“Oh yeah?” Now I was laughing. “Tell me. Tell me how you say it.”
But she was laughing too hard now to get out any words.
“Veterinarians are twisted little souls,” I said. “I always knew it.”
“We have to have some comic relief,” she said. ‘You have no idea the things we have to deal with.”
“I do know. Because unfortunately you tell me.”
“I like to share my life with you.”
“Share less.”
“Okay but seriously,” she said. “Did anything happen?”
“No. It was just a nice time, until someone tried to get a drive-by photo.”
“Jerks.”
I yawned then and hauled myself up to a sitting position.
“I should get to bed,” I said. “I drank more than I do in a month today and I’m gonna be hurting tomorrow. Also, Graham invited me to lunch when I’m in Seattle next weekend because he’s going to be there too.”
I hung up while she was still shouting “WHAT?”
Chapter 17
Graham
“Tell me,” Marley said, blue eyes glaring at me over the heart art in the foam of her caramel latte.
We were sipping iced coffees in the front window of the Ugly Mug Café, a cute little place with butter-yellow walls, exposed brick, and mismatched tables and chairs. It had been recommended by Lior when I’d texted her the day before to set up a meeting place, though I hadn’t told Marley that. She was going to flip when she realized what I had in store for her this afternoon. All I’d told her and the folks, who had driven across four states with my younger sister to move her into her new dorm room, was that she and I were going to have lunch and explore the area around the college a little.
“Without the old folks,” I’d added, making Marley giggle while my stepmom Lisa punched me in the arm and our dad chuckled.
When we’d arrived at the coffee shop, I’d told her I had a bit of a surprise – a friend would be joining us.
“I thought you liked surprises,” I said now, glancing out the window.
“I do. Unless it’s some horrible woman you think you’re in love with because, let me tell you big brother, you are fired from making your own love matches. From now on, I’m in charge.”
I rolled my eyes, though I was tempted to tell her that was fine with me because I clearly had no idea what I was doing, But I didn’t want to encourage her. And while I found Lior intriguing with her combination of wit and beauty, I was wary of the fact that she was both very likeable… and very famous.
“I promise I’m not in love.”
“But it is a woman?”
“We’re just friends. Sort of.”
Her eyes widened and I held up a hand.
“We are barely friends. More like acquaintances. She just happens to be in town this weekend and she’s from Seattle and went to U Dub so I asked if she could show us around a little bit.”
The eyes went back to glaring. She’d be scary if she wasn’t so short, so pretty, and wasn’t dressed in a cropped purple t-shirt with a shimmering gold W.
A flash of yellow out the window caught my eye and there was Lior, hurrying across the street in a yellow t-shirt, baggy jeans, a white ball cap covering her chestnut hair, sunglasses, and white sneakers on her feet. She was the epitome of an easy summer’s day. And my fucking heart sped up.
For fuck’s sake, traitor. Control yourself.
