Chapter 2
Paige
V al’s has stayed the same over the past decade, and tonight the owner went all out for Bre’s birthday. They have allowed us to use a private room fully decorated with Bre’s favorite light pink roses. White plates with rose gold trim and matching serving ware that just screams Bre. A small pink cake sits in the middle of the table for six.
However, Bre informs me that Chris’ roommate has something come up, leaving Bre, Chris, me, Chris’s super-hot friend Graham, and his possibly mentally unstable fiancée, Katherine.
What can go wrong?
“So, Paige, what do you do for work?” Chris asks, catching my attention.
Even though I know Bre has probably already told him. I make it a point to give a soft smile.
Chris is traditionally handsome with dirty blonde, almost brown hair and piercing soft green eyes. He seems funny and is already clearly obsessed with my sister. They haven’t stopped touching each other since we sat down.
“Well, Chris, I’m positive my sister has already over-shared our whole lives with you since she brags constantly.”
I add a wink. Chris lets out a small laugh, and I catch Graham grinning before sipping his whiskey. Bre just glares at me like always.
“Fair enough,” he says with a chuckle. “Let me try that again. Paige, Bre told me you were a nurse. Do you like the work?”
“You are a nurse?” Katherine lets out condescendingly, taking another large drink from her second glass of wine. My glass she stole was empty by the time we made it to the table.
Graham seems settled back into his chair and has his arm draped over the back of Katherine’s.
“Nurse, caretaker, butt-wiper, licensed drug dealer.”
“Probably a badge bunny,” Katherine says with a scoff, meaning it to be an insult.
I just clench my jaw and swirl my glass of wine. I am already over this broad.
“I haven’t fucked my way through the fire department yet, but I am next on the signup sheet,” I say with thick sarcasm.
Bre just stares at me in disbelief while Graham and Chris both laugh.
I’m pretty sure it is pure rage that begins to boil on Katherine’s face as she lifts her glass to her lips.
“Badge bunnies fuck more than just firemen.”
“Clearly, between working around five nights a week in a busy emergency room and sleeping in my free time, I already fucked my way through the police department,” I wink suggestively.
Katherine then chokes on whatever amount of liquid is in her mouth. Bre smacks my arm and uses a tone that means my ass is in trouble if I don’t stop now.
“Knock it off!”
I shoot a pissed look toward Bre and refocus my attention on Chris. Who, to his credit, had a beaming smile on his face. He winks at me, and clearly, he is not team Katherine. I am starting to get why my sister is dating him.
“Sorry, I don’t like petty people. They are nothing but distractions.”
I don’t even have to look toward Katherine as I hear a glass slam back onto the table. Graham adjusts slightly and just looks back and forth between Katherine and me.
“It’s okay. I have found you to be quite entertaining. Your sister did not do you justice,” Chris says, kissing Bre’s hand softly.
Bre’s face lights up before the slightest shade of pink crosses her cheeks.
“To finally answer your question. Yes, I am an emergency room nurse. Have been for a little over three years now.”
“Do you enjoy it?” Graham asks this time.
I shift my attention toward him as Katherine shifts her focus back towards her nearly empty drink.
“Most days,” I answer with a shrug. “What do you two do for work?”
“Army Doctors. I specialize in general practice, while my best bud here is a trauma surgeon. Or at least trying to be,” Chris says, gripping Graham’s shoulder and gently squeezing it. I don’t bother hiding my surprise.
“Doctors? Huh,” I say with a smile and play with the napkin on the table.
“I thought I told you,” Bre says, almost insulted.
I meet her stare, and she is completely unapologetic.
“Nope.” I grin and Bre rolls her eyes.
“It’s not a big deal, Paige.” Bre turns her attention towards Chris and pulls out the card I gave her.
“Look what my sister got me.”
I feel my cheeks flush, and Chris pulls the card out of the envelope and laughs. Not bothering to open the card before looking towards me.
“You know that’s why we were late?”
I feel the shock on my face, but I already knew they were probably fucking because that’s pretty much all they have been doing for months.
“Chris!”
Bre scoffed, swatting at Chris before he opens that card and looks at the printout. Then lets out a long whistle.
“What did you get her?” Graham asks, leaning towards me a bit. Pulling away from Katherine completely.
“Well, ever since we lost our parents, Bre and I have discussed taking a family vacation to Europe. Specifically, Italy and Greece,” I say with a nervous smile.
“I have been overseas a few times, and Greece was one of my favorite places to visit,” Graham says with a soft grin that causes only one of his dimples to deepen.
My eyes linger on it longer than I should. Katherine clears her throat and I try to focus back on the table.
“Do you remember the trip we took for our week off when we partied through Germany?” Chris asks Graham with a tone of fondness, as he hands Bre back her card.
“All I remember was pulling your too-drunk ass away from yet another girl you were meant to be with,” Graham responds, and they both laugh.
I can’t help but love the sound of it.
Katherine looks between the boys, almost seemingly annoyed. I roll my eyes and continue.
“Well, I worked a lot this past couple of years and racked up some serious PTO so we can enjoy a month-long trip and visit a few countries. I figured a month would allow us to set up a home base and travel outward from there.”
“That sounds like a life-changing trip,” Graham adds softly.
I can feel the blush on my cheeks from his attention.
“Must be nice,” Katherine says in a rather bitchy tone.
I turn my attention towards her and she seems slightly drunk. I decide to be a bitch back.
“So, you two are engaged? How’s that going? When’s the big day?”
I may have given her a rather fake smile when I ask. She responds with a one-finger gesture before pushing out of her seat unsteadily. Graham shoots up from his chair to help. Katherine immediately pulls her arm away to protest his touch.
“I’m fine. Don’t touch me. Excuse me.”
She lingers on Graham, who just seems unsure how to respond, before letting her storm off towards the bathroom with her purse, stumbling slightly like a newborn doe.
For an engaged couple, they seem off, but it really isn’t my business, no matter how dreamy this man is. They are clearly having some problems.
“Sorry.” He sighs a moment later when he takes his seat.
I linger on him a moment before I hear a throat clear. I look over to see the waiter with my salmon, and I offer him a soft smile. An awkward silence fills the space.
“Let’s eat,” Chris says with a smile, seeming to ease some of the tension at the table.