“Yes,” Aspen chuckles just as the taller one of the two takes notice of my presence. Her eyes widen slightly and I see her fingers flex as she squeezes the hell out of who I would presume is her girlfriend’s hand.
“Ow,” the shorter one, a blonde, mutters and then looks at me, too. “Well, holy shit. Aspen, this that foster brother you told us about?”
Aspen’s cheeks turn bright pink beneath her freckles and she gives her a wide-eyed look. “Yes. Marley, Sara, this is Reid. Reid, these are my roommates and best friends, Marley and Sara.”
The taller one’s mouth gapes as she looks at her friend. “You didn’t mention his name before.”
“Or the fact that he’s famous,” the other one adds.
“Or that he’s Reid Keely.”
“Like the guitarist.”
“Whisper Me Nothings’ guitarist.”
Aspen cuts a hand through the air. “Alright, I get it. Don’t boost his ego up, please.”
I smirk.
“And yes,formerfamous guitarist,” Aspen clarifies.
My smile drops.
The blonde studies me shrewdly, as if she wants to peel back my skin with a thin knife to see what ulterior motives I may be hiding beneath for her friend.
I decide I like her right then and there.
“So what do you do now then,former famous guitarist?” she asks. “Besides play personal driver for our Aspen.”
“Marley.” The brunette squeezes her hand. “What she means is?—”
“What I mean is why are you spending all your time stalking Aspen at work and driving her home?”
Aspen sighs but doesn’t try to intervene. Her face shows she expected this kind of grilling from them, and I’m not surprised. It’s not the first time I’ve witnessed friends skewer the new guys in their friends’ lives.
“I’m figuring out my next steps, just like Penny here” I say.
“Penny?” The blonde one, who must be Sara, looks over at her friend. “I didn’t know you had a nickname.”
“It’s from a long time ago,” she says. “He’s the only one who calls me it.” She jabs a thumb in my direction.
Marley hums and scans me from head to toe again. I stand still under her assessment, letting her take in her fill but keeping my face neutral.
“Where are you guys going out tonight?” Aspen changes the subject and thumbs the shiny material of Marley’s maroon dress. “You guys look hot.”
“We’re heading out to check out a new cocktail bar in SoHo. The owners reached out for a feature of it.”
Ah. “So you two are the ones with the magazine?” I ask.
Sara beams while Marley merely narrows her eyes on me. “Yes,” Sara says. “Has Aspen told you we’ve been trying to get her to quit that job of hers and come work with us?”
That job of hers.I don’t think she means it to sound condescending, but by the inward turn of Aspen’s shoulders I can tell she picked up on it too.
“She has,” I say, keeping my tone deceptively light. “And she also told me she’s content where she’s at for right now while she figures out what she wants to do. Isn’t that respectable of her? To know what she wants and stick to it despite being pressured?”
Sara’s smile falters slightly, as if realizing the way she came across, and looks to her friend. Aspen shakes her head and offers her a smile. “You know I always appreciate the offer.”
Marley’s mouth curls and I’d say I’m not earning myself a fan here. “We should get going. Reid, would you like to walk out with us?”
