“Riiiight.” She pats my back. “She’s interesting, isn’t she? Did you know she has a tortoise? I went round the other day and met him. He’s actually really cute.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, I did know that.”
“Oh, so she’s sharing personal things with you?”
“Why are you saying it like that? We’re partners and have to spend a lot of time together, so naturally, I’m going to notice things.”
She smiles and nods toward Mae, who is rushing toward the restaurant entrance wearing a baby pink sundress that bounces as she strides over to us. I can tell by the sheen on her legs that she’s got natural-looking tights underneath. “That’s not what you said when you were first paired with her,” Poppy mutters quietly before widening her arms. “Hey, Mae!”
“Sorry I’m late.” She’s clearly flustered. “I was being held captive in my mother’s hotel room.”
“What?” Protectiveness swarms me as I take her words literally, causing Mae to shake her head and chuckle.
“No, like, she wouldn’t stop talking about our next performance.”
“Ugh! Enough about working!” Poppy says loudly, slinging her arm over Mae’s shoulder. “Even if you were incredible.” She shoots her a wink. “I, for one, can’t wait to eat. Scallops. Truffle calamari. Lobster stuffed potato skins. The menu for tonight looks unbelievable!”
I pull the gleaming glass door of the restaurant open, but my feet freeze when Mae says, “I can’t actually have anything. I called them as soon as I knew about the dinner, and apparently, because I notified them too late, they can’t accommodate a nut allergy.”
“Youarekidding?” I grunt, heels digging into the ground. I understand the meal was planned last minute, but restaurants need to be prepared for this kind of thing. Allergies are common. “Did you at least eat beforehand?”
She shakes her head. “I was going to order something at the hotel, but my conversation with my mom went on longer than expected, so I didn't have time. I’ll just have something later. It’s fine.”
I can practically hear her stomach growling, and I swear she looks paler than usual.
“So they expect you to sit at the table with nothing?” I gesture to the silver italic writing that readsVelvet Fine Dining.
It’s an upscale chain with only a handful of locations in the country, where the price of one single dish could cover an entire family’s weekly grocery bill. It’s not my scene—packed with pretentious snobs who convince themselves they’re content with the tiny portions just to look wealthy.
“Poppy, tell the founders I apologise, but I wasn't feeling well and had to head home.” I hike my thumb over my shoulder towards the rental car I got for the few days I’m here. My eyes find Mae. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
Her lips part. “Nathan, it’s fine. What about the dinner?”
I shrug. “Evan can speak for me. He’s prepared. You can’t wait until later to eat.”
“I’ll tell them,” Poppy says, placing her arm on her friend’s. “And they won’t even know you’re missing. In all honesty, they care about the guys more than the cheerleaders. Daisy and Madison aren’t coming, either, so I’ll tell the others you caught the same stomach flu as them.”
My sister waves us away quickly, trying to contain her grin, and I lead Mae to my car.
“Why are you wearing that?” I ask, sighing. She looks fucking incredible, but it’s not the weather for a sundress. She’s only got a thin cardigan layered with it, and I can tell by the goosebumps across her skin that she’s cold.
Mae’s face drops as she looks down at herself inside the vehicle. “What? I thought it was—”
My eyes round. “No, no. It’s beautiful, princess. You look beautiful.” The words fall from my lips a little too naturally. “I’m just worried about you freezing to death. It’s cold today.”
Relief seems to spread across her face. “Well, it’s the only thing I had that was semi-nice.”
Oh, that will have to change.
“Okay, wear this,” I instruct her as I reach behind my seat to grab a spare jacket. She takes it and slips it on without hesitation. “What do you want to eat?”
She hums. “I know we were just about to enter a snooty booty restaurant, but because they were so rude to me over the phone, is it bad if I want to go and eat at some gross burger joint just to say a massivefuck youto them?”
I laugh, winding down the road to the grossest fast-food place I know. “Say no more.”
The burger joint ticks all the boxes. It smells of overused grease, sweat and stale buns. The biggest smile stretches Mae’s glossy lips, and I have a sudden urge to kiss them.
Her perfume is sweet and fruity, and I breathe it in greedily as I admire her in my jacket. She looks good in my clothes. We order our food, and I pull the brim of my cap down—I always have one with me on hand—to hide my face so no one recognises me.
