Did I have something on me? I ran a hand over my mouth, but it came back clean. “What’s wrong with my face?”
“You have this pinched expression like you’re about to have a root canal, not have lunch with the dude you’re smitten with.”
It was my turn to choke, but I hadn’t consumed anything, so my throat clogged with air. “I am not smitten with anyone,” Igrumbled. The closer Ryder came, the more my insides vibrated. “This is nothing, Trevor. It was a stupid mistake.”
“Suuureit was.”
Ryder and his friend went to the counter, placed their orders, then made their way to us once they had their food.
“You’re staring,” Trevor muttered, then hummed the tune to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”
“I hate you,” I whispered as Ryder drew so close I could see the green fleck in his left eye. Couldn’t he have the decency to wear sunglasses so I didn’t have to see it?
Trevor blew me a kiss. “Oh, Ally, you love me, and you know it. Hey, Ryder!” His demeanor transformed from ball-busting to welcoming in the blink of an eye. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Hey, guys. This is my buddy, Corvin. Corvin, this is Trevor and Alex. We all work together at a nightclub.”
“Hey,” I said because I had a real way with words.
“Sit, sit.” Trevor gestured to the two empty chairs opposite each other at our small square table. I sat there like an idiot. The connection between my brain and tongue seemed to have vanished.
“Thanks. Nice to meet you guys.” Corvin seemed nice enough. He had light features like Ryder, but that’s where the similarities ended. His blond hair was so pale I’d almost call it white, and where Ryder had ocean-blue eyes, Corvin’s were light gray. He was tall and thin, almost waifish, and walked with grace and elegance.
“You look familiar,” Trevor said to Corvin as he sat. He propped his chin on his hand, studying the newcomer. “You ever get a VIP table at Top Shelf?”
Chuckling, Corvin shook his head. “I wish. That place is way above my budget. I don’t know if you follow dance at all, but I’m a ballet dancer in the program here on campus.”
Trevor snapped his glittery fingers. “That’s how I know you. I saw you perform a few weeks ago. You had the male lead in Romeo and Juliet, didn’t you?”
Corvin beamed. “I did.”
Trevor leaned closer, eyes bright. “You were fantastic. Took my breath away.”
“Thank you.” Corvin removed the lid from his salad with long, graceful fingers. “I worked my ass off for that role. Glad to know it paid off.”
“Yes, yourassdid a spectacular job. I couldn’t look away.”
“Oh my God,” I muttered as Ryder laughed and Corvin turned pink. Trevor might be head over heels in love with Parker, but that didn’t stop him from flirting like his life depended on it with anyone who caught his eye.
“So, how do you two know each other?” Trevor went on.
Ryder laughed. “We met at a party freshman year, hooked up a few times, and have been friends ever since.”
My insides seized. They’d hooked up?
“Oh really?” Trevor said in an exaggerated tone. “How juicy.” He winked at Corvin, whose cheeks might have permanently turned pink, but Corvin didn’t notice Trevor’s flirty move. His attention remained on Ryder, and the sappy, puppy dog eyes he was giving had bile climbing in my throat.
He still wanted Ryder. Hell, he might be in love with the man whose dick I sucked last night. Thank God I hadn’t eaten much of my lunch, or I’d have thrown up for sure.
“Yeah,” Corvin said, almost breathless. “We’ve been really close ever since.”
The urge to lunge across the table and punch the guy in his lovesick face was nearly impossible to resist. I opened my mouth to say who-the-fuck-knew what, probably something that would make me sound like a psychopath, when a sharp pain blasted through my shin.
I grunted and stared across the table at Trevor, whose eyes narrowed at me. He shook his head once in a subtle movement meant only for my eyes.
I slumped back in my seat with my heart pounding an anxious staccato. Christ, what had I been about to do? Lay claim to Ryder? Tell Corvin to back the fuck off because Ryder was mine? The notion was so ridiculous I could barely think of it without laughing out loud.
Trevor saved me from humiliating myself.
