“What d’ya do that for?” Stephen’s brows furrow.
“I’m sure we can get another pair,” Alexander says. A smile forms on his face as he looks at the pair of us. Rob, in the meantime, completely ignores the bickering and takes his phone out. Stephen raises his eyebrows at me as he reaches for his champagne again.
“Have you guys been together for a while then?” Alexander asks, waving his finger between us.
Stephen spits his mouthful of champagne all over me.
“God, no! Would you look at him?” His face screws up in disgust. “It’d be like sleeping with my brother, but worse.”
I reach for the napkin beside my plate, squeezing it tightly before wiping the champagne from my face and top. I don’t know if I’m more angry at Stephen for doing that in front of Alexander, or more relieved that Stephen has ruled out that the two of us are definitely not a thing.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,” he says. “It’s just when you said for years, I assumed you were partners.” He reaches up for the coffee that the waitress passes to him.
“Oh God, his standards are so low, he’s resorted to using a shovel,” Stephen says, laughing. He looks away from me toward Alexander.
“Says the man who taught me that desperate was actually a lifestyle choice,” I shoot back, knocking the smile from his face. I shift my shoulders back and reach for the Bloody Mary, taking a sip and instantly regretting it as immediate heartburn rises.
Touché, motherfucker. Touché.
Alexander lets out a laugh, stopping Stephen in his tracks.
“You two are like peas in a pod,” he says, leaning back and reaching for his coffee.
“More like two ice cubes in a glass, trying to be cool, but both due for a meltdown,” I say.
Alexander smirks as Stephen cuts me a dirty look.
Fuck.
Did I just say that out loud? I wince.
God, I need to get my mouth wired shut like Kanye.
“You Brits are so funny.” Alex puts his coffee back down on the table.
“Irish,” Stephen coughs, insulted by the insinuation.
“Right.” Alex nods, looking at Stephen momentarily before returning his attention to us both. “What are you guys up to later then?”
“I’m free as a bird,” Stephen says, leaning forward. His cutlery scrapes against the plate as he shovels the last of his food onto his fork and almost throws it into his mouth.
I look at him, confused, knowing that he agreed to attend Kelly’s bachelorette party today because he won’t make the wedding.
“Well, if you guys want, I’m playing at the O2 tonight. Rob can get a couple of tickets for you both if you give him your name and number.”
“We’d love to,” I say politely, holding my hand out across the table to stop Stephen from talking. “But it’s my sister’s bachelorette party today. She’ll kill me if I don’t come.” My heart sinks at this new roadblock in the way of Alexander and I spending more time together.
“Look,” Stephen says, stretching back in his chair. He reaches for a pen left with a bill on the table behind him. “I’m sure your sister won’t mind if we duck out halfway through.” He grabs a napkin and scribbles on the corner to make sure the pen works—it does—before writing his name and number on it and passing it to Alexander.
Alexander takes the napkin and then looks up at me.
An awkward pause ensues.
I’m guessing he wants me to throw him a bone, but I don’t know what to say.
“Ah, this is an English number,” he finally responds, breaking the silence. “Your phone doesn’t work with English numbers, does it, Rob?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rob looking dumbfounded before his face changes.
