Theo adjusts in his seat, and his scent fills my senseswhen he leans close for a moment. I try to keep my focus on the food in front of me.
It’s completely unfair that one man could smell this good. Having almost crossed a line with Theo earlier, I’m hesitant about how to proceed with our interactions moving forward. I have never been more thankful for a phone call from my parents. I had to take a moment to cool down from the sheer heat that radiated between Theo and me before making my way downstairs for dinner. Of course, the moment I locked eyes with him, the heat immediately returned.
I can feel it radiating from Theo now, and it’s suffocating.
Trying to brush it off, I remind myself to stay focused. Securing a job by the end of this trip must be my sole focus. No way am I leaving this place without a job lined up. I have no time for distractions.
Even if the distraction comes with a smile as bright as the sun, a full head of lush hair, and a body that has me wanting to break every rule I made before agreeing to this trip in the first place.
“So, Sienna, where are you from?” The question comes from Leo.
“Portland, born and raised,” I answer simply.
“Ah, a Pacific Northwest native like us.” He makes a show of nudging me softly on the shoulder. “I knew I liked you.”
I laugh with Leo, but the laughter dies down when I look at Theo. His jaw is tight as he watches Leo. I can’t quite read the expression on his face, but I feel the need to comfort him. Copying his motions in the drivewayearlier, I reach out my hand and place gentle fingers on his thigh.
Theo snaps his eyes away from Leo, instantly relaxing the tension in his jaw when they lock onto mine. Satisfied that he’s relaxed again, I move my hand away and return my attention to my plate.
“So how’d you two meet?” Alex says before taking a bite of his potatoes. Another glance at Theo, and he’s now glaring at Alex. I look at Beth, who stares at me wide-eyed.
When neither Theo nor I respond, Roman turns his attention toward Theo. “Well, where did you two meet? I’d love to hear the story of how my little brother met the woman who has been such a great influence on him.” He punctuates the sentence with a smile so devious it makes my stomach churn.
“We met at?—”
“There was a?—”
Theo and I speak at the same time, both stopping when we realize we have no story to tell. Looking toward each other, Theo’s eyes lock on mine. He must sense the panic in them because he places a gentle hand on my knee under the table, then turns his attention back to Roman.
“We met through Beth, actually. I had one of my business classes with her during the fall semester. We ended up at the same party, she brought Sienna with her, introduced us, and the rest is history.” He gives my knee a little squeeze, which instantly calms the settling food in my stomach. I send a smile in Roman’s direction. To be fair, Theo’s story isn’t acompletelie.
“Hmm,” Roman replies before taking another bite of his chicken.
To my benefit, no one questions Theo and me for the rest of the dinner. Instead, his brothers discuss their careers.
Alex goes on to describe the renovations he’s completed on his apartment, located just above the boxing gym he owns. He seems fairly pleased with how his business is performing, and the way he talks sparks my own motivation to pursue a career in the field I love.
The only complaint Alex has is that the older woman next door has moved out and taken her coffee shop business with her.
In his words, “No one makes a better cup of coffee than Betty.”
Leo goes on to talk about the restaurant where he works. He complains about the owner but speaks highly of the customers. Roman doesn’t say much, as he silently listens and only drops one-word answers here and there.
My favorite part of dinner is watching Theo laugh with his brothers. I can’t help but sneak a peek at his smile every time he does. He’s caught me looking a couple of times, but I know I can play it off later as just trying to sell the relationship to his brothers.
Once dinner is over, Roman and Leo head out to the back deck with a couple of beers while the rest of us clean up in the kitchen.
“Ice cream’s in the freezer,” Leo says over his shoulder as he and Roman head out back. “Save me one this time, Theo!”
“Did he just say ice cream?” I look toward Theo, a smile already spread across my face.
“Yeah, and if I know Leo, it’s homemade too. It’s guaranteed to ruin store-bought ice cream for you.” He takes one of the plates Alex hands him from the sink to dry.
“So is anyone going to give us the details on this family Olympics thing you guys were talking about earlier?” Beth asks, putting away the last of the food in the fridge and taking a seat on one of the barstools.
“Yeah, what exactly are the ‘games’ you guys play?” I ask Theo, my curiosity growing. I’m silently hopeful it’s nothing too athletic, but one look at these men tells me otherwise. My lack of hand-eye coordination will not do me any favors in these supposed “games.”
“Let’s see. We always start the summer off by tie-dying shirts. So we have something to wear for the subsequent games, of course.” Theo hands me the last dry dish, and I put it away in the cupboard.
