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“Shall we?” he asked as he stuck his elbow out for me to take.
“So formal,” I joked, sliding my arm through his. Despite the smile on his face, there was an air of sadness as well.
I guessed Kayla still wasn’t speaking to him, even though he’d spent all day trying to get through to her while the rest of us gave them space.
“Have her home by midnight,” Oliver said, putting on his best “dad” voice, but softening it with a smile.
“I’ll do my best, sir,” Aaron replied with rolled eyes and a chuckle.
We stepped out of the kitchen and into the balmy night air. Cheryl and Kayla were sitting in the cabana, watching as we strolled along the walkway and toward our designated date area.
I felt their eyes on me as we walked, and while I thought Cheryl and I had been growing close—or at least friendly—when I glanced over at them, her scowl matched Kayla’s. As if this was my choice. As if I had asked or made any kind of move on Aaron. I already had my hands full, quite literally, and wasn’t looking to add to the drama.
Aaron kept his face forward, his shoulders rigid, and his arm tense in mine. As we turned the last corner, we found a table set for two with candlelight and silver-domed plates.
Ever the gentleman, Aaron pulled my chair out for me and ushered me into my seat. He settled in across from me, and a crew member emerged to pull away the tops and reveal our dinners. It was simple fare; a fish filet and colorful vegetables on a bed of brown rice. There was a bottle of white wine and rose petals sprinkled on the table between us.
It felt wrong to enjoy this when it had clearly cost Aaron more than he’d bargained for.
Aaron noticed the cameramen on either side of us, peeking out of the bushes like voyeurs or paparazzi, then looked up at the twinkle lights between the trees.
“This is nice,” he commented. His voice was less playful than it usually was, but he visibly shook off the discomfort and focused on our dinner.
I agreed, accepted his offer of wine, and addressed the elephant on the date with us. “Are you okay?”
That was the question of the day, wasn’t it?
Aaron let out a low, self-deprecating chuckle. “Yeah, it’s just par for the course for me, jumping into something without thinking of the consequences. Your ex is a real tool, by the way.”
He groaned, dropping his face into his hands and rubbing aggressively, further feathering the front of his hair. “I feel like I may have possibly—okay, probably—given Oliver some terrible advice, but I apologized for it in the kitchen already. And I wasn’t going to say anything, but after that display today, I feel like I need to.”
I fidgeted nervously, twisting the stem of my wineglass. “What was the advice?”
“Don’t hate me?” he asked, extending his pinky and offering the most sacred of promises. I laughed at the childlike agreement and linked my finger with his.
He continued, “I told him he should date around while we were here and that it would benefit him to test the waters with some other girls.”
I winced, hating the idea, but appreciative that Aaron told me what was going on.
“I still don’t think it’s poor advice in general, but after watching what went down today, I think it was rather poor advice for a guy who has clearly made up his mind already, unlike the rest of us. Leaving his options open won’t tell him anything he doesn’t already know. It’s obvious he’s got it bad for you.” Aaron’s eyes were intent on mine. “While you were giving it right back to Ryan, I don’t think you saw Oliver’s face. But he was pissed that someone said that shit to you. When you put that fucker back in his place, I swear I saw little cartoon hearts circling his head. Fuck, my head too, because that was a boss move, Sophie.”
I chuckled at the image, then sobered, wondering if he was currently taking his own advice and that’s why I was on this date.
“Yeah, well, Ryan has always had this special ability to piss off everyone around him. It’s almost impressive. And, as much as I hate to say it, I agree with the advice you gave Oliver. Personal feelings aside, putting your eggs all in one basket is illogical in situations like this. It’s obvious you were just trying to be a good friend, so thank you for being honest with me.”
Aaron gave me a surprised look and a small smile, as if being reasonable was a rarity. I remembered Kayla was currently pissed at him, and the poor guy probably just needed some friendly acceptance.
“But enough about me and my current situation. From the looks of it, you’re the one in hot water here. Those eggs in the basket we keep talking about are practically poached. I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m afraid the consequences far outweigh the reward in this case.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he said with a mirthless smile. “But I know my mom is watching this at home, and there’s nothing worse than when Mom looks at you like you’ve let her down. She’d smack me upside the head if I didn’t take my own advice.”
He turned toward a camera, waving sheepishly. “Hi, Mom. Love you.”
I snorted into my hand, doing my best to keep from shooting wine out of my nose.
Aaron smirked and handed me his napkin, just in case.
“Kayla is great—current fight aside,” he said. “And I’ve enjoyed hanging out with her, but is it just me, or does her ex look strangely similar to another dashing redhead you know?”
