Lucas brushed his hand over the countertop as I spoke, and his fingers lightly grazed mine. The touch was fleeting but enough to make my cheeks flush. I quickly busied myself explaining the cabinetry and layout, hoping he wouldn’t notice.
Jasper, meanwhile, was opening and closing the cabinet doors, clearly enjoying himself.
A few moments later, Will walked in.
“Hi, Will,” I said, snapping out of my moment with Lucas. “This is Jasper and Lucas.”
“Yes, I’ve met Lucas,” Will said, his voice even. “How are you?” he asked the Brit in a flat mannered tone.
“Very well, mate,” Lucas said.
We stood around for a little longer, and I couldn’t help but notice that Will was watching Lucas more intently than necessary.
As we wrapped up, Lucas turned to us. “Jasper and I were thinking of grabbing lunch. Would you like to join us?”
“Sure,” Will said before I could answer.
I hesitated. This could get awkward fast, my affair and my potential future date in the same room. But I nodded. “Sounds good.”
Jasper and Lucas walked ahead,and Will offered to drive me.
As soon as we got into his car and the doors closed, Will spoke. “I don’t know about that Lucas guy.”
I laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He seems too chummy.”
“Chummy?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Will glanced at me. “He was eye-fucking you.”
“You’re delusional,” I said, laughing.
He didn’t respond right away. Instead, I asked, “How was Lisa?”
“She signed,” he said. “She loves your vision.”
“That’s great,” I said. “She was eye-fucking you too.”
Will smirked. “Natalie, the ball is in your court. For now.”
His words hit harder than I expected, the weight of them settling in my chest.
We pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and joined Lucas and Jasper for what I knew would be an awkward lunch.
CHAPTER 12
JEALOUSY ON THE ROCKS
WILL
After we settled in for lunch at a seafood place, Jasper and Lucas already had drinks, laughing loudly over oysters.
“Oh boy. I don’t know if I should be drinking in the middle of the day,” Natalie said with a soft laugh.
“One won’t kill you,” Lucas replied in that infuriating British accent of his.
Everything he said made Natalie chuckle. I couldn’t tell if she found him funny or if she was just charmed by his accent. Either way, it grated on me. I didn’t know what was going on with this guy, but he seemed into her. If I wasn’t mistaken, she seemed into him, too.
