I shrugged, leaning back in my seat. “It’s a particularly friendly restaurant.”
A beat later, the starters arrived.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you be off somewhere doing famous things?”
Otis kicked me under the table. “Ow.” I kicked him back.
“Didn’t want to miss the celebration,” John said, flashing a smile that brought out his dimples and flushed my entire face. I ducked behind my menu.
What thehellwas wrong with me?
“Well,” Otis said, leaning back so he could look around Jeremy and grin at John, “it wassonice of you to join us. Nora hasn’t stopped talking about you.”
I kicked harder. Otis yelped, then covered his mouth. “I’m so sorry. These escargots are justtoo good.”
John stretched his long legs under the table. “I live around the corner.”
“You do?” I blinked. Somehow, I hadn’t imagined him as a person who… well, had a home. My mind conjured something with black marble floors, wrought iron staircases, and pristine glass tables. No dust. A fridge stocked with protein shakes. A dartboard with my face on it.
“Yes,” he said. “Down the pier. On one of the boats.”
“A boat?” I snorted just as my fork slipped. A mussel launched off my plate and landed squarely in John’s lap. “Slippery little fuckers.”
John casually picked it up and popped it into his mouth. “Tasty, though.” His jaw flexed as he chewed. He tilted his head. “Why is a boat so funny?”
“It’s just… veryJoe Foxof you.”
May looked up from her soup. “Joe who?”
But John’s grin widened.
“Wasn’t that the guy from that Meg Ryan movie?” Otis said, casually brushing his fingers next to Jeremy’s. They may as well call this their first date.
“So,” he leaned toward me, “how long are you in Chicago?”
“Why?” I raised an eyebrow. “Planning to offer me a tour?”
Ah. As soon as alcohol was in the mix, there came gutsy-Nora.
He blinked in surprise but recovered fast. A smirk curled on his lips. “Maybe.”
He shifted slightly, parting his legs so that one rested against mine.
“You just want to lure me away and hide my body before I can win. Smart strategy.”
“You see right through me,” he murmured, his grin turning soft.
Conversation continued around the table, but John’s eyes stayed locked on mine. His leg pressed just slightly against my own, right where boot ended and dress began. Probably accidental.
Still, a part of me thawed—like Jeremy’s ice cubes melting in his Coke.
May and Jeremy explained how they’d discovered just how similar their Captain Caruso ideas were during the cabin retreat.Their writing styles complemented each other, they said. It made more sense to team up than to compete.
They’d become genuine friends in such a short time. A perfect little symbiosis.
“Sounds like a great fit,” I said, sipping my wine—only to find the glass already empty. A flicker of panic hit me. Not at the wine butthem.They were fast. They were smart. And now they weretogether. Add in a bestselling author like John, and my odds looked... bleak.
Honestly, if Elaine hadn’t self-destructed, I might’ve just packed up and gone home.
