We also ordered a charcuterie board, the house pickles, pretzels, and bar nuts in various shapes, sizes and flavors.
“Did you say Vann?” Vera repeated when we were alone again.
Had I said Vann?
Damn.
I told you I was terrible at blurting out the truth and nothing but the truth when it came to these four women that made up my inner circle.
“Oh, yeah, it was the strangest thing. He happened to walk in when I was on this date from hell and he ended up kind of saved me.” They blinked at me, like I’d just explained the whole thing in Mandarin. “You know your brother.” I waved my hand in the air, hoping I had recently acquired the magical skill of getting girls to skip over conversations about boys.
“Apparently, I don’t know my brother,” Vera drawled. “Please, tell me more about him. And you. And this date he saved you from.”
“V, this night is about you! I feel like I’m taking up all the oxygen. Enough about my failed dating life. Let’s celebrate your more successful one!”
Kaya leaned forward, planting her elbows on the table. “Nice try, blondie. But we want the goods. Give us the whole story.”
I looked to Molly for some help. She held her hands up in defeat and said, “He’s basically my brother too. I’m just as curious.”
“Ugh.”
“Spill it,” Vera ordered.
So, I did. I started at the beginning when Benny asked me if he could set me up with Matt and ended with my escape from the worst coffee date in history when Matt went to the bathroom, leaving out all the important details about Vann’s smile and his rival bad dating life and that this was the third time he’d saved me from an unfortunate end.
I thought they’d give me immediate input into the whole ordeal, but all three of them sat back in their seats and were basically quiet until the bartender dropped off our drinks a minute later.
“That was nice of him,” Vera finally said.
“That’s what I said. He saved me. It was nice.”
“He’s off nice girls,” she added.
“I know. He told me.”
Her face screwed up like a shrewd field mouse. “Does that bother you?”
I gave her the look of a confused spider monkey in return. “Why would it bother me?”
“You’re a nice girl,” she pointed out.
“But I don’t want to date your brother.”
Now she looked offended. I needed her to make up her damn mind.
Could I blame this mental whiplash on pregnancy?
Sure?
Maybe I’d ask Killian later since he was apparently joining us.
I chose response-neutrality. “Thank you. I think you’re nice too, Vere.”
Working extra hard to pull us out of awkward territory, Molly said, “Benny should know better. Where’s the bro-awareness for his own posse. Come on, dude.”
But at the same time, Kaya added, “Vann’s coming tonight, isn’t he?”
I wanted to roll my eyes, but I politely refrained. “Can I just remind y’all that Vann wasn’t the point of the story. I was actually talking about my terrible luck with men. Thank you for rubbing it in my face.”
