Considering how much she’d once loved him. She didn’t need to say the words for me to hear them.
“Gabs, I know I haven’t been much of a friend the past couple of years. I don’t have a good excuse for it, but I want to make it up to you.” I reached out across the table and smiled when she placed one of her hands in mine. “I don’t want us to end up as acquaintances. I want us to be friends, the way we used to be.” I’d missed her—sometimes so bad every organ in my body seemed to ache with the loss.
She nodded, her eyes gentle. “I want that, too,” she said. “It’s hard though, with you being so far away—”
“That’s not a problem anymore.” Tugging free of her hold, I picked up my knife and fork and went back to my meal. “I’m not going anywhere, at least not for a while.”
The frown returned to her face and she leaned forward. “Connor, what’s going on with you? Are you okay?”
I shook my head, releasing a heavy sigh. “Not really.” I couldn’t imagine telling her how twisted up I’d gotten inside. The lengths I’d gone to in the name of perfection. “Let’s say, shit went sideways, and I knew it was time to come home. I need to spend time with my family, and with you.” A sad sort of smile tugged at my mouth as I basked in the simple warmth of her presence. “I need to be with people who don’t care what I look like.”
Despite her obvious concern, her mouth lifted at the corners. “Well, in that case, what do you say to sharing something decadent for dessert?”
With those simple words, Gabi gave me exactly what I needed. She made me feel like me again.
This time, I didn’t even hesitate before replying, “I would love to share dessert with you.”
EIGHT
______
GABI
“You have to choose, Gabi.” My brother stared at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. “But you only get to pick one. Which do you want more?”
“I’m still deciding,” I said, shoving another coconut-encrusted prawn in my mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, I nodded. “This one. Definitely.” Even as I said the words, I eyed off a second dish on the far side of the table. I couldn’t remember what it was, but it had me halfway to orgasm with a single bite. Gesturing to it with my fork, I added, “And that one.”
“Damn it, Gabi. You’re not helping.” Frank sighed, rubbing at his forehead. “Caroline and I already picked the pork. We only get one more choice.”
“Hey, buddy, you’re the one who asked my opinion and I’m providing it. You’ll have to narrow it down from there, because I want both.”
To my right, Lawrence coughed into his napkin. I wasn’t sure if he did it to cover laughter at our bickering, or if he just enjoyed hearing me say I wanted both of anything. Fodder for his sex dreams, no doubt.
I turned my attention back to Frank and his fiancée. “Isn’t the main meal the most important part, anyway?” I wondered aloud. “Do people really care about the entree?”
“Of course, they care,” Caroline said with a gasp. “The entree is the first thing people will put in their mouths at our wedding reception. It could make or break the whole meal.”
That was it. I was going to lose it. The corners of my mouth began to twitch as laughter bubbled up from low in my chest. I pursed my lips together, trying to hold it back.
“I’m with Gabi on this one,” Law jumped in, drawing their attention in his direction. “I know you like the pork, but maybe you should take a minute to reconsider.”
With matching looks of exasperation, Frank and Caroline consulted their list, discussing the options in low voices and making notes on the page.
While they were occupied, I gave Law a sidelong glance. “Thank you,” I mouthed silently.
He winked and took a sip of his wine. The one the waiter had claimed was a perfect match for something or other on the table. I had trouble keeping all the dishes straight with Law sitting this close. Even after all these years, his presence still proved too much of a distraction.
I wasn’t even supposed to be at this lunch. Caroline’s bridesmaid, Mandy, should have been the one to accompany them on this quest to decide the perfect combination of dishes for the wedding reception. As the best man, Law also had to be there. But me? I was nothing more than the groom’s sister. Totally unnecessary. Unfortunately, Mandy had been unable to make it due to some work commitment she’d claimed she couldn’t get out of. Personally, I suspected she’d made the whole thing up, so she didn’t have to endure the torture of having Frank and Caroline stare at her while she ate.
“We’ve decided to have the pork and the prawns.” Caroline slapped the pen down on the table and took a large gulp of her wine. “Sorry, Gabi. Your second choice didn’t make the cut.”
“It’s a sad day for my taste buds, but I shall endure.” Ignoring Law’s snort of amusement, I rushed to add, “I can’t believe it’s only a month until you get married.” It was the one sentence I knew would distract them from the sarcasm I had trouble reining in. The only thing Frank and Caroline cared about more than their wedding, was the fact they’d be husband and wife at the end of it.
“I know, I can’t wait.” Caroline’s face lit up with excitement, but the accompanying sigh—not to mention the speed at which she knocked back the wine—smacked of desperation to reach the finish line.
A flurry of waiters arrived to remove the empty plates, replacing them with a selection of main meals and a fresh bottle of wine. After providing a short explanation of each dish, one of the waiters refilled Frank and Caroline’s empty wine goblets before disappearing again. The happy couple were quick to clink their glasses in a toast before drinking.
Thank goodness Law had volunteered to be the designated driver for this excursion, because Frank and Caroline were already on their way to being trashed. While tempted to join them in their revelry, I continued sipping from my own glass at a more leisurely pace. Alcohol tended to loosen my inhibitions with alarming speed and that wasn’t such a good idea with Law sitting so close at the square dining table. One thoughtless leg movement and we’d be bumping knees together. After more than five years of making it a point not to touch him unless absolutely necessary, I didn’t want to start risking accidental contact now.
