AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Years?” Connor asks, squinting one eye.
“Okay, maybe months,” I amend.
He shrugs and winks like, Who can say?Chapter Twenty-SixNatalie“Oh my God, what happened to you two?” Lindsey asks, taking in Noah and Connor with a slack-jawed expression before covering her mouth with her hand.
“Noah found out about Connor and me,” I explain gently.
I don’t think Lindsey stops laughing for five whole minutes. While we stand near the entrance of a busy restaurant, waiting for our table to be ready, Lindsey completely loses it.
“I assure you, it was less funny when he was coming at me like a wild animal,” Connor says, shaking his head.
Noah shrugs then looks away, scanning the restaurant. “If you’re wanting me to apologize, don’t hold your breath.”
“But everything is all good now?” Lindsey asks, glancing between the two of them with worried brows as if uncertain whether they’ll turn on each other at any moment.
“Peachy,” I say with a big grin, looping my arms between each of theirs and tugging them close. “We’re one big happy family.”
“Uh-huh,” she says, nodding slowly. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Excuse me,” the hostess interrupts. “If you all will follow me, your table is ready.”
After the baseball game, we joined Lindsey at a restaurant back in Beacon Hill, near the hospital. She was supposed to be going out on a date tonight, but the plans fell through, and I didn’t want her to have to spend the night on her own.
At the table set for four, I sit across from Noah with Lindsey and Connor on either side of me. We’re browsing appetizers when I ask Lindsey about her date.
“It was with Von. You remember him? The lawyer?”
“Yeah, I thought he was a keeper.”
She shrugs. “He is. He’s cute and funny and we get along great. It’s just that his schedule is really hard to pin down. He’s working his way up at his firm and he’s basically at the beck and call of his senior partners.”
Noah snorts. “If a guy wants you, he’ll make time to see you. At least I would.”
None of us says a word as we all stare at Noah. Sensing that he’s the center of attention, he slowly looks up from the menu. “What? Oh. I just meant, if I were Von.”
Lindsey fidgets in her seat and I wonder, not for the first time, if my brother has a tiny crush on my friend.
“So then what are you going to do?” Connor asks. “Wait for him to come around?”
“Yeah…I mean, what else can I do? I like him and I want to give him a chance.”
“Are you still on Tinder?”
Noah slaps his menu closed and flags down a passing waiter. “Hey, yeah, could I get a Blue Moon when you have a second. Con? Want one?”
“No thanks.”
“Lindsey? Natalie? You good with water or do you want something else?”
“I’m fine.”
“A glass of wine would be nice,” Lindsey says, her voice softer than usual.
Noah turns back to the waiter. “Okay, one Blue Moon and a glass of rosé, please.”
Again, the fact that he knows what Lindsey likes to drink is more proof of my suspicions.
“Anyway, Connor, no,” Lindsey adds when the waiter is gone. “I deleted Tinder the other day.”
Noah leans back in his chair, seemingly satisfied with that answer. “Good. All those guys on there are just looking for random hookups.”
Lindsey arches a brow. “And who’s to say that’s not what I’m looking for?”
For the first time in his adult life, I swear Noah blushes. It’s hard to tell. The sun at the baseball game deepened his natural tan even more, but yes, there on his cheeks, I swear I see it.
Oh this is too good.
Connor and I exchange a quick glance and I press my lips together, trying to suppress a smile.
“Oh, well…I just meant—”
Lindsey laughs. “I’m just teasing, Noah. It’s no big deal. I don’t have any real expectations at the moment. For now, I’m just seeing what happens with Von.”
Noah’s saved when our waiter delivers the drinks to the table and asks us if we’re ready to order. We all agree that we just want something small, so we put in an order for a few appetizers and pass them around.
I feel sun-kissed and relaxed after the day we’ve had. I sit back in my chair and listen to the hum of conversation, hyperaware of Connor. I watch him bring his drink to his lips. I watch his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows. I watch the skin crinkle around his eyes when Noah makes him laugh and the easy way he carries himself at the table as he passes the food around to each of us. His Red Sox T-shirt is dark candy apple red, a color I don’t think I’ve ever seen him wear. It looks good on him.
His hand reaches to touch my knee under the table, and my stomach flips. My fingers tighten around my fork and I think I’m keeping my feelings under wraps, but I’m not. Connor sees it all.
