“You’re not a terrible dancer,” I say as we move around in beat with the music.
“Oh, yes,” Cole begins, his mouth tugging up at the corners. “Because swaying is so hard to do.”
“Can’t you just take a compliment?” I ask with a laugh as I look up at him. “I’m trying to be nice.”
He just shrugs in response, causing me to shake my head. Cole reaches for my hand and spins me in a circle again before pulling me back to him. “Maybe I’m not used to taking a compliment.”
My face falls slightly at that, but before I have the chance to comment, I hear a throat clearing behind us. Turning, I smile as I see Levi standing behind me. He’s wearing a plain grey tee underneath a black leather jacket with a pair of jeans.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing you out of a suit,” I say before I can stop myself, my eyes trailing up to his. “But I like it.”
“Thanks, beautiful.” He glances over my shoulder and his smile grows into a sly one. “Trying to steal my girl, man?”
Cole laughs. “Nah, bro. If you wanted to dance with her, all you had to do was ask. But just so you don’t get your heartbroken, she’s seeing someone.”
“Oh,” I rush out, gesturing to Cole as I say to Levi, “this is a friend of mine?—”
“Cole,” Levi states, beating me to it. My eyebrows shoot up as I glance back at Cole to see him shrug, giving me that small smile.
He brushes past me and walks up to Levi, and I watch in confusion as they grab each other’s hands and pat one another on the back with the other. Cole whispers something into Levi’s ear that I don’t hear, but Levi laughs.
“Am I missing something here?”
Levi walks up to me once Cole steps back and slings an arm over my shoulders. “We’re good friends.”
“Wait, hang on,” Cole says with a wave of his hands as he stares at the arm Levi has wrapped around me. “Marlowe, this is the guy you were matched with? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How was I supposed to know you two knew each other?”
“Does this mean this is the girl you wanted to set me up with?” Levi asks, tilting his head to the side.
I’m still slightly in shock as I point at Levi and say to Cole, “So this is the friend of yours you were telling me about, then.”
Cole studies the two of us with a furrow between his brows before a large smile erupts on his face. He closes the space between us, wrapping his arms around Levi and me, laughing loudly as he squeezes us tight.
“My two best friends are getting together,” he says, causing me to laugh along. “What a small world. It’s like the universe wants you two to be together. Or just wants to tell me I need to get into the matchmaking business.”
“I don’t know how I didn’t put it together,” Levi says once Cole releases us. “She looks exactly like you described her.”
I raise a brow at Cole and fight a smile as a light blush comes to his cheeks. “I’d say don’t tell JJ, but she gushes about how beautiful you are all the time.”
“She’s the sweetest,” I say as I loop my arm around Levi’s waist and his falls back over my shoulders. “That is also very sweet of you, so thank you, Cole.”
“Honesty is the best policy and all that, right?”
I tilt my head. “I wonder what an amazing, thoughtful, and generous person told you that.”
“All right, now. Don’t push your luck.” Cole claps Levi on the back and flashes me a smile. “I’m going to get back to work. If you have any song requests, just come on up.”
He turns and heads back to his mixer board, hitting a few keys on the laptop he has resting nearby. Turning to glance up at Levi, I see that he’s already smiling down at me. He tilts his head, angling toward the buffet in the corner.
“Hungry?”
“Starved.”
Levi leads me over to the table, my hand wrapped firmly in his as he approaches the table. Grabbing a plate, he extends it in my direction, and I gratefully accept. I fill my plate with some Alfredo and salad, making sure to not forget a napkin and fork as I reach the end of the table. I turn and watch Levi as he finishes grabbing his own food before following him to a free table.
“How was your day?” He asks once I set my plate down.
