Bryce sipped from a drink that was clearly meant for him. “Careful, your head might get so full of hot air you’ll float out of here.”
Cruz laughed. “Nice to meet you, Jada.” Even with the arrogance, I liked him already. “You too,” I said.
Aaric chimed in, “I wasn’t sure what to get you to drink, but there are lots of options here.”
“Water’s good,” I said. At my last OB appointment, the doctor said I needed to stay away from sugary drinks too. Yay gestational diabetes.
Aaric said, “Don’t be shy. They have the best drinks here. The mimosas are really popular—they make them with elderberry syrup. So good.”
Bryce dipped his head toward me. “You like mimosas if memory serves.”
My cheeks were feeling hot, and it felt like I had a big PREGNANT sign on my forehead. “Maybe later,” I said, hoping it didn’t sound so awkward. “So tell me, how did you all meet?”
Under the table, I felt Bryce’s hand brush against mine. I glanced over at him to see a small, reassuring smile before he enveloped my hand in his.
Finally, I could breathe again, as Cruz talked about how they met each other in college. “Bryce is kind of like the glue,” Cruz explained. “We’re all here because of him.”
“And what about Jude?” I asked—Bryce had told me about him, even though he couldn’t be here tonight.
The guys exchanged glances, and Quentin kind of shrugged. “He gets shit done.”
I chuckled. “You always need one of those.”
Bryce nodded. “Reminds me of you, actually. I told you guys about how she got past Maya to pause construction during naptime.”
Quentin’s eyebrows arched. “That was you?” He shook his head with a chuckle. “My P&L is not so happy about that.”
I shrugged, not feeling sorry at all. The kids were actually sleeping at naptime now.
“Childcare approval ratings are up ten percent,” Bryce chimed in.
I arched my eyebrows at him, surprised. “They are?”
He nodded. “We have our employees complete monthly scorecards. Good job, Jada.”
Cruz lifted his beer to me. “Here’s to another talking point for my marketing campaign.”
The other guys raised their glasses, and I shook my head at them. “Here’s to a baby sleeping through naptime without a jackhammer waking them up.”
Cruz’s smile was a bit bashful as he said, “That too,” and drank up.
The server came back and set a bottle of water in front of me, then asked if they could bring a tasting plate to the table. Aaric emphatically said yes, and Cruz winced a little before schooling his features.
Leaning in to Bryce, I whispered, “What’s wrong with the food here?”
He smiled slightly before turning so his lips brushed against my ear and shivers went down my spine. “It’s vegan.”
With my senses going wild, it was hard to think of a reason why that was a problem. But then Quentin said, “What do you think of the... arrangement, Jada?”
His question brought me back to reality, and I could feel everyone listening even more intently. They weren’t just asking me if I would be a good wife or partner to Bryce—they were wondering if I would screw them all over.
“It’s asinine,” I blurted.
Aaric and Cruz laughed. Q’s lips even twitched a little.
“I like her,” Aaric said.
Cruz dipped his head. “Finally someone with some sense.”
