Rachel visibly had to stop herself from laughing, and yep, now Connor was blushing. “Alec…”
“Is that so?” Rachel asked, feigning innocence. “Man, your brother is full of useful information, Connor.”
Connor should be annoyed by that, but he wasn’t because Rachel was smiling and seemingly relaxed. She didn’t look as unhappy as she had during miniature golf. And, yes, she was smiling at his expense, but he could grant her that. “You know, Alec,” he said amicably, “at least I don’t lure women into my apartment with the promise of the best buttercream of their lives.”
“I keep my promises,” Alec replied innocently. “And you’re right, your standard pickup line was always better.”
“Now thingsaregetting interesting,” Rachel said with a grin.
“Do I know the line?” Cian asked.
No. Because it was stupid. “Shut up, Alec,” Connor said, waggling a warning finger.
“Please, don’t shut up, Alec, not now,” Rachel objected.
But Alec’s phone took pity on Connor. His brother glanced at the screen, and his shoulders visibly tensed. “Sorry, I’ll be right back.”
A second later, he was gone.
“What’s the pickup line?” Rachel asked as if they hadn’t been interrupted.
“Oh no, not a chance.”
“Come on, tell me.” She batted her eyelashes. “Pretty please?”
His stomach lurched. The wordpleaseshouldn’t have so much power.
He shook his head firmly. “I feel like I shouldn’t tell you. Just so that our current, professionally distant relationship isn’t damaged.”
She struggled not to smile. “You really are a lawyer, aren’t you?”
“The diploma on my wall says so.”
“Come on, I’ll let you tell me,” she said, pulling up a chair. “I’m going out with your brother tomorrow, so I’m practically family.”
He glared at her, his hand clenching. “I don’t want to upset Cian.”
“Cian apparently went to the bathroom.”
Confused, he looked around. Sure enough, he was gone. Oh, he’d done that on purpose!
“Come on, Connor. I won’t tell anyone else.” She rested her elbows on the table. “Just because we’re physically distant doesn’t mean we can’t…” Hesitantly, she tilted her head, “...be friends.”
He laughed dryly. “Be friends?”
“Yep.” She nodded resolutely, but he knew she didn’t believe it herself.
Still, he nodded, stretched his legs out under the table, and brushed her calves. “Okay, but don’t judge me. I was twenty-two and thought I was cool.”
“And, were you cool?”
“I had a Furby keychain, a t-shirt that saidThe Force is with Me, and more gel in my hair than clauses in my head. You decide.”
She laughed. “Very cool.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Well, I was already friends with Cian back then…”
“Oh, not cool at all,” she revised.
