“Hey.” Cash claps me on the elbow. “Celebratory shots. Let’s go.”
I stand up, unbuttoning my jacket and draping it over the back of my chair.
“Take it easy,” Alice tells me. “You know what happened last time.”
“Got it, wifey.” I wink at her and follow the boys to the bar.
The rest of the night is a happy blur. Drinks are flowing. Guys are sharing their favorite stories from the season.
The girls have taken Alice under their wing, and for that, I’m grateful. I love this family of guys that have adopted me into their circle and couldn’t be happier they’ve done the same for Alice.
Closing the place down, we get a ride share home. Alice is quiet, staring out the window as the city passes us by.
As we left, people were taking leftover centerpieces home. She has one sitting in her lap. By the time we’re pulling into the driveway, I’m ready to crash.
“Hey. Thank you for being there tonight.” I hold open the door for Alice and take the flowers into the kitchen. I know tomorrow she’ll work her magic to dry them out and save them.
She always does that after important events.
Alice drops her shoes in the entryway. Her smile is tired. “As far as first dates go, it was a pretty good one.”
“You know, if a date goes well, you know how they end…” I trail off.
Her eyes go wide. She knows exactly what I’m thinking. “You really want that?”
“I thought I was pretty obvious about that.” I step closer to her. The tips of my shoes touch her toes. “I want to kiss you, Alice.”
“Declan.” Her hand fists in my shirt. Whether to stop me or pull me closer, I don’t know.
“What do you want, Alice? Because right now, I want you.”
“I…I…” she trails off, biting into her bottom lip.
“I won’t pressure you into anything you don’t want to do, Alice. If you don’t want to kiss me, we can forget this ever happened.”
She doesn’t say anything, but based on her searching eyes, she doesn’t know what she wants.
“I think I’ve had too much champagne to give you an answer, Declan.”
That’s answer enough. At least for tonight.
“Think about it. Ball is in your court.” Stepping out of her hold, I walk backward to my room. “Night, Froggie.”
I leave her standing there, hoping she’ll make the next move.
Maybe not tonight, but she knows.
I want my best friend. I only hope she wants me too.
Chapter Fifteen
ALICE
“Here you go. Have a wonderful day.” I hand over a newly created bouquet to the woman at the counter.
“Thank you. These are absolutely stunning.”
“I’m glad you like them.”
