35
Standing on Sofia’s porch, Joel’s gaze takes in my high ponytail, sweatshirt, and running shoes. I’m bouncing on the balls of my feet, throwing a couple of light jabs, Rocky style. All I need now is sweeping cinematic music in the background.
Joel refrained from saying anything on the drive over, but now amusement tugs at one corner of his mouth. “You look like you mean business.”
“Oh, I totally mean business. I rock game night,” I add, unable to help myself. “I have an insane amount of trivia in my head. Completely useless to me most of the time, but on nights like this, it comes in handy.”
“Well, well, Kenzie Ellis has a competitive streak,” he says. “Who would have guessed?”
The door swings open before I can answer. Sofia stands there with Tess peeking over her shoulder.
“You have no idea,” Sofia warns him. “Our shy, sweet Kenzie disappears whenever there are competitive games.”
“She goes full assassin mode,” Tess adds. “It’s her secret superpower.”
My cheeks burn at their ribbing. “I’m not that bad.”
“Oh, yes, you are,” they chorus with matching grins.
Joel extends the plant he’s carrying. “This is for you,” he says to Sofia.
Her eyes light up. “Thank you.” She takes it, and I’m grateful her attention shifts off me. I nudge Joel’s shoulder in quiet thanks.
Sofia strokes a leaf. “Fake?”
“Yes.”
She grins. “You were briefed.”
“I was.”
“What’s wrong with real plants?” Tess asks.
“They’re too needy, and I don’t do well with needy things.”
“What about people?”
“I don’t do too well with them either,” she admits. Then she winks. “But I make exceptions. Come on in.”
She and Tess head down the hallway as we step inside.
In the entryway, Joel leans in, close enough that his words are for me alone.
“Another vice uncovered,” he murmurs. “So far I’ve got kissing strangers in dark rooms, breaking and entering.
..” His eyes flick to my mouth and back. “The list goes on.”
My breath stalls. “It sounds like you’ve been taking notes,” I manage.
“Just keeping up,” he says. “Wouldn’t want to underestimate the competition.” He straightens, but his hand hovers at the small of my back, a silent nudge forward.
I walk ahead of him, following the sound of voices and laughter spilling down the hall. My brain might be packed with trivia, but there’s nothing in there about how to steady a heart that’s falling too fast.
Everyone’s gathered in Sofia’s kitchen, munching appetizers and mixing cocktails. Side conversations taper off when Joel and I walk in.
Aaron kisses my cheek and greets Joel with a firm handshake. “You’re a brave man for showing up to one of these.”
“I’m not sure I had much of a choice,” Joel replies with a pointed look at Tess.
She grins, unrepentant.
Gideon slaps Joel on the shoulder and hands him a nonalcoholic beer. I’d warned them not to offer him alcohol. Joel takes the drink and tips his head at me in thanks. The warmth in his eyes sends a quiet thrill curling down my spine.
Gideon slings an arm around my shoulders. “You ready to lose?” he asks good-naturedly.
“Look at you, living in denial,” I retort.
Gideon barks out a laugh. “Man, I love game-night Kenzie.”
“How often do you do this?” Joel asks.
“Every couple of months,” Gideon says. “We’d like to have it more often, but life gets busy.”
“Cocktails, appetizers, and games with my people,” Tess says. “Life doesn’t get better than this.”
We spend the next half hour eating, drinking, and laughing. The mood is upbeat, and the conversation jumps from one topic to the next with the usual teasing.
When Kate ducks into the bathroom, Gideon says in a low voice, “You have to help me. Kate’s talking about kale-flavored ice cream.”
Aaron looks mildly intrigued. “It might not be that bad.”
Gideon gives him an affronted look. “I’d rather parallel park a bus in a snowstorm that eat kale ice cream.”
I chuckle and glance away, only to catch Tess’s eye.
She’s giving me a twitchy look, clearly trying to send a message. Unfortunately, Tess being Tess, it isn’t anything easily decipherable. Instead, I’m hit with a barrage of mixed signals: He’s hot! Flirt with him! Be careful! Ask questions, but not about taxes! Check your teeth!
I frown back, aiming for simple and readable. What on earth are you saying?
She finally gives up, barely stifling her eye roll.
To my relief, Joel seems relaxed and at ease with Aaron and Gideon. All three men are disturbingly handsome, and they carry more confidence than they know what to do with.
Aaron is steady and reliable, cool under pressure. He’s the calm to Tess’s chaos, with a dry, surgical sense of humor that delights me. You feel safe just being in his presence.
Gideon is the unpredictable one. People still whisper about what became of Kate’s abusive ex.
A lot of rumors flew around, but nothing was ever proven.
Most folks have learned to regard Gideon with a healthy amount of respect and an undertone of caution.
But with the people he loves, Gideon is the softest of the three.
Joel is the wild card. The one I’m drawn to and the hardest to read.
Both Aaron and Gideon came to Brown Oaks with secrets, but Joel’s secrets feel heavier somehow.
At least, he’s able to hold his own with the two men.
That’s no easy feat. They’re both powerful personalities, but Joel doesn’t seem intimidated.
“This is a no-holds-barred night,” I whisper to Joel as conversation flows around us. “I hope you’re up for roasting,”
Joel’s grin flashes, quick and boyish, like he forgot to be careful with it. I feel the force of it catch in my chest. “I can hold my own, but thanks for the heads-up.”
It isn’t long before Gideon and Aaron are caught up in their usual one-upmanship.
“Let it go, Gideon,” Kate says, crossing her arms. “Be the bigger man.”
Gideon smirks. “I am the bigger man.”
Aaron rolls his eyes. “The only thing big about you is your ego crowding out the oxygen in the room.”
“What’s the matter, buddy?” Gideon shoots back. “Short-man syndrome kicking in?”
“We’re the same height, idiot.”
“And clearly the same level of emotional maturity,” Sofia says dryly.
Kate takes a generous sip of her cocktail. “What is it with men and their obsession with being bigger?”
Tess smirks into her drink. “Compensation, obviously.”
Everyone is still laughing when Sofia lifts an elegant hand. “All right, enough testosterone measuring. Let’s get started.”
We drift into Sofia’s expansive living room. The coffee table is loaded with snacks. We gape at the massive whiteboard against the wall.
“Where did you get that?” I ask.
“You know I can’t incriminate myself by answering,” Sofia says airily.
Joel drops onto the couch beside me, stretching out his long, jean-clad legs and crossing them at the ankles. The other couples pair off on chairs and the loveseat.
“Couples are on the same team,” Sofia announces. “Since my dear husband is away on business, I am your gamemaster. And I choose the questions.”
“Just don’t go all Hunger Games on us,” Tess says.
Sofia arches an eyebrow. “I’m never one to turn down a challenge.” She claps once. “Okay, each couple choose a name for your team.”
“We’ll be The Big Kahunas,” Gideon says immediately.
Kate chokes on her cocktail. “Seriously?”
“Please, love,” he entreats, looking hopeful.
Kate sighs. “Fine.”
Gideon pumps a fist while Sofia writes The Big Kahunas on the board.
Aaron turns to Tess. “You have to let me name us. He can’t have the upper hand.”
“You mean, the bigger hand,” Gideon adds before Kate elbows him in the ribs.
“Is this big thing ever going to get old?” Tess asks on a long-suffering sigh.
“Never,” Aaron replies. “We’ll go with Large And In Charge.”
I bite my lip to cage the laugh bubbling up.
Tess narrows her eyes at Aaron. “Honey, if you don’t want the couch to be your permanent address, I suggest you let me name us.”
“Fine,” he grumbles. “You’re the writer.”
“Titans of Trivia,” Tess declares.
“Nice,” Aaron says, giving her a quick, tender kiss.
Sofia adds it to the list.
“You choose,” I say to Joel.
“The Bigger Picture,” he says without hesitation.
I bump his shoulder. “Excellent.”
“I’m glad you approve.”
Sofia finishes writing and turns from the whiteboard to face us. “Tonight’s game is, How Well Do You Know Each Other.”
Alarm taps at my ribs. I was expecting history.
Or geography. I even studied for those (not that I’d admit it).
But I haven’t studied Joel, not the way this game requires.
Three weeks isn’t long enough to learn his tells, his favorite things, the stories he keeps locked away.
Three weeks doesn’t tell me why he hates surprises, why he counts exits, and why he never sits with his back to the door.
The other couples have years together. They have shared holidays, running jokes, a whole archive of shorthand.
We don’t stand a chance.
I gulp air. I’m a blender without a lid, thoughts flying everywhere.
“Relax,” Joel murmurs beside me.
“We’re going to be terrible at this,” I whisper. “What do we know about each other? We’re coming in with a pamphlet and they’re armed with encyclopedias.”
“It’ll be fine,” he says calmly.
“No, it won’t,” I whisper back. How can he be so calm? This is a disaster. “We’ve only known each other three weeks.”
He turns those dark, steady eyes on me. “Trust me,” he says softly.
“Everything okay over there, Kenzie?” Sofia asks, her eyebrows raised.
“All good over here.” I paste on a confidant smile like I’ve got this. Inside, I’m the woman in the horror movie who just heard the basement door creak.
“Okay, warm-up round,” Sofia declares. “If your partner were an animal, what would they be?”
Tess jumps right in. “An owl,” she says for Aaron. “He’s watchful, sleeping with one eye on your firewall.”
“A red fox,” Aaron returns, smiling at her. “Clever, quick, and mischievous.”