I shrug, trying to play off the sudden imbalance inside. “Hey, maybe we can find you someone at the wedding? Women at those things are always thirsty.”
He gives me a halfhearted laugh. “Just what I need. A girlfriend in Florida.”
I nudge him with my elbow, grinning. “Long distance ain’t your thing?”
“No—”
“What’s your name, Doctor?” asks the brunette.
With a subtle sigh, Asher turns to the girls, thoroughly distracting them.
I exchange a brief look with Yayoi beside me. “I wasn’t laughingathim,” I whisper. “I was imagining him marrying a duck.”
In the middle of a long sip, Yayoi sprays water through her nose all over Geoff. He winces and wipes his face.
“Daisy Duck, to be specific,” I say.
“You are so weird,” she says, still laughing and mopping at Geoff’s cheeks. “But I’m glad you brought me out tonight.” She nods toward Asher entertaining the girls and raises her volume a smidge. “This is going to be better thanThe Bachelorette.”
Asher throws an arm across me to stick a finger in Yayoi’s face. “Nothing is better thanThe Bachelorette.”
Yayoi shoves his hand away.
“So how was your shoot today?” I ask her while Asher’s busy. Last year, Yayoi gave up her day job with a home-building company to pursue her passion, and her buddingphotography gig has blossomed practically overnight. She’s into stylistic family photos with lots of golden light and lens flares.
Iadoreher work.
She shrugs. “The lighting was great, but the daughter wouldn’t behave, so I didn’t get as many candids as I’d hoped.”
Geoff snorts without looking at us. “The pictures are amazing. You’d never know she’s been doing this less than a year.”
I grin at the pride dripping through his words. He loves her so much.
“Shut up,” says Yayoi. “I’m still an amateur. But what I really want is to get into engagements and weddings.”
While Yayoi and I continue to chatter, Geoff looks up from his menu, observing the tableau at the other end of the table with a mild glimmer in his eye. All four of the girls are now crowded around the brunette’s phone, whispering. Something scandalous is happening. Dun dun duuuun.
“Asher, look at this!” one of them says.
“Dear Lord.” Geoff goes back to his menu. “This is like high school all over again.”
My insides light up. “What about high school? Tell me all about high school.”
“No, no!” Asher says a little sharply, turning toward us fast as lightning. “Don’t—”
“Oh, you know the stories,” Geoff says with a laugh. “All the girls wanted him, and he screwed them all.”
I gasp, utterly in love with any talk of Asher in high school. High school Asher was a player. An irresponsible reprobate. Practically the opposite of who he is now. I adore how embarrassed he is of his past self.
“Man whore!” I say.
Asher scowls at Geoff. “Must you always bring this up? I was seventeen and hot. Was I supposed tonot?”
Geoff shrugs. “I would have if I could.”
Yayoi punches his shoulder.
“Ow! It was hard not to be jealous, okay? But I won in the end, sweetie. I got you.”
