“Hello, Will,” Tristan said. “Can we help you with something?”
Will looked over to Tristan. Whatever had been burning behind his expression went out. A moment passed, then he turned, walking down the steps and into the parking lot.
Lizzy’s heart was racing, and she didn’t know why. Who cared if Will Darcy caught her with a guy? If anything, she should have enjoyed the look on his face. Still, her skin had cooled as she let out a shaky breath.
“I should get going.”
Tristan’s attention returned to her, seemingly unfazed. “Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“All right,” Tristan murmured, but he didn’t move. “What are you doing next weekend?”
“Working,” she said, then remembered what day it would be. “Oh, and going to this big Fourth of July party on the beach here. I would invite you, but it’s being hosted by one of Will’s friends, and that probably means he’ll be there, so…”
She let the words hang, knowing she didn’t have to explain further.
“Right,” he said, smiling to himself. “What are you doing after?”
“After the party?” She let out a dry laugh. “Probably going to bed. Why?”
“I have a thing in the city that day, but I’m driving back out here after. We should get together when I get in. Grab a drink or something.”
Oh.Oh. Lizzy knew exactly what “or something” meant, and she was not the least bit opposed to it.
“Sure,” she said with a shrug, as if her pulse wasn’t currently tripping through her veins.
“Cool. I’ll text you when I’m heading out.” He reached back and pulled his phone from his pocket. “What’s your number?”
She rattled it off and he typed away on his screen. A moment later, her phone pinged in her back pocket.
“And now you have mine,” he said.
She bit back a smile. “So I do.”
He sighed, letting his head fall forward like he had to take a moment to collect himself. “You really don’t want to come back inside? I can give you a ride later. To your place, or you can come hang out at mine. I have a hotel room tonight in Bridgehampton.”
“Oh.” Her skin felt hot again, and a forgotten part of her wanted to say yes, wanted to jump into the passenger seat of hiscar and just go. But then another part of her roared to life, one that tugged on her attention. And she hated how it looked a lot like Will Darcy.
“Not sure that will make an early start tomorrow any easier,” she said with a smile.
“No. But I promise it will be more fun.”
She laughed softly but left the suggestion untouched. “I’ll see you next weekend.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
He shot her one last grin, then turned toward the door and disappeared back inside.
CHAPTER 12
“Have you heard from him since last weekend?” Jane asked, catching Lizzy’s eye in the bathroom mirror. The double vanity upstairs at the Bennet house was somehow accommodating all five sisters as they got ready for Charlie’s Fourth of July party. While Lizzy and Jane did their best to touch up their makeup on one side, Lydia and Kitty were fighting over counter space on the other. In the center, Mary brushed her teeth.
Lizzy tried to appear nonchalant, ignoring the flush in her cheeks as she finished applying her eyeliner. “Not yet. But he said he’d text today when he was leaving the city.”
“Who?” Kitty asked, focused on her reflection as she redid her center part.
“Tristan Cole. The guy Lizzy climbed at Donato’s last week,” Lydia said, putting the finishing touches on her cheek contour.
