“Thanks so much for that,” Justine deadpanned, which had Auggie laughing.
Then Xavier cut in with his idea of a good date, information he planned on imparting to his candidate for his mother’s next outing.
Justine liked his take and added her two cents, not realizing how interesting she’d become to his sister.
Auggie watchedher brother and Justine interact, sensing a lot more bubbling under the surface than just friendly banter.
Xavier’s gaze seemed glued to the pretty brunette. And though Justine tried to include Auggie in on the conversation, which was a decent thing to do, the woman had a tendency to study Xavier with more interest than she was probably aware of.
Just a neighbor? Please. Xavier hadI Want This Oneplastered all over his face. That he acted super casual and not at all interested said volumes to Auggie. She’d have to keep an eye on Justine.
“I know, right? Who goes to a movie on a first date?” Xavier was saying.
“You can’t talk during a movie. I think it’s a lot more fun to do something together. Like going to a museum or the arboretum. Maybe on date three or four you see a movie or a play. A concert even. But you need time and space to talk.”
“Exactly.” Xavier nodded, a sparkle in his eyes. “Communication,” he emphasized with a sharp look at Auggie, “improves the more you use it. Plus, you and your date are new, so you need to feel each other out.”
“What I was saying,” Auggie muttered.
“Verbally,” he stressed, “to see what you both like, what you have in common.”
“So when do you get to the favorite color, favorite number conversations?” Justine asked, nursing her coffee.
Auggie swore she heard the girl’s stomach rumble and felt for her. It had nearly reached eight in the evening, and if Justine had come from work without eating any dinner, she had to be hungry.
Xavier must have heard, because he paused. “Hey, you want something to eat?”
Justine flushed. “I’ll get something later.”
“No, really. I could eat too. They have great panini sandwiches. It’s on me.”
“I couldn’t.”
“I insist.” He shot Justine his killer smile, that one that always knocked them dead from ten paces.
“Well, okay. But I’ll buy the dessert.”
“Something sweet. Sweet.” Xavier chuckled. They both stood, and he waited for Justine to precede him, ever the gentleman.
The pretty blush on Justine’s cheeks, the way they kept smiling at each other, then glancing away, keeping it casual, was telling.
Auggie said nothing, however, and made a mental note to discuss this with her mom. Because though she had a twin bond with Xav, would always remain loyal to him, there was such a thing as looking out for her brother. And their mother had mad instincts when it came to her boy.
No one could ever be good enough.
Yet Auggie kind of liked Justine, what she knew of her, anyway.
Might be interesting to see where this went with the new girl and her too-chill brother.
She sent a text to her mom and smiled when the pair came back with something for her as well.
“We didn’t know what you wanted, so we brought back three of each,” Justine said with a smile, spreading the food around.
Xavier shot Auggie a warning glance to be nice, so she nodded her thanks. “Appreciate it. I guess I’m hungrier than I thought.” Though the amount of bad carbs in this dinner didn’t bode well for Justine’s food and nutrition awareness.
“Don’t even,” Xavier warned in a low voice, reading her mind.
“What?” Justine watched them.
