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He noticeably gulps.
“You and Maddie are close?” he asks, his voice a little wobblier now.
“Very. Now tell me, what is it about her that you find attractive?”
“Well…her. I mean, she’s gorgeous.”
“Beauty’s only skin deep, Brent. Are you only with Maddie because of her looks?” I sound deeply disappointed in him.
His eyes widen in fear. “No. That’s not what I was saying. I just—”
“Just what?”
“I also think she’s really funny.”
“And?”
“Kind.”
“Funny and kind.” I nod. “Tell me about your first date.”
“First date?” He laughs. “God…that was…”
“Was?” I prod him.
“A good time,” he says with a tight smile.
He hates me and is trying to make that clear, but I couldn’t care less.
Up ahead is the entrance to the restaurant. Soon we’ll be at a table with everyone and I’ll have to mind my manners. Unfortunately.
“Where’d you take her?”
“To the, umm…”
He has to think about it for a while.
Does this guy have a shit memory, or does he just go on so many dates he can’t keep them straight?
“Bowling,” he says, sounding as if he’s settling on the idea.
“Bowling. Really? Who won?”
His cheeks are bright red now, and it’s not just from the chill. “Maddie.”
I think he’s lying. One, because he keeps fidgeting with those damn gloves, and two, because Maddie is absolutely shit at bowling. She once let a ball fly off her hand too early and it landed back in our plate of nachos.
“Remember the scores?”
“No.” He chuckles. “Why would I remember—”
“What are you two talking about?” Maddie asks, finally rushing to catch up to us. She shoots me an accusing glare as if I’m doing something wrong by talking to Brent.
I respond with an easygoing smile. “Brent was telling me about bowling.”
Her face contorts into a mask of confusion.
“You know…your first date,” I remind her.
Her confusion disappears at the snap of a finger and she quickly nods. “Yeah, that was so fun! Brent kicked my butt though.”
Brent’s eyes widen, trying to alert her to something.
I know we’re up on a snowy mountain, but I smell something fishy.
“No, baby. Remember, you won,” Brent says teasingly.
Maddie thunks her forehead with her hand as if to say, Duh. “That’s right. Now I remember. I was on fire that night.”
“How long ago was this?”
Neither of them answers. Instead, Maddie grabs Brent’s arm and squeezes. “I’m starving. Aren’t you? Let’s hurry inside so we can order some appetizers.”
Then she starts tugging him away from me at top speed as if we’re not all going to the same place. I see them whispering to one another, complicit in a plan I’m not a part of.
I know Maddie is worried I’m going to scare Brent away—and she’s right to worry. That’s exactly my plan. But c’mon, I can sit at a table with the group and participate in civil conversation. I can drink spiked hot chocolate and scoop up my portion of the appetizers without contemplating whether or not I’d like to cause Brent some kind of bodily harm. Don’t worry, it wouldn’t be anything long-lasting, just something that would force him to be carried down the mountain in a stretcher.
“How’s New York treating you, Aiden?”
This question comes from Jolie. She’s trying to draw me into the conversation because I’ve been sitting in silence like a miserable asshole for the last half hour.
“It’s good.”
“And work?”
“Busy as ever,” I say with a tight smile.
“Where do you work?” Brent asks, trying to get to know me.
“The New York Times,” Maddie supplies.
Brent’s eyes widen with appreciation. “Wow, that’s really cool.”
“It’s taken him all over the world,” my brother adds proudly. “Where were you last month, Aiden?”
“Dubai.”
“What were you doing there?” Brent asks.
“Writing up a story about the Burj Jumeira.”
“Is that the one that’ll be the new tallest skyscraper in the world?” James asks.
“Exactly.”
“What an awesome job,” Brent notes enthusiastically.
“Yup. Awesome indeed,” Maddie adds, sounding slightly bitter.
I frown, trying to catch her eye, but she won’t look my way.
“Can you pass me the salt?” she asks, pointing to where it sits in front of Jolie.
“How’s your work, Maddie?” I ask.
Her eyes flit up to me and it’s like ZAP, a bolt of lightning strikes me when our gazes meet. Then, just as quickly, she looks down at her drink. “It’s fine.”
“Don’t be shy,” her sister teases. “Have you told Aiden about your new position with Elise?”
“What position?”
“It’s nothing,” Maddie says, rushing to put an end to the subject.
Jolie huffs out a breath of air and turns her attention on me. “Maddie is Elise’s right-hand woman. She assists with campaigns and is working more in the creative department now. No more admin stuff. Just a few weeks ago she was up in New York with Elise helping shoot an advertising campaign for an Austin brand that’s expanding north.”
“You were in New York?” I ask, dumbfounded.
What the fuck?
Why wouldn’t she have told me?
Her brows pinch together and she glances up, looking at a spot just over my shoulder as if that’s as close as she wants to get to meeting my gaze. “It was only for a few days. I worked the whole time.”
