“Now remember, you and I have a standing nail appointment once a week, from here on out.” I hold her stare, daring her to decline but instead she smiles and offers me a nod.
“You, Sophie Powell, are a gem.” She gives me one more hug before I walk toward my car and just before climbing in, I offer a wave.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Finn
“Hello, Finn,”Jillian says, blocking the doorway of the apartment. She looks up and down, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “I feel like I should give you the ‘what are your intentions’ talk, but I think you already know that if you in any way at all hurt our Sophie that every last one of us girls will paint a target on your back. Then we’ll make it a competition to see which one of us can hit the bullseye the most.”
She arches her brow at me and I smile.
“Who knew you, Jillian, could be the scary one?”
“I can be very scary when it comes to my sisters,” she assures me.
“Will you stop,” I hear Sophie say and Jillian laughs, but she does the whole pointing to her eyes and then to me as if to say, I’ll be watching you.
As she steps aside and Sophie comes into view I feel like I swallow my tongue. To keep from saying all the wrong things I nod instead.
“You clean up kinda nice,” she says to me and I hold out my hand to her.
“You too.” Real damn nice. The red dress she is wearing fits snug on the top and flares out at her waist, hitting mid-thigh. Matching shoes with a heel give her a few extra inches. Her hair and make-up are done up, and for the first time Sophie doesn’t look like the quiet innocent woman I’ve known her as. She looks like a fucking siren, and I’ll admit, a chill runs throughout my body. Instantly I have to remind myself that this, it’s not a real date. There will be no late-night walk to her door where I offer her a kiss in hopes that she invites me inside.
“Our reservation is six forty-five,” I say, needing to focus my energy on something else other than the long, gorgeous legs poking out from beneath the deep red material. My thoughts are racing.
“I need to grab my purse,” she says quickly, spinning around and reaching. This movement triggers the hem of her dress to rise and I have to quickly look away. Only when I do I immediately find Jillian watching me with a knowing smirk.
“Feeling okay, Finn?” she asks with a smirk. “You look a little flush.”
“I’m fine, thanks,” I assure her but know without a doubt in my mind she doesn’t believe a word.
Sophie turns back, looking at me then over her shoulder at Jillian. She seems completely oblivious to the silent communication taking place between Jillian and I. What I takeaway from the moment is that Jillian isn’t a quiet little baker girl like we all thought she was.
Deciding that it is time to pull my thoughts together, I lead Sophie to my Tahoe and open the door, helping her inside.
As I walk around the back, I take a deep breath before opening the driver’s door and climbing inside.
She seems nervous, as she worries her hands before her, staring straight ahead.
“Soph.” She jerks in response to her name, then slowly turns her head to look at me. “Still Finn.” I point to myself. “The same Finn you have known for more than three years. I’m the guy you’ve laughed with, joked with, there isn’t a reason for you to be all nervous.”
She nods and I chuckle.
“Just two friends going out to dinner,” I assure her and again she nods. “Is the nodding going to be your continued choice of communication for the entire night?”
“Nope,” she adds, popping the p of the word and I chuckle as I turn the key and feel the rumble of the engine.
The drive to Montgomery is filled with the radio, me attempting to break the tension, and her blushing at every turn. I’ve found that I quite enjoy her blushing, and her smile. Her laughter too, if I’m being honest.
As we pull up to the front entrance of the restaurant I climb out and walk around to the passenger side. Helping her out, I pass the key to the valet and he gives me a ticket.
Linking my fingers with hers, she looks down at our joined hands and I notice the deep breath she takes. Then as if she needed a few moments to clear her head her shoulders relax and together we walk toward the front doors.
Giving my name to the hostess, she assures us that it will only be a few minutes and we step off to the side. Engrossed in conversation as Sophie tells me all about the truffle disaster that took place at her house last night, she doesn’t notice the three men that step inside and are now only a few feet away.
I may have checked in with the manager asking if he had any upcoming reservations for a certain someone. It was perks of him being my father’s longtime friend.
The goal is to get this dirtbag off Sophie’s back. Didn’t like Ryan from the start, and I sure as shit dislike him even more now. Maybe I have a soft spot for Sophie, maybe watching him walk on her was the nail in the coffin, who knows.
