He laughed. “No, they’re not. They’re Tasmanian devils. They don’t like everybody, and when they don’t like a person, they’re not afraid to show it. But—they like you.”
He tried to read the expression on her face. He felt like he’d touched a nerve. Like he was now the one who might be considered a cockroach, venturing into territory where he had no business going.
“My purse?”
“Sorry,” he said, letting go. He didn’t realize he was still holding on to it.
Just then her phone rang. She looked down at her purse.
“Aren’t you—going to get that?’
She swung the purse over her shoulder. “If it’s important, they’ll leave a message. I should be going.”
Whoever it was, she didn’t want to talk to them with him around.
When she walked by him, he grabbed her arm. He let go when he saw her bristle.
“You are coming tonight?”
She wouldn’t look at him. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Right.”
He followed her to the door, taking the last couple of steps swiftly to bypass her and open it.
“By the way,” he said, “you were really good today. On the track, I mean.”
She was halfway through the doorway when he’d said it.
She paused. He had only the side of her face to go by, but he saw the corner of her lip curl. She was smiling. But then he caught the expression in her eye. It almost looked as though she weren’t happy. But that didn’t make sense. Maybe it had nothing to do with the racing. Maybe those questions about family?
“You were really good too,” she said before turning her back to him and hurrying down the hallway.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ROCCO
Let’s play Never Have I Ever!” Celeste cried when Dario and Rocco came back to the table with a round of drinks.
Everybody else had left after dinner.
Celeste glanced around the table. “Everyone knows the rules, right? Do you know the game, Nico?”
“Yes,” she said tentatively, “I know it.”
Rocco cast her a sidelong glance, wanting to put her at ease.
Come on, look my way.
Finally, she did. He winked. She smiled.
Celeste clapped her hands. “Just think of it as a team-building exercise. I’ll start. Let me think.” After a moment, her eyes blew up. “Never have I ever stolen somebody’s GoGo squeeZ.”
Rocco chuckled, looking over at Nico, who was laughing too. Then he shot Dario a glance. His cousin jutted his chin, crossed his arms, and leaned back.
“See,” Celeste said. “What did I tell you? Team Building 101.”
“Okay, Tony Robbins,” Dario said, “I’m next.” He turned to Celeste. “Never have I ever returned a dress after I’ve worn it. And I don’t just mean tried it on. I mean worn it going out.”
