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I smile, remembering Hannah’s shock when I told her I take public transit.
I’m tempted to snap a photo and send it to her as proof. But I don’t, because the last message I sent her was when I landed at JFK early Monday morning. My flight was delayed, so I didn’t get in until after three. She replied right away, even though it was past midnight for her too. Like she’d been waiting for the message.
If she was, I don’t want to know that. I want to pretend last weekend meant nothing to her, the same way I’ve spent all week trying to convince myself it meant nothing to me.
The walk from the Midtown stop to the restaurant is another short one. Garrett booked one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants, a seafood spot that usually has a waiting list months long.
Quinn is waiting outside. She spots me and spins, her navy dress picking up in the breeze.
“Oliver! Hi!” Her excitement sounds genuine, reflected in her animated expression as she smiles at me.
And I will myself to feel something. Feelanything, aside from a detached friendliness. My life would be a lot easier if I developed feelings for Quinn.
But my thoughts are stubbornly centered on blonde hair and blue eyes.
“You look beautiful,” I tell Quinn. Honestly, because she does. But my appreciation is disconnected, the way you look at a rare artifact or a famous painting. You know there’s relevance attached to it, but none of it is yours. It was already there, just lingering as something you know but didn’t discover.
“Thanks. You look nice too.” Quinn’s answering smile is shy and sweet as we step inside the restaurant.
Wave murals cover the walls, setting the oceanic theme. I give Garrett’s name to the maître de, and we’re led to a table toward the center of the room where Garrett and Sienna are already seated.
Garrett stands and grins widely when he sees me, giving me a hug and slapping me on the back. I hug Sienna as well, but it’s a much briefer one. After I’ve introduced Quinn, we all settle at the table. A waiter immediately appears, taking drink orders. Garrett orders a bottle of wine for the table, along with caviar, oysters, and tuna tartare. My stomach growls, but not because any of it sounds good. I’d kill for a burger and fries right now.
Sienna and Quinn exchange small talk while Garrett and I mainly discuss business. He just secured a massive government contract, which he’s understandably thrilled about. He congratulates me on Thompson & Thompson, now that it’s become public.
And then, unfortunately, Vegas comes up. Quinn is the one who mentions it, surprisingly. One of her former clients in London had a wild night there recently, and it was leaked to the press. And Sienna is the one who reminds her that Garrett and I were just there for his bachelor party.
“You guys had an amazing time, didn’t you?” she asks. She’s focused on me, not Garrett.
And I’m thrust into a dynamic I don’t want to navigate, knowing way too many personal details about their relationship.
“We sure did.” I have to force the affable tone in my voice.
I’m judging Sienna, and maybe that makes me a hypocrite. But my father and Candace were a train wreck disguised as a marriage long before anything happened between me and her. I know for a fact my dad had affairs. But as far as I know, Garrett was faithful to Sienna until she cheated first. So yeah, I resent her for not valuing that. And I can’t understand Garrett’s perspective either. Why he would forgive her. Stay with her.
This dinner was probably a mistake.
I’m relieved when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I shift in my seat, so I can pull it out. Garrett will understand work interrupting. Quinn will have to understand, if there’s going to be any future between us. And I simply don’t care what Sienna thinks.
But it’s not work.Hannahis flashing across the screen.
I stand suddenly, almost toppling the table. I mumble a hasty “I’ll be right back,” before rushing out of the restaurant.
Worry ripples through me in debilitating waves as I step out onto the sidewalk. “Hello?” I answer.
“Hey.” Surprisingly, there’s no distraught note in her voice. I was expecting the worst about her calling me unexpectedly. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?” More than normal, her voice sounds light. Happy. Teasing.
I turn and look at the glass window. I can see through the entire restaurant, straight back to the table where Garrett, Quinn, and Sienna are sitting. Sienna is saying something, gesticulating with her arms, and Quinn is nodding along. Garrett is talking to a waiter. “You didn’t wake me up.”
There’s a pause. “Well…I got in.”
“Got in?” I echo, turning back toward the street.
“To architecture school. Igot in. They accepted me!”
I was so sure the only reason Hannah would be calling was with bad news. It didn’t even occur to me she might be reaching out to me aboutgoodnews. To celebrate. It takes me a second to recalibrate and respond. “Wow. I—wow. That’s amazing, Hannah.” I inject as much enthusiasm into my voice as I can muster, but she sees right through it.
“What’s wrong?”
