AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He rolled his eyes like I was teasing.
I tugged on his sleeve. “No, seriously. Tell me about your life there.”
“It’s good. It’s, um, really good. Thanks for asking.” He glanced toward Brick who was still salivating over the blonde waitress who was now at the next table. Josh was closing down, shutting out whatever little part of him that had once wanted to be with me.
“That’s good,” I said, completely lying. Because if I were being honest, I’d tell him I didn’t want him to be good in London. I didn’t want him to be good anywhere other than with me. And there was no reason to tell him that when I’d been actively avoiding him for the last five years and now had finally found someone who was helping me forget him.
Unluckily for Brick, we got the male waiter, and he took our orders. There was a limited menu for the wedding party—chicken, beef, pasta, or fish. Josh ordered the beef, and I got the chicken, even though Josh whispered to me to choose the beef.
Three bites into our meals, Brick got up to use the restroom, and we had temporary elbow room enough to cut into our main dishes. I leaned over to Josh. “Can I have a taste of your beef?”
“You can have more than a taste of my beef,” he said past the mouthful he was chewing.
“What?” I blinked at him.
“Nothing.”
“Oh.” I frowned, thinking. Wondering if I’d actually been propositioned or if I should scold myself for wanting to be.
He cut a generous square of steak and set it on my plate.
“Would you like some chicken?” I asked.
“Sure.”
I cut a chunk and put it on his plate before tasting my sample. “This is really good,” I said around a forkful of his steak.
He cracked a smile. “I knew you should’ve gotten the beef.”
“Does it hurt?” I watched him expectantly.
His brow furrowed. “Does what hurt?”
“Being right so much. All those sharp glances and pointed glares you must get. The needle-fine pricks of rising resentment. I just thought it must be pretty painful.”
He laughed. “No. It feels quite comfortable, actually. Nice and cushy.”
“So great for you.”
He watched me moving the fork around my dinner, poking it in places but not really digging in. I wished I’d ordered the steak.
“Here. Give me that.” He took my plate and traded it for his. He put what was left of my beef square onto my new plate.
“Thanks.” The steak was so much better. My heart hugged itself that he would give it to me in lieu of my bland chicken.
“So what else are you right about?” I asked as I speared a tiny bite of beef onto my fork. I was determined to savor every morsel.
He leaned back, his chest expanding with confidence. “Everything.”
“Everything?” I tossed my head back. “Oh, no ego there.”
He smiled like a poacher baiting a trap. “Everything. Absolutely. You can test me.”
“Okay, I will.” I scanned the room, or as much as I could without moving. Brick had just sat back down. I had a sudden urge to get to know Troy’s parents better. The couple who could produce Troy and Janet and Brick had to be an interesting pair. Maybe even scientifically interesting. “Here’s the question. What doesBrickdo for a living?” I whispered Brick’s name so he wouldn’t turn again and squash us into oblivion.
“So easy. Construction. Obviously.” Josh gave it a beat. “He’s a bricklayer.”
I laughed. He shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. “You should think of something harder. Something to challenge my mental acuity. Something that requires real talent.”
