“Teddy!” The man snapped his fingers in remembrance. “Right? Finn’s neighbor. And patient.” His face scrunched in thought. “Uh, I think there may be a few too many weird violations going on here.”
Betsy, beside him behind the desk, continued flipping through a magazine. “I didn’t hear anything.”
“Neighbors too, huh? Well, if you’re friends with Finn,” Erina said to the young man, “why don’t you join us for dinner tonight? We can make it a double date.”
“Erina,” Teddy warned.
“Just a get-to-know-your-neighbors sort of thing,” she said without looking at Teddy. “We’ll cook. You convince Finn to come along. Say 7:00 p.m.?”
“Uh, sure?”
Peachy.
It wasn’t that Teddy didn’t like the idea of finally giving in to Finn’s advances; he just hadn’t expected to do so with his sister present.
As they left the wellness center, Teddy wasn’t sure if he was pissed at her or grateful. “You mean I’ll cook,” he said when they reached the car.
“Obviously.”
It wasn’t a date, Teddy told himself. Or a double date, despite Erina’s insistence. It was just Finn coming over with a friend.
Teddy spending hours working on dinner was beside the point.
After confirming that no one was allergic to shellfish, he’d decided on shrimp, Spanish rice, avocado coleslaw, and a bottle of chardonnay. One glass of wine with his medication should be fine, and if he was mistaken, he had two physical therapists to correct him.
Finn looked effervescent when he arrived, even with his fidgety friend beside him, who was cute, just more Erina’s type than Teddy’s with the long locks and nerdy-chic vibe.
Finn also looked good despite carrying his dog.
“Is it okay that I brought Nora along? I think she’s been missing Smudge,” he said, hanging on to the squirming bundle of fluff until Teddy nodded and Finn was free to release her into the house.
“She’s basically Finn’s child,” his friend said, holding a box that hinted at dessert. “I’m Carlos, by the way. We didn’t officially meet before. And while this is the besttres lechescake you will ever eat”—he hefted the box—“it’s from Blaise’s bakery. I didn’t make it.”
“You brought dessert? What wonderful guests.” Erina appeared as Teddy let Finn and Carlos inside. She was a knockout as usual. Cocktail dresses were not necessary when hosting in one’s home, but she wore one anyway.
Teddy was dressed more casually, along the same lines as Finn and Carlos—untucked button-down, slacks. Though Carlos had tied his hair back in a half-ponytail, mouth agape as he looked at Erina, which nearly caused him to let the box of cake slide out of his hands.
Finn snatched it up just in time to bring it into the kitchen. “Whatever you made smells amazing, Teddy. Thanks for inviting us over.”
“Erina did the inviting,” Teddy said as he walked with him, “but I’m glad you’re here. And that you seem more cheered up.”
“Cheered up?” Finn stuttered in his step, nearly losing the dessert box himself before he got it onto the counter.
“I just thought you seemed like you needed it when we saw you with Rose, and earlier today too. Anything I can do to help?” It wasn’t an offer Teddy made lightly—or often, even with people he knew well—but Finn brought out the best in him by sheer example.
An echo of the sadness he’d caught earlier appeared on Finn’s face again, but then he smiled. “This does,” he said softly.
His hand rested on the kitchen island, and Teddy felt a powerful urge to reach for it.
“Shall we open the wine?” Erina spoiled the moment by breezing into the kitchen with Carlos in tow. At least, despite the way Teddy and Finn parted now that they had company, Teddy didn’t feel like it was a mistake to have them here.
Dinner did not end in disaster and even came with entertainment. Norahadmissed Smudge, and the feeling was mutual. Once she found Smudge sleeping in one of his many hiding spots around the house, the two embarked on a constant game of tag.
They’d chase each other across the living room, hide, peek out, dash over furniture. If Nora caught Smudge, he’d roll over, playing submissive, and they’d tussle for a spell. If Smudge caught Nora, she’d yelp and cry until Smudge let her up.
“Ignore her,” Finn said. “She’s just a drama queen and doesn’t like to lose.”
True enough, the two would get right back to chasing each other, proving they were still friends, no matter who won the latest round.
