Chapter 6 #2
He did this all the time, so why did it feel so unnatural now? Because he was over-thinking it, that was why. “Which do you recommend? Chef’s special, or catch of the day?”
She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Depends. Catch of the day is fresh, but chef’s special is spicy. You look like you enjoy a little heat.” She winked.
“Quite a bit.” He handed the menu back. She was hooked, he was almost certain of it. A couple more lines, and he’d have her number. Except he couldn’t force out the next line. He couldn’t close.
“Me too.” Vivian passed her menu between, breaking a teasing gaze about to turn awkward.
Brittany turned her attention to the rest of the table, and after one last glance at him, moved on to other customers.
The conversation shifted from work, to the Memorial Day barbeque his parents were holding in just over a week.
When Jared shifted his attention to his sister to ask her something about their own parents, Vivian tilted her head toward Tate.
“I’m surprised you didn’t snag her number.” Vivian’s voice was low enough only Tate would hear.
Tate glanced at Lys, her eyes bright, a genuine smile in place as she laughed at something Jared said. “I’m off my game or something. Work, stress, blah, blah, blah.”
Vivian smirked. “That’s never been an issue for you before.”
Irritation surged through him at the prodding. “It is now.” The words snapped out sharper and louder than he intended, and everyone’s heads swiveled in his direction. Why was he even upset with V? She was being friendly, teasing the way they always did. “Sorry. Like I said, stress.”
Vivian pursed her lips. “Apparently so.”
Again, the conversation shifted and flowed as the food arrived, and then empty plates were taken away.
At some point, Brittany slipped her phone number under his hand.
Tate managed to bring his rambling thoughts under control by the end of the meal.
He should be fine in this afternoon’s recording session with Lys, especially with the sound engineer around.
Which reminded him. “We have to get back.” He realized after a glance at his phone to check the time. “Recording session.”
“Everyone rode with me,” Jared said. “Meet you back there?”
Alyssia’s eyes grew wide, and she opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Vivian cut her off.
“I’m going to catch a ride with you, if you don’t mind.
J’s back seat is cramped, and I have an idea I want to run past you.
” Vivian fell into step beside Tate. He tried but failed to ignore the disappointment that flashed over Alyssia’s face before a smile flitted back in.
“Sounds like plan.” Did V have any idea she’d just bought him another fifteen minutes by asking for a ride before Alyssia could?
Mikki and Alyssia split off toward the other side of the parking lot with Jared, and Tate let relief trickle through him. He glanced at the waitress’s number one more time before crumpling it and tossing it in a nearby trashcan.
“You’re going to break her heart.” Vivian’s comment dragged him back into the now. Exactly where he needed to stay. He’d remember that.
Which meant she was talking about the waitress, not Lys. “She served me iced tea, V. I don’t think she expects a ring for that.” He held the car door open for her, and waited until she was seated before taking his spot behind the wheel.
Vivian laughed. “That’s good. And not who I was talking about. What do you think J’s going to do when he finds out you hooked up with his sister?”
She had figured it out. Fuck. He wanted to ask if it was that obvious, but he wasn’t willing to confess. “He’d probably blow a fuse. Good thing we didn’t.”
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
“What?” Tate didn’t like the defensive mechanism kicking in. “I’m not stupid. I’ve known her a lot longer than you have, and I know she’s not a one-time kind of girl.”
Vivian shrugged. “She wouldn’t look at you during lunch, she barely said two words after you showed up, and she clenched her jaw every time the waitress showed up. Something happened, at least as far as she’s concerned.”
He didn’t want to snap at V, but the last thing he needed was her voicing every argument his mind was already tossing at him. “Were you this bad with Jared and Mikki?”
“Considering they’d hooked up, and you two haven’t”—she made a show of clearing her throat—“I was about fifty times worse. But my reasons with Mikki were different.”
Of course they were. Because no matter how much she liked Mikki, or respected Jared, she still felt like he’d betrayed her by falling in love.
Tate would have bet big that Vivian had never completely gotten over Jared, but as long as the two of them were still single, she could pretend it would be that way forever.
He kept the thought to himself, not interested in picking a fight.
“I’ve known the two of them for ages, I understand what a bad idea that would be—and that doesn’t even matter because there’s nothing going on with Lys. ”
“Right.” Vivian’s tone was flat. “Because if there were, you’d know eventually you’d have to pick a side.”
“Did that a long time ago.” He just had to remember that. Jared was his best friend, and Alyssia was a client. Vivian’s reminder just cemented he needed to put as much emotional distance between himself and Lys as possible.