I’d never seen him in a suit before. All his other shirts were some kind of fun pattern, since the dress code at the museum only specified that they had to have a collar. Secretly, I loved that he wasn’t afraid to wear things like that, but this was something else.
My knees threatened to give way as I stepped into the bedroom.
He was gorgeous. I knew that. I also knew he didn’t think so, which meant he never did anything to make it obvious.
It was sure as hell obviousnow, though.
“Wow,” I said, before I could stop myself. “I mean… wow.”
I hadn’t meant to say that once, let alone twice. Simon broke into a smile, which probably meant he hadn’t heard the undisguised lust in my voice.
I was going to have to be better about hiding that if I wanted to get through this wedding without losing my best friend in the whole world forever.
“Yeah?” he asked. “Which one?”
He held the two ties out toward me.
Despite everything, the sight of them made me smile. They were both so Simon it hurt—one in a pink baby pink paisley, and the other a bold diagonal white and navy stripe.
It was a relief that he hadn’tcompletelygiven up his personality in the pursuit of fitting in.
“Neither,” I said.
His smile faltered.
“Not that they’re not both fine,” I hurried to clarify. “Tie’s just too much for informal drinks. I like the paisley.”
“You don’t,” Simon said, smiling wryly. “But thank you.”
“I do,” I corrected, reaching out to touch it. That put my hand perilously close to his—close enough that I felt the tingle of proximity running from the tips of my fingers all the way up the back of my neck, making the hairs there stand on end. “I wouldn’t wear it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. I like that it makes me think of you.”
Simon laughed softly. “You don’t have to butter me up or anything,” he said. “I’m committed.”
“You don’t think I hang out with you because I like you?” I asked, turning his own argument from earlier back on him.
“Even if my taste is questionable?” he asked, brow raised but a smile tugging at his lips.
He was so ridiculously attractive when he smiled.
Everyone was going to notice tonight. They couldn’t possibly miss it.
“If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t hang out with me,” I said. “So as far as I’m concerned, the questionability of your taste is one of your best features.”
“Hey.” Simon ducked his head to catch my eyes. “No one’s allowed to talk about my best friend like that.”
My heart did some kind of complicated aerial maneuver under my ribs. It was so easy for him to say things like that to me.
“I genuinely like the tie,” I said. “Wear it to the wedding. It’ll annoy Mom.”
Simon chuckled. “You know I’d do anything to annoy your mother.”
I couldn’t help smiling at that. “Another one of your best features,” I said. “We’d better head down.”
7
SIMON
“Well,if it isn’t my old friend, Simon. Long time, no see,” a familiar voice drawled from behind me.
