I eye Slater. “Well, I guess he’s a work in progress.” Everybody around the table laughs.
Slater scowls at me. I shrug. “What? Youcouldsmile more.”
He goes back to eating, and I hope I haven’t offended him. We finish up and throw our trash away. “I have to go to the bathroom,” Evie says when she tosses her stuff in the trash.
“I do too. I’ll go with you.”
I follow her to the bathroom. “I’m so glad we got to make this trip.”
I look over at Evie and finish washing my hands. “Thanks so much for inviting me; this was so fun.”
“It’s extra fun when you get to snuggle up in the backseat with a certain broody soccer player, right?”
“What?”
She grins. “Oh, come on. Don’t think I didn’t notice you all cozied up back there.”
“It’s just because he needs to stretch his legs out.” Then I grin. “But if that just so happens to put me right next to him, that’s just a sacrifice I have to make for the good of everyone in the van.”
Evie laughs. “You’re so full of it. Admit it; you enjoy sitting next to him.”
“Are you kidding?” I nearly squeal. “It’s like a dream come true. Sitting right next to Slater Thorne! Did I mention he smells ah-mazing!”
Evie grins. “There’s my Tessa; I got worried for a moment.” She pulls the door open. “Believe me; I get it, Girl.”
Zane’s waiting for us just a few feet from the bathroom. I watch as his eyes light up when they land on Evie, and I smile. It’s my favorite thing to see. He wraps an arm around her, and I lose all of her focus. But I'm okay with that; I love that she has Zane. I follow them towards the exit. “Hey.” A voice pulls me from my thoughts. I turn to see the guy that took our order. He grins widely. “I’m Stuart, by the way.”
“I’m Tessa,” I tell him with an easy smile.
“Tessa, good to know.” He smiles. “Can I get your number?”
I blink. “Oh.” I hate when guys do this, because I don’t want to be heartless. But I also don’t like the idea of giving my number out to random strangers. I try to put it gently. “I don’t—”
He grimaces. “You’re going to let me down, aren’t you?”
I scrunch up my nose. “I’m sorry?”
He laughs. “It’s okay; it was worth a try.”
“If it helps, it’s not you. I just—”
“I get it. It’s the guy you were with, right?”
It takes me a moment. “Oh. Slater? Oh, no. We aren’t together. That would be...” I shake my head.
He gives me a sweet smile. “I get it. Have a great day, Tessa.”
“Thanks. You too, Stuart.”
I turn around and see Zane and Evie standing over by the door waiting for me. Evie has a big ole’ grin on her face. “Not a word,” I mutter as I walk past her. Zane opens the door for both of us and thankfully doesn’t say anything about it. When we get outside, Slater is leaning against the van with his arms folded over his chest. When we get to the van, Reid steps out, and I climb in. Slater follows me in and sits in the middle in the backseat again, so his legs can stretch out. I’d already forgotten what it was like to be this close to him. I don’t forget any longer as his cologne and all-around masculine scent surrounds me as does the heat of his body. I try to take a settling breath and force myself not to make a big deal out of this.
“Everybody in?” Zane asks.
“Yes, Dad,” Quint responds.
Zane pulls out of the parking lot and onto the main road. I think I’ve avoided anybody making a big deal, but that fades as soon as Evie opens her mouth. “So,” she starts, and I already know what’s coming. “Stuart,” she overenunciates his name. “Asked for Tessa’s number.”
“Who the—” Slater pauses. “Who is Stuart?” His voice is low.
