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It was no secret she wasn’t thrilled about the whole duet thing, but her question surprised me. I wondered if all the wine we’d been drinking had made her bold.
Gabe nodded. “Sure. You’re talented, but I think you already know that.”
She ducked her head as whatever boldness she’d been feeling obviously dissipated. “If I say yes, will you think I’m conceited?”
Leah laughed. “No more conceited than Gabe.”
“She calls it conceited,” Gabe said, “but I call it confident.”
Leah pursed her lips. “It’s a fine line.”
“I’ll give you that,” Gabe allowed. “Ali, you’ve got talent. Listen to Trenton, and I think you’ll be just fine.” He glanced at me and grinned. “On second thought, I’ll give you my number so you can get a second opinion. I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t want to take advice from a guy who thought this haircut was a good idea.” He quickly pulled up a picture of Misdirection’s first album cover on his phone. “Would you say this is the Justin Bieber cut? Or is it more Zac EfronHigh School Musical?”
It was neither, and I was about to tell Gabe where he could shove it when Ali wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I think he looks adorable.”
I was sure she’d meant to defend me with that comment, but unfortunately it had the opposite effect, and Gabe and Leah burst out laughing. Then Ali joined in, and it was so infectious that even I couldn’t suppress my smile. I pressed my lips to Ali’s temple.Best Thanksgiving ever.
Ali
If I’d had any doubts in my mind before, they were eradicated—staying in California for Thanksgiving had been a great decision. Though they gave one another shit, it was obvious Trenton and his friends cared about and respected one another. I wondered what it had been like behind the scenes for Misdirection. Trenton claimed he didn’t miss the synchronized ass-shaking, but he had to miss the camaraderie. I hadn’t had a group of friends like them since college, and even then, I hadn’t completely felt like I belonged because I was hiding a deep dark secret—I preferred singing Lady Gaga overLa Bohème.
Gabe pushed away from the table, stood, and began stacking the dirty dishes. Trenton did the same, so I joined in as well.
Gabe took the bread plate out of my hand. “Nope. You sit and relax. The women cooked, so the men clean up.”
“I didn’t cook,” I protested. “I can help.”
Leah shook her head. “Nope. You’re a guest.”
Trenton leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Hang out with Leah. This gives me a chance to accidentally spill cranberry sauce on Gabe’s shirt.”
“I heard that,” Gabe said as he exited the dining room.
Trenton winked at me as he followed him.
“I’ll tell you a secret,” Leah said. “Gabe special ordered that shirt.”
I chuckled. “I wondered.” A loud crash sounded from the kitchen, and my eyes widened. “Should we check on them?”
Leah merely shook her head, seeming immune to their antics. “It’s probably fine, and if it isn’t, I don’t want to know.”
I would have liked an excuse to sneak into the kitchen. Trenton and Gabe standing hip to hip as bubbles from the sink floated in the air would be a sight to behold. The actual scene probably wasn’t nearly as picturesque, so perhaps it was better not to spoil my fantasy.
“Thank you again for including me,” I said.
“Of course!” Leah said. “I was so happy when Trenton called me earlier this week and told me his plans had changed and he could make it after all.”
“His plans changed?” I was shamelessly fishing because when I’d asked Trenton about his plans to go see his family for the holiday, he’d deflected. At the same time, I’d been feeling too sorry for myself to press the issue.
Leah nodded. “He originally told us he couldn’t make it. I wondered why he’d changed his mind, but then when he told me he was bringing someone, I knew.” She flashed a knowing smile, and I ducked my head so she wouldn’t see me blush.
Trenton had decided against sharing the holiday with his family so that I wouldn’t be alone. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me, and he didn’t even seem to want me to know he’d done it. I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around it, so I tucked it in the back of my mind so I could focus on chatting with Leah.
We talked about various things, from my background in classical music to her uncertainty about continuing to study nursing. I liked her and was pleased when she told me to get in touch afterSing Battleif I was still in town.
Around ten, Trenton suggested we hit the road. It wasn’t until then that I realized I hadn’t seen Evan since he’d excused himself from the dinner table.
“He’s passed out by the pool,” Leah said. “I checked on him a while ago. I’ll usher him into the guest room in a minute. Poor guy. He’s exhausted.”
