“An opening like the fact that he’s currently walking toward our table?” She’s looking past me now, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth.
“What?” My spine straightens, and I fight the urge to check my reflection in my wine glass.
I turn slightly, and sure enough, Theo is heading our way. He looks a bit flushed from the hustle of the evening, but he’s smiling as he approaches, and my whole body responds to it in a way that’s embarrassing.
“Emma, hey, nice to see you,” he says when he reaches ourtable. “I didn’t realize you’d be in tonight or I would have stopped by to say hi sooner.”
I smile, hoping it doesn’t come across as giddy as I feel. “I considered texting you, but I called for a reservation first, and apparently the hostess said she was told by you that the name Emma Hayes could get a seat at your reserved family table anytime.” I gesture to the prime corner spot we’re occupying. “Thank you, by the way.”
He waves his hand, and the warmth in those brown eyes makes my pulse pick up. “We keep this one open for when any of our family members come in. And with how good you’ve been with Chloe, it’s the least I can do.”
He turns to Sophie, who’s watching this interaction with a delighted smirk I desperately want to wipe off her face. I know that look. That’s her “I’m about to cause chaos” look.
“This is my sister, Sophie,” I say quickly, hoping to cut her off at the pass. “She’s visiting from Seattle for the weekend.”
Sophie extends her hand with way too much enthusiasm. “Nice to meet you. Emma’s told me so much about you. And I meanso much.”
I could die on the spot. Just sink right through the floor and disappear forever. But Theo just laughs and shakes her hand, seemingly unbothered.
“All good things, I hope,” he says easily.
“Oh, very good things,” Sophie says with a grin that makes me want to crawl under the table. “She particularly emphasized how great you are with your daughter. And how nice your studio is. Really painted a picture for me.”
I am going tomurderher. Creatively. Maybe with a fork. I haven’t decided yet.
Theo’s eyes flicker to me for a second, a hint of surprise mixed with what might be pleasure crossing his face, before he turns back to Sophie. “Well, I’m glad the apartment’s working out. How are you liking your visit to Dark River so far?”
“It’s charming,” Sophie says, wisely not looking in my directionsince I’m shooting daggers at her with enough force to leave marks. “Not really my scene since I need a bit more nightlife and chaos, but I can see why Emma likes it here.”
Theo nods. “Fair enough. Though there’s a surprisingly decent music venue called The Blue Room about thirty minutes from here. I hear it gets pretty wild on Saturday nights.”
Sophie perks up. “Wait, really?”
“Don’t encourage her,” I say, finally finding my voice and some semblance of composure. “She’ll take that as a challenge and end up getting us both kicked out of somewhere.”
Theo laughs, and the sound makes warmth spread through my chest like I’ve just taken a shot of something strong. “Noted. Well, I should let you two get back to your dinner.” He turns those brown eyes back to me, and for a second it feels like Sophie and the whole restaurant have faded into background noise. “And Emma, if you need anything with the apartment, just let me know.”
“I will. Thank you.”
He holds my gaze for a moment longer than necessary—or maybe I’m imagining that—then gives us both a nod and heads back toward the kitchen, stopping at another table on his way. I watch him go. I watch him longer than I should.
The second he’s out of earshot, I turn to Sophie. “I’m going toendyou.”
She’s beaming like she just won the lottery. “Oh my god, Em. You were eye-fucking him the entire time he was standing here.”
“I was not.” I can feel heat creeping up my neck, and I take a long sip of wine to cover it.
“You absolutelywere.” She points her fork at me accusingly. “You practically had cartoon hearts floating around your head.”
“He’s nice to look at.” I don’t bother to deny it at this point. “What was I supposed to do, not look? That would be rude. Wasteful, even. A disservice to the universe.”
Sophie laughs. “You should ask him out tonight. Like right now. Go back there and just do it.”
“I’m not going to ambush him while he’s working.” I take another fortifying sip of wine. “Besides, I have a plan.”
“A plan.” Sophie shakes her head fondly, reaching for another crostini. “Of course you do. Emma Hayes always has a plan.”
“It’s one of my best qualities.” I point at her. “And what the hell was that, by the way? Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook. I had it handled. I was going to start planting seeds slowly, build up to things naturally. I have a whole strategy mapped out and you just came in hot with the ‘she talks about you so much’ routine.”
