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She shrugs and tops off my glass.
“He what?” Julia looks delighted. Of course she does.
“No. You donotgive me that ‘oh, my husband is completely adorable’ look,” I huff.
“That really is kind of adorable though,” Cammy agrees with a sigh. “Did he introduce you to a friend?”
Ha! “Trythreefriends. And to say he introduced us would be a stretch.”
Julia’s blond brows arch, like maybe she’s seeing this isn’t quite so cute as she thought. “How’s that?”
“Yeah, how’s that?” Margo echoes, waving me on. “I want to adjust my expectations before I get too excited about you telling me about some four-way action.”
The next gulp goes down smoother. “Sorry, way off, Margo. What he did was ditch me at Belfast and then blindside me with not one, not two, but three different blind dates that apparently all had his stamp of approval.”
“What?” Julia coughs, pushing up to her knees. “Not all at once though?”
“Oh yeah. One, two, three. A nice little square table with me on one side and the three of them around the others. All shaking hands with each other. Complimenting me on my Wisconsin hoodie with a hole in the shoulder.”
Laurel’s outraged on my behalf, but I’m getting the sense it’s got more to do with being underdressed for three first impressions. Margo wants to know if I picked one and whether we hooked up. And Julia, cripes, she’s muttering something about how such a sweet, smart guy could be so dense… looking like shestillfinds it completely adorable.
How is it that I’m the only one pissed about this?
Except, I know someone else who would be equally enraged… probably even more so. But tellinghimwould be a serious mistake. One, because we aren’t together anymore. And two, because Vaughn losing his shit with so much riding on his good behavior would be a disaster. He needs to get away from Greg, not end up brawling with him in the street.
So even though he might be the only person capable of understanding how much this bothers me, I can’t talk to him about it.
I can’t talk to him about anything.
My chest feels tight, and there’s a burn in the back of my throat that has nothing to do with Margo’s napalm-strength drink. It’s Vaughn. I miss him and it hurts. So stupid. He’s potentially the worst guy I could pick in the non-criminal, STD-free universe. I knew it in Vancouver.
Before that.
I’ve known it since he was that hothead at the tournaments. But even so, I let myself get attached. I let myself fall for him.
God, I let myself love him.
With an unsteady hand, I hold out my glass for a refill.
“Whoa, ladies,” Margo cuts in, setting my glass aside and then rubbing my arm gently. “Natalie doesn’t look so good.”
“I’m fine.” I shake my head, but the tears are already in my eyes, dang it. “Frustrated after today is all.”
Suddenly, everyone is sitting closer. Julia takes my hand in hers. “Hey, I get it. Greg can be… a little pushy and overbearing when he gets something in his head. He doesn’t know how to quit. But I mean, look on the bright side, you had dinner with three guys decent enough your brother actually likes them, and enamored with you enough to go on a… three-way blind date.”
“Four-way.” Margo looks around. “Right?”
“Okay, a four-way.” Her eyes light up and she gives my hand a squeeze. “Even better.”
They have no idea. And how would they, never having to figure out the hard way that the guy giving you all his attention is more interested in your brother than you. Those guys tonight hadn’t even met me before. They have no reason to want to date me. But because my brother asked them to, they not only met me for a blind date, but they willingly went into it knowing they’d be with two other guys. Give me a break. That’s not about me.
That’s about Greg.
And for as much as I know these girls care about me, I’m pretty sure they can’t really see past my brother either. Julia, she shouldn’t have to. Cammy has had a case of Greg worship since high school. Laurel wasn’t that close to Greg in high school, but her husband Jack was. And Margo… well, she’s… awesome, but maybe a little nutty and probably Team Greg like everyone else.
And why shouldn’t they be? He’s a great guy.
It’s just not so great being his sister sometimes.
