Jenna shifts in her seat, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “I was contemplating not coming at all, but Dominic threatened to show up at my apartment and drag me here himself. So.” She gestures at herself, dressed in a sleek black shift dress that makes her look even more bulletproof than usual. “Here I am. Although, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure why I’m invited.”
Audrey reaches over and takes her hand—a gesture so natural that Jenna looks startled by it. “Because we like you.”
“And it’s good team bonding,” I add. “Or, so I’m told.”
Jenna blinks, her usual composure flickering for just a moment. “I... that’s...” She clears her throat and slides her hand from beneath Audrey’s. “Thank you.”
Before the moment can get any more emotionally vulnerable—which I suspect would cause Jenna physical pain—Dominicmaterializes out of nowhere, a tray of drinks in hand like some kind of cocktail-bearing magician.
“The prodigal E.A. arrives!” He sets a pink, sparkling concoction in front of Jenna with a flourish. “I anticipated your needs.”
“I didn’t ask for a drink.”
“I know. That’s what makes it anticipation rather than fulfillment.” He slides in next to her, far closer than strictly necessary. “It’s a French 75. Classic, elegant, secretly lethal. Reminded me of you.”
“Did you just call me lethal?”
“I called you classic and elegant first. Focus on the positives.”
Jenna picks up the drink, examines it with suspicion, then takes a small sip. Her expression doesn’t change, but she doesn’t put it down either, which Dominic clearly takes as a victory based on the way his grin widens.
He distributes the remaining drinks—whiskey for David, something amber for me, and a glass of wine for Audrey that she accepts with a smile.
“How did you know what everyone wanted?” she asks.
“I pay attention.” Dominic shrugs. “It’s one of my many talents. Along with being devastatingly handsome and excellent at karaoke.”
“No one has ever called you excellent at karaoke,” David says flatly.
“No one has ever called me excellent at karaoketo my face. Big difference.”
The others start filtering back to the table. Bennett and Layla appear first, slightly flushed from dancing. Her hand is tucked into the back pocket of his jeans in a way that makes him look simultaneously dignified and completely besotted. Caleb and Serena follow, and Caleb immediately pulls her onto his lap despite there being plenty of room in the booth, his armswrapping around her waist like he physically cannot bear to have her any further away.
“Did we miss anything?” Serena asks, settling against Caleb’s chest.
“Dominic’s attempting to court Jenna via cocktail selection,” David reports.
“It’s not courting,” Dominic protests. “It’s strategic relationship-building.”
“Those are the same thing,” Layla says.
“They are absolutely not. Courting implies romantic intent. I’m simply laying groundwork for a productive collaboration.”
Jenna takes another sip of her drink. “The collaboration would be more productive if you stopped sending me your every thought until 2 a.m.”
“I’ll try,” Dominic says. “But sometimes the neurons don’t shut off. It’s part of my charm. Just ask Serena.”
“Why have you been texting Serena?” I ask, taking a sip of my drink and glancing between them.
“My agency has taken off faster than I expected, and Caleb suggested I ask Dominic’s advice on how to structure things. The man has thoughts.”
“I have thoughts,” Dominic agrees. “She’s a disruptor. There’s a market gap where she could go full McKinsey and crush it. I sent her some reading—did you get that deck I emailed you?”
Serena tips her head back and groans. “It was a hundred and seventy slides, Dominic. With endnotes. How do you even find the time?”
Jenna turns in her seat and looks at him. “Yes, Dominic. How do you find the time?”
Dominic leans back, stretching an arm along the back of the booth behind Jenna. “As a wise man once said: ‘Build systems soyou don’t have to work hard, only smart.’ I don’t do ‘busy.’ I do ‘optimized.’”
