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“Yes?” I’m trying to place his face, but not getting any hits. That still doesn’t mean we haven’t met. I meet a lot people through the clinic, volunteering, and Greg.
He sticks his hand out to shake. “Chad Benson. I’m on Greg’s team of financial managers.”
“Oh, nice to meet you.”
He slides onto the chair to my right, which seems sort of strange and presumptuous until he adds, “Greg said I should join you.”
I’m about to say something polite when another guy I don’t know pops up beside us. “Natalie, right?” he says, leaning in for some kind of one-armed squeeze that has little alarms sounding in the back of my head. “Dwayne Levine, I’m one of Greg’s trainers. Great to meet you. Really great.”
What the heck?
He takes the chair to my left. Reaches over the table with a friendly smile to shake with the finance guy. Then turning back to me, he grins. “So this is fun, huh?”
I crane around, searching for my brother, when a third guy steps past the rope separating us from the main bar.
Three guys I’ve never met. Nice enough looking. Athletic builds… but not pros.
Number three drops into Greg’s seat, ignoring the empty plate there, and gives me a nod and once over that has my jaw dropping as I suck in a horrified breath.
Three guys… who are big-brother approved.
And no brother in sight.
* * *
“Greg Baxter,I don’t care if you are concussed or not, you are adead man!” I bellow, storming into my brother’s apartment like I own the place. Or like I know it will torque him off if I act like I do.
“Natalie?”
My head swings around to where Julia is sitting on the floor in her living room with her friends Laurel and Margo, and her little sister, Cammy.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, confused because Greg’s whole excuse for wanting to hang out was that Julia wasn’t in town.
Cammy turns to her sister and, pointing a sloshing martini at her, giggles. “Yeah, Jules, whatthe hellare you doing in your own home? Quick, someone call the cops.”
The steel leaves my spine, and I slump into the wall. “Sorry, Julia. Your husband told me—and I thought—” Closing my eyes, I shake my head. “I’m so sorry for crashing in here like a psycho.”
“We’ll forgive you,” Margo offers, waving her own drink around. “But only if you come in and dish the deets on what’s got you so hopping mad.”
All the girls are nodding, patting the carpet beside them. I let out a long breath and cross to an open spot between Cammy and Margo. I don’t really know Margo too well except that she and Laurel go back and I’m pretty sure she has a thing for Laurel’s brother, but Cammy and I spent two years together at Bearings High School, and we’ve become pretty good friends since Julia and Greg got together. She’s got the cutest kid on the planet and, when it comes to romance, about as much luck as me.
“Where’s the kiddo tonight?” I ask, sinking to the floor and accepting the drink Margo has already mixed for me.
“Rux.”
I raise a brow.
“Word to the wise, don’t make bets with Julia.”
Margo pushes back one of the ebony ringlets spilling out from her headband and clears her throat. “Yeah, that’s nice and all, but I’m still waiting to hear about what Greg did.”
All eyes light up, and I swear they lean in in unison.
“Oh yeah. Do tell!” Julia beams, scrunching back against the base of the sofa. “He’s been so bored cooped up for the past few weeks. I can’t wait to hear this.”
“Apparently he decided to celebrate his freedom by helping me out with my love life.”
Cue the round ofawws that have me knocking back half my drink. It practically comes back out when the burn hits and, coughing, I gape at Margo.
