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She dipped her head and looked up with a dramatic flutter of her lashes. “Whatever do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.” He shot a glance toward the back seat as his fingers flexed on her hip, and he lowered his voice. “It’s killing me I can’t drag you into your bedroom right now and give you a proper happy birthday.”
Her core clenched in reaction to the rough, gravelly growl of his voice. “Maybe later.”
His surprised, hopeful expression made her laugh, and she gently pushed him out of the way so she could slide into her seat.
On the drive to Ian’s restaurant pick—Nick’s Pub—she had to ask, “What’s the criteria for green versus red?”
“What?”
“What makes you decide to drive your green vehicle instead of the red one?” She was especially curious since the red Jaguar was much nicer than the green Ford they were currently riding in. Not that she cared, she only wanted to know what made him tick.
“I don’t actually have two vehicles. I sold the Jaguar and bought this instead,” he said quietly. “A crash course in paying bills convinced me to downgrade.”
“Something else new for you?”
“You could say that.”
“Well, that was a very mature move. Welcome to being a grown-up.”
“It was advice from my brother that wasn’t a set up to make me look like an idiot.”
She laughed as he pulled into the parking lot at Nick’s. “I think I need to get to know Grayson better.”
“Good luck with that.”
They made their way inside where the hostess asked, “Table or booth?”
“Booth!” Ian answered before either of the adults could.
He bounced onto the seat on one side, and when she sat opposite, Merit slid in beside her. His thigh pressed against hers, and she relished the warmth of his arm against her bare shoulder.
The pub wasn’t overly crowded at five-thirty, but then again, they were eating earlier so they could mini-golf afterward. As Merit and Ian discussed what they were going to get, Mae noticed the redheaded server at the booth next to them sneak glances their way.
At first, she thought the girl was simply keeping an eye on her section, but a moment later, she felt Merit stiffen beside her. When she shot him a sideways glance beneath her lashes, he was definitely looking at the redhead.
Pretty, tall, and curvy, she looked to be in her mid-twenties. It was obvious they knew each other, and Mae’s stomach twisted as she wondered who she was to him. One-night-stand? Previous girlfriend? Current girlfriend? She hated that her mind went there, but all her insecurities about his playboy past rushed forward with a vengeance.
Suddenly, she wasn’t quite so hungry anymore.
Their server arrived—a brunette who was most likely still in high school. After they gave their orders for burgers and fries, Merit and Ian kept up a steady stream of back and forth until the food came. Mae managed to toss in a comment every so often, but mostly she was hyper aware of how Merit tensed every time the redhead passed near their table. She battled sharp little nips of jealousy all the while she picked at her dinner.
“Everything okay?” he asked after their plates were cleared.
“Yeah. Fine.” But how about you? she wanted to ask. Why are you so nervous whenever that waitress comes by?
When Ian announced he needed to go to the bathroom, she jumped at the chance to escape the booth. Merit stood and offered his hand to help her out. She gave him a tight smile of thanks while averting her gaze, only to see the redhead watching them from over near the bar. The woman turned back to her drink tray the second she saw Mae looking her way.
Yeah, there was definitely something going on between them.
She clenched her jaw so tight on the way to the bathroom her teeth hurt by the time she and Ian made their way back out. He spotted a row of four, quarter candy vending machines, and pressed his hands against the glass of one of them with a gasp. “Mom, look! Scooby Doo super balls!”
“Very cool. That has to be meant to be, don’t you think?”
“Yep. Can I get one?”
She dug some quarters from her purse and dropped them into his hand. “It’s your birthday, Scoob. You can get two.”
