That’s what I loved about my friends, they always had my back.
“True.” When the waitress returned Knox ordered the same as Dade before glancing at the leather bound menu. “I need food. I’m starving.”
“Yeah well,” Dade said, chuckling. “You worked up quite an appetite tonight.”
I blushed, thinking about how we’d worked up an appetite, even before the show. I caught Dade looking at me out of the corner of his eye, his lips tipped up in amusement. Shit. He was already on to us.
“What’s it gonna be for you guys?” Knox asked. “Nachos and wings? Maybe pizza?”
I’d kill for a loaded pizza, but unlike Knox, I couldn’t eat anything I wanted and still look like an underwear model.
“Pizza sounds good to me,” Dade said, before closing his menu. “The number four?”
We all agreed before the waitress returned to take our order. She collected the menus and promised to return with Knox’s drink. Poor girl. She was tongue-tied and fair-haired. Every time she looked at Knox or Dade she blushed. Not that I could blame her. I counted these two among my closest friends and I sometimes got a little awestruck watching them work a crowd.
Knox seemed to relax a little when he settled into the bench and stretched his arm behind me. “So, did you talk to him about hirin’ your sister?”
“No.” I grinned at Dade. “Apparently he only hires ugly women. That leaves Charli out.”
“Your sister?” Dade repeated. “It feels like I’ve known you forever. Why have I not met her?”
Because I was afraid he would chew her up and spit her out like every other girl he’d dated. I knew that wasn’t fair. Dade had honestly tried to make a few relationships go the distance, but he just wasn’t cut out for the long haul.
“There’s good reason,” I said, wincing. I didn’t want to embarrass my sister, or him, but if Charli honestly expected me to make the introduction I had to give my friend fair warning. “She’s kind of been crushin’ on you forever.”
He laughed as he brought his glass to his lips. “Is that so?”
I knew having women make fools of themselves over him was nothing new for Dade, but this was my baby sister we were talking about, and no one made a fool of her, if I could help it.
“You wouldn’t be laughing if you saw her,” Knox said, tongue in cheek. “She’s something.”
“Shut up,” I said, through clenched teeth, elbowing Knox in the ribs. Poor Dade had a hard enough time resisting a beautiful woman. The last thing we needed was to dangle my sister in front of him. It would be worse than a crackhead trying to resist a fix.
Knox pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his pics. I was pretty sure he had quite a few taken with Charli. “Put that away,” I said, out of the corner of my mouth. “Dade doesn’t need to see that.”
“Yeah,” Knox said, chuckling. “But I’m pretty sure he wants to.”
“You do not, do you?” I looked at Dade, who was trying hard to look disinterested. “God, what is wrong with you?” I reached across the table and pushed against his shoulder. “You said you were off women.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t look,” he muttered.
Knox flashed the screen at him and I saw the pic he showed him. Ugh. It couldn’t have been one where she’d been wearing a ball cap and jeans. No, he had to show him one of her all sexed up, wearing a strapless black dress, with the girls on full display. I was so gonna kill him.
I tried to snatch the phone, but Dade was too quick. “This is your sister?”
“Uh yeah, why?” He looked a little strange, like he’d just seen a ghost.
“She was at one my concerts, I think.” He zoomed in on her face. “A couple of years ago.”
“Yeah, she’s been to plenty of your shows with her girlfriends. But I can’t believe you remember her.”
He swallowed the rest of his drink before passing the phone back to Knox. “That’s a face you don’t forget.”
Knox grinned. “I told you. Right?”
I glared at him. “Would you shut up? It’s bad enough you—”
“Relax,” Knox teased, nudging me. “Dade needs a new assistant. Your sister is good at what she does. They’d be perfect for each other.”
