wanted to give them some alone time if that’s what Annalise needed. “Nah. I’ll go back to the table and make sure Nathalie is behaving. You have fun.”
“I’ll try.” Annalise not-so-subtly ran her eyes up and down Brinley’s body then tilted her mouth toward Brinley’s ear and whispered, “Not as much fun as we’ll be having later.”
Holy shit. Any worries about Grant were officially gone.
Chapter 13
Annalise
“What are you doing over here?” Annalise asked when she joined Grant at the bar. “Not patient enough to wait for our waitress?”
Grant smiled his trademark smile, with the dimple showing on his right cheek. It was the first thing Annalise had noticed about him when she moved back home after college, and she always wondered how that dimple hadn’t won her over in high school. “She’s super busy, so I figured I’d give her a break.”
Of course. That’s the kind of guy Grant was. Always a sweetheart.
“Plus, I thought a round of birthday shots would be easier to get from the bar.”
“Birthday shots? Really? Are you trying to get me drunk?” Annalise playfully elbowed Grant in the side.
