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I frown, my appetite gone. “It means that war is coming and we better take cover.”
Lincoln, Maverick, and Finley appear not long after and slide into the empty chairs at our table. “What did we miss?” Maverick asks before smacking a kiss on my cheek.
“Blair getting what she deserves,” Indi grumbles. “Can’t even enjoy it, stupid nice person that I am.”
I smile at her, glad I’m not alone. “Same. Where were you three? Lunch is nearly over.”
“Dealing with politics,” Lincoln grumbles.
“What he means,” Finn adds, “is that Harrison called and told Lincoln he has a date on Friday.”
“You do?” I ask, brows raised.
“This stupid deal of his is pissing me off. But yes. I’m supposed to take Georgia out for dinner to celebrate our engagement,” he growls. I hate the sound of the words out loud, but I shove it down and try to remind myself it’s all a game.
Finley looks at me with a smile. “Which means, pretty girl, you and I are going on a date too.”
“We are?” I ask, shocked. “Why?”
“Well, someone needs to have his back while he’s out there in the shark tank, and Mav has an errand to run.”
I glance at Maverick who doesn’t give anything away, but that makes me worry as much as anything.
“Don’t worry about me, princess. It’s nothing major. Nothing I haven’t done a dozen times before.”
“That’s hardly reassuring,” I deadpan as the bell rings. “This conversation isn’t over.”
“Course it is,” he says, stealing the garlic bread from my plate. “But I look forward to fighting it out with you later.”
* * *
“Are you ready for today?” Indi asks as she pulls into the drive-thru to grab our morning coffee on this sunshiney Wednesday.
Why isn’t it the weekend yet?
Though, the weekend comes with its own freaking issues.
Stupid Georgia.
Stupid date.
I let out a deep breath, shaking my head. “I am never ready for the masses of ECP, but with all of the extra press this arrest has been getting, the paparazzi are stalking me again and I’m beyond ready to be done with all of it.”
“Yeah it totally sucks about the blow back you’re getting. But I kind of meant our presentation in English.” She laughs before the robotic voice blares through the speaker.
I lean my head back against the rest, groaning. I don’t want to say I forgot about the presentation, but I also can’t say that I’m prepared.
“Fuck.”
She laughs softly as she pulls forward in the line. “It’ll be fine. You’ve totally got this.”
“Here’s hoping that my winging it skills are on point today,” I groan. “Is it awful that I’m thinking about taking a gap year next year? Just to have a year off and try and settle some of the chaos that is my life?”
“Not even a little,” she says, shaking her head. “I thought about doing the same, going traveling, experiencing more of what the world has to offer before I knuckle down and get on with the rest of my life.”
“I say we do it. Everyone should travel if they have the option. There is nothing like seeing the world and experiencing everything you can before getting bogged down in plans for the future.”
She sighs as we pull up to the window. “Now just to get Ryker, Ellis, Dylan, and my parents on board. Can’t be that hard, right?”
