I peer closer. It’s just a bunch of fabric, as far as I can see. I glance over at the girls, confused. Everybody but me seems to get what this is about.
“You can go talk to RJ and pick out the right leather,” says Lane. “Personally, I’m into number nine.”
“Yeah, that one’s not bad.” Don squeezes me. “What do you think, Carrie?”
“I’m so lost right now…”
“It’s for his seats,” Adam explains. “For his car. These are swatches.”
“Oh, that makes sense!” I reach over, taking the samples from Don. “Eleven is nice. It feels soft—but that’s just me.”
“Eleven, huh?”
“What about you, Carrie?” Lewis pipes up. “Get anything for our darling Donny?”
“It’s in his bedroom.”
“Ooh, spicy!”
I gasp. “That’s not what I meant!”
“Listen, you don’t have to explain.” Lewis grins. “All I’ll say is—my birthday is February twenty-ninth, and my room is the first on the right…”
“Dude—”
“Great!” I say brightly, cutting Donovan off. “See you in four years, then!”
“I’ll be waiting.”
He thumps his chest, glancing over my head at Don. I have no idea what kind of weird, silent conversation they’re having, but Lewis wiggles his eyebrows, winking at me.
Don’s arm tightens around my waist as he uses his free hand to play with one of the curls that has sprung loose around the nape of my neck, and though I’m not the touchy-feely type, I let him. There’s something reassuring about it. The conversation around us flows, and nobody seems to bat an eyelid at the way we’re sitting here, the two of us.
At one point, I jump up to head to the bathroom, and by the time I get back, Don’s nowhere to be seen. I dip in and out of rooms, craning for a glimpse of him, when finally I spot him by the window, deep in conversation with his sister. I smile.Finally!My heart is racing as if this were my shit to handle.
Don has slipped off his tie, I notice. The top buttons of his shirt are undone, and he’s frowning, his lips moving quickly, while Amelia stays staring out the window, nodding quietly every now and then.
He must sense my gaze on him, because he looks up and smiles at me, and when Amelia notices me lingering there, she mutters something I can’t make out.He’s talking about me.I narrow my eyes,desperate to figure out what Donovan’s thinking, but he just keeps on staring at me, until suddenly he laughs and nods, smirking at his sister.Sus…
I find a free seat and settle in, soaking up the energy in the room. Lois and Lane, loved-up and tangled together. Becca and Carter in the same old scene—languid kisses spliced through with spats. From the snatches of conversation I can make out, it seems like Carter is still trying to grind her down over the whole dog thing. My gaze shifts to Adam, chatting to a few other basketball guys over by the TV—the way he’s sneaking looks at Amelia. He finally notices me watching him and offers me an unapologetic grin, not remotely ashamed to confirm that his roommate’s kid sister has caught his eye. Not long ago, I would’ve hated being surrounded by all these new couples, but not tonight. It actually looks… nice. My gaze slips to Donovan. He offers a hand to Amelia, and she takes it, studying him with a very serious expression.
She’s far from over it all—it’s way too soon for that—but it’s already real progress.
She lets go of her brother, and Adam swoops in immediately.Am I becoming the queen of matchmakers?
Donovan settles onto the arm of my chair, props his elbow against my backrest, and pokes his finger into my temple.
“Are you meditating?”
“Just plotting my next move. Adam and Amelia are vibing, don’t you think?” I smile. “I missed my calling as a dating coach.”
“Who’s your next victim? Lewis maybe?”
“Yeah, right. When I try to picture him with a girl, I get spasms. And anyway—look at you! Istillhaven’t managed to set you up with anyone. So, in terms of Lewis…” I shrug. “It’s basically mission impossible.”
“Don’t you worry about me.”
Something about the way he says it makes me look up. Does he mean that girl he mentioned, back in his parents’ kitchen? I’m struggling to get a read on him. It almost feels like he’s insinuatingI’mthegirl. He’s been coming on to me all night, that’s for sure. But we’ve got baggage. How the hell can we go from casual hookup to serious relationship?
