“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he automatically added as if he was an extra in an oldSeinfeldepisode.
“There’s definitely nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t matter, though. I’m not gay. I wasn’t asking about him because I’m hot for him.”
“Then why were you asking about him?”
“Because when I was leaving last night, he was bothering Bree by the Uber pickup spot, and she was … I guessshakenwould be the right word.”
Okay, now I had Nathan’s full attention. “Seriously?” He cocked his head. “He went home with Bree?”
Sometimes I wondered how I could be friends with Nathan when he was so … Nathan. Most of it was on purpose. Sometimes, though, he was just oblivious. “No. He was kind of … well,hitting on hermight be the wrong way to say it. He was just sort of intense.”
Nathan tilted his head.
“She was upset,” I insisted. “We rode home in an Uber together just to be on the safe side.”
He still didn’t say anything.
“There was no sex. It was just a … well, not a friend thing. We’re not friends. I didn’t think it was safe leaving her behind. Or even if it was safe, she didn’t feel it was safe.”
“I’m not giving you a hard time,” Nathan said. “You did the right thing. I’m just trying to think back about that guy. He was a little weird I guess. I didn’t get that vibe from him.”
“I don’t think you have the right parts to get that vibe.”
“Fair enough.” He looked legitimately troubled. “I’m glad you swooped in. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
That was not the response I’d expected. “I … well, I agree.”
He smirked. “Even though there’s definitely something brewing between you two.”
“Knock it off.” I shook my head. “There’s nothing brewing.”
“Nothing at all?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Great.” Nathan stood, catching me off guard, and waved his hand. “Bree!” He yelled her name so loudly I slumped low in my seat. “We’re over here.”
I was flabbergasted. “What are you doing?” I darted a look over my shoulder and found Bree standing with a young woman I didn’t recognize. She had brown hair and a bright smile. “Did you ask her to meet us here?” Betrayal had never felt so real.
Nathan laughed. “Why would I ask her to meet us?”
“You said ‘We’re over here’ like she was looking for us.”
“I just wanted her to know we were over here.” His smile was smug as he sat again. “She’s on her way.”
“I don’t want her here,” I hissed.
“Well, she’s coming. You can’t shun her now. That would be rude.”
“I’m not the one who invited her.”
“It would still be rude.” Nathan was all smiles as Bree and her friend tentatively approached the table. “Hey, Bree,” he said in a singsong voice. “It’s so nice to see you two days in a row.”
“Are you drunk or something?” Bree was blunt to the point of being distracting sometimes.
Nathan shook his head. His gaze wasn’t on the dark-haired author but her friend. “You should introduce everybody.”
Bree glanced between him and her friend before rolling her eyes. When she sat, it was with a heavy sigh. “You just don’t ever turn it off, do you?”
