“He wasn’t always like this,” Prince Oliver murmured, leaning close to me and inclining his head toward Knox. “This brooding, I mean.”
“Oh?” I said, trying to pretend that the prince hadn’t just read my mind. “Have you been friends for a long time?”
“For over twenty years now,” Prince Oliver answered as Tej stepped away to moderate the darts competition. “Knox’s family moved to Wexstone when we were children; his father was a professor of literature at the university. We became friends at prep school and were inseparable. When his parents passed away when we were teenagers, we found out that my parents had been listed as his legal guardians, and he’s been a part of our family ever since.”
Hearing about Knox’s parents hit a tender spot in my heart. I knew that sort of loss and what it could do to someone. “Is he a prince too, then?”
“No. My parents offered to legally adopt him, but he didn’t want that. Yet it never changed the way they treated him. They have set the expectation that he be treated and respected as a member of the royal family, regardless of title.”
“A tie?!”
“How the hell do you tie at darts?”
A commotion in the corner interrupted Prince Oliver’s story. The darts game was over, but it looked like Sam wouldn’t be going home with anyone just yet.
“Okay, we need a tie breaker. Rock, paper, scissors!” Chauncey said.
“Boys, boys, it’s okay. I guess this just means that you’ll both have to come with me.” She winked at me.
The guys looked at each other like they were considering it before Chauncey spoke up again.
“Rock, paper, scissors or you concede, Vincent.”
“Don’t call me Vincent—and saddle up, mate,” Vince said, shoving Chauncey’s shoulder.
They brought their hands up, slapped their fists three times, and threw their choices out. Paper for Chauncey and scissors for Vince.
“Fuck! Best out of three?” Chauncey shot Sam a charming smile.
Vince laughed loudly and Sam grinned at them both. My minx of a friend was loving this. She had spent so much of the past few years wrapped up at the law firm, but her dating resolution had brought back a side of her I had missed. Seeing her flirt with these men was a welcome change.
The guys played two more rounds and Vince came out victorious.
“Better luck next time, mate.” Tej patted Chauncey on the shoulder.
“Fuck off,” Chauncey shrugged him off. “Let’s go, I’m tired.”
“And a sore loser,” Tej muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes. Chauncey punched Vince in the arm before pulling him into a hug as he said goodbye, showing that maybe he wasn’t such a sore loser after all.
I was loving the dynamics of this group. They reminded me a lot of Sam’s older brothers and even a little bit of my younger brother Connor and his friends. I had never been a part of a big friend group like that, typically sticking to one or two girlfriends at a time. But watching these guys interact and joke around with each other made me feel like maybe I was missing out on something.
“Hey, Bee!” Sam called out to me as she and Vince meandered to my table.
“Yeah?”
“Vince invited us to meet up with them again tomorrow, you in?”
Another evening with our new friends?Twist my arm,I thought. “Yeah, I work the lunch shift tomorrow, but I’ll be done by four or five. I’m in.”
“Great! Are you okay getting hometonight?”
“Of course. I do it all the time. Plus, I have my trusty taser in my bag thanks to Connor.” I patted my purse.
Years ago, after a rather wild shift at the bar, I was walking home, and a mugger stole my bag right off my shoulder. Once my brother caught wind of it, he sent me five different cans of pepper spray and a rechargeable taser to keep in my pocket.
“I’ll walk her home,” I heard Knox’s deep voice say over my shoulder.
I looked at Knox and then back to Sam. “I’m more than capable of walking myself home.” I rolled my eyes.
