Eva and Josy stand and head to the restroom, leaving Noah and me at the table.
“Dude, I hope all this goes well,” Noah mutters, keeping his voice low. “Josy’s confident we’ll land the contract, but I still have my doubts. I don’t know if he’s talking to anyone else.”
“I know.” I nod. “Eva and I are ready. We came up with a solid backstory, and if McNeal asks questions, we’ll stick to it. I just need you to go with the flow. No murder eyes, okay?”
Noah exhales slowly. “Okay. I’ll do my best to remember this thing with you and my sister is fake. But please, don’t test me.”
I chuckle. And just for that, I’m totally going to messwith his head. He acts like Eva’s a fragile little girl and I’m the big bad wolf, ready to pounce.
When the girls return from the restroom, Eva sits to my right while Noah is on my left, with Josy next to him. That leaves two empty seats directly across from us. Within minutes, Mr. McNeal walks in with his wife.
She looks to be in her early fifties—petite, with a sleek bob of blond hair, dressed in a fitted black dress and classic heels. They make a sharp couple, polished but approachable. Noah and I both stand to greet them.
“Good evening. It’s so nice to see you, and with your lovely ladies,” Mr. McNeal says as he gestures to his wife. “Let me introduce you to my wonderful wife.” He turns to her with one hand resting gently on the small of her back. “This is Melissa McNeal. Melissa, this is Noah and Esteban.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. McNeal,” I say, extending a hand for a shake. She smiles warmly and returns it.
Noah does the same, and then nods toward Josy. “This is my wife, Josy.”
Josy offers a friendly smile, and then it’s my turn.
“This lovely lady here is my fiancée, Eva,” I say, glancing at her with what I hope looks like genuine affection.
Eva beams at the couple, giving a polite wave. “It’s lovely to meet you both.”
Melissa smiles back at her, clearly charmed. “Likewise.”
Once we’re all seated again, the waiter returns to take their drink orders. The conversation flows easily for the first half of dinner. Mr. McNeal seems genuinely interested in the project, asking smart questions about infrastructure, local zoning, and material sourcing. Noah handles most of it likethe badass he is, and I fill in with logistics and timeline estimates.
Everything is going smooth, too smooth. Which means, of course, that the curveball is coming.
And it does.
“So,” Mr. McNeal says, leaning back in his chair with his wine glass in hand, “how did you two meet?” Thankfully he ask Noah and Josy first.
Eva stiffens just slightly beside me. I catch it before anyone else can. This is the moment we rehearsed, but now that it’s here, it feels more real than either of us expected.
I lean in, close enough for my lips to graze her ear. “Follow my lead,” I whisper, pressing a gentile kiss to her cheek.
It’s meant to look natural. Just a sweet, casual gesture between two people in love.
But it does something to me.
Her skin is soft, warm, and she smells like heaven; vanilla and something else I can’t quite name, something softer, feminine, and addictive. I want to linger, but I pull back before I ruin everything.
I don’t miss Noah’s reaction. He’s beside me, watching with narrowed eyes and flaring nostrils like he’s about to lunge and hit me in the face. But to his credit, he doesn’t say anything, and I almost smirk.
When it’s our turn to talk, I clear my throat and start, doing my best to sound natural.
“I’ve known Eva since she was a little girl,” I say with a grin. “She’s Noah’s sister, so I grew up seeing her around the house every time I visited or at any family event. But I wasn’t interested in her back then. She was just the kid sister, youknow? But one summer, she came back from college, and once I laid eyes on her… I knew I was done for.”
Eva glances at me with a soft smile, and I continue, this time letting a bit more of the truth slip through.
“She looked so different. Grown. Beautiful. And I couldn’t help myself—I fell. And I fell hard. We started a long-distance relationship while she finished school, and when she moved back, it just felt right.”
I turn to look at her fully, letting the smile on my face linger a little longer than necessary. I know I just said what we agreed on... but somehow, it feels like I just confessed something real. Because part of itisreal. I didn’t grow up loving her, but the second I saw her again last week, I knew she was going to be trouble.
I’ve been a good friend. I’ve kept my hands to myself. But with every interaction, every smile, every little laugh, I want more from her.
