Natalie takes the knife and glances at me. "Do we know how to do this?"
"Pretty sure the strategy is just cut it," I say.
She rolls her eyes but smiles and slices into the cake while the room erupts again.
"SHELLY! SHELLY! SHELLY!"
Natalie feeds me the first bite.
"Congratulations," she says softly.
I look at her for a second longer than I should before taking the plate.
Around us the team is laughing, grabbing forks, and stealing frosting like a pack of overgrown children.
And somehow it feels exactly right.
Bryce suddenly shouts across the room.
"Shelly!"
"What," I sigh.
"If you mess this up," he says, pointing at Natalie, "we're taking her in the divorce."
The table erupts again.
Natalie grins.
"Good luck," she says. "Mason would kill you all."
"Worth it," Dex says.
Dinner finally winds down.
Natalie thanks everyone as we head for the door.
Dex calls after us.
"Don't do anything we wouldn't do!"
Gregory adds, "That narrows it to almost nothing!"
Outside the restaurant the night air is quiet.
Natalie exhales.
"This team is insane," she says.
"They like you in a new way, now that you’re part of the inner circle," I tell her.
She smiles softly.
"I like them too."
Chapter eleven
Natalie
