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“Oh, yeah, umm for a while now.” Casey sipped on a cocktail in the afternoon sunshine—every seat and table taken on the popular restaurant’s patio. “I moved to Wrigleyville about eight years ago, but I grew up on the north side of the city. Lawndale. Er, North Lawndale.”
“Is that far from here?” Austin squeezed Casey’s knee below the table.
“Like a half hour. My mom still lives there.”
He nodded, shoving the drink menu away from him.
“What made you move?” Lauren slurped from her straw, stirring the melting ice around in her glass.
“Oh... well, after my dad passed away, I just needed a change of scenery. And living downtown made it easier to find a job.”
Austin tugged her hand into his lap and gripped her fingers. “I didn’t know that.” He squinted.
With her free hand, Casey pulled her drink toward her, sucking at the straw until only the ice remained. “Umm, yeah. Sorry, kind of a heavy topic, you know?”
The waiter reappeared at Casey’s side with another round of drinks on his tray.
Thank God.
“Two more pineapple mojitos.” With a grin, he set the two glasses down in front of Lauren and Casey. “And another water for you, sir?” His eyes widened as he pointed to the half-empty ice water in front of Austin.
He shook his head. “No thanks, I’m good.”
The waiter nodded and shuffled away to a neighboring table with a raised brow.
“I’m on the clock,” muttered Austin with an eye roll.
A grin tugged at Casey’s lips, watching the mild embarrassment tinge his cheeks pink.
“Do you ever stop working?” Lauren smiled, pulling the pineapple garnish from the glass and popping it in her mouth.
“On rare occasions, I can drag him to a Cubs game.” Casey laughed and winked as Austin leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table.
“Cute, ladies. Go ahead, gang up on me.” He tugged his phone from his pocket and scanned the screen with a frown.
Casey rolled her eyes. “So, Lauren, have you been to Chicago before? Anything you want to see or do while you’re here?”
“I haven’t! But I would love to see Millennium Park and the Bean. Oh! And Buckingham Fountain, Navy Pier...” She checked off the list on each of her fingers. “And the lookout platform on Willis Tower too.”
The touristy of all tourist attractions.
Casey forced a smile on her lips. “Everyone just calls it the Sears Tower still.”
“Well, look at our little expert tour guide.” He tugged her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her skin as his phone vibrated, catching the edge of the ceramic appetizer plate in the center. It rattled, colliding with the aluminum tabletop. Austin frowned as he scooped it up.
“Everything okay?” Lauren pointed to the phone.
“Umm, yeah. Let me just take this real quick.” Austin pushed his chair back and pressed the phone to his ear as he stepped away from the table.
Lauren grinned, her dark hair catching in the breeze. “He’s really happy here,” she said, tucking the long strands behind her ears.
“Huh?” Casey shifted her legs, banging her knee into the corner of the table. The contents shook. “Oh shit! Sorry!”
Lauren giggled and leaned back in her seat. “It’s all over his face. He likes you. He likes this city.”
Her body warmed, heat rising to her cheeks at Lauren’s sweet admission. “He’s umm, found a lot of success with the new office so far, I think.”
Lauren smiled, tugging her mojito to her lips. “It’s more than just work though. I think it’s you, Casey.” She turned her head, eyeing her brother across the patio. “He’d kill me for telling you this...”
