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“Welcome!” said Randall. “Any friend of Gi’s is a friend of ours.”
“Thanks.”
Georgie whisked a tendril of hair away from her damp forehead and peered over her shoulder. “That just leaves Michael. You’ll meet him soon.”
“Michael, Michael, Michael!” said Kaitlin. “The first to crack a joke, the last to leave the dance floor.”
Randall snickered. “Also the last to leave his credit card behind the bar!” He clasped his hands together as his friends laughed. “Right! Who needs a drink?”
“Another vodka and orange for me, please,” said Kaitlin.
Randall turned to Georgie. “Usual, Gi?”
She scratched the nape of her neck. “Uh…no. I’ll have a Coke. Thanks.”
“Sorry, Gi!” A sweaty male wearing a Maestro Fresh-Wes tour tee appeared from behind. “Guys from concessions”—his chest rose and fell as he fanned himself with a tabloid-sized newspaper called Now—“hijacked me.” His gaze, assessing yet pleasant, zeroed in on Oliver. “Hey, bud! You must be Oliver. I’m Michael, Georgie’s best friend.” He held out his hand.
Her best friend’s a guy? Oliver shook Michael’s hand. “Great to meet you.”
“Same,” said Michael. “Georgie’s told us good things.”
Oliver stole a furtive glance, the urge to fling his arms around Georgie’s velvet-wrapped shoulders and pull her in almost too much to bear. “She’s been too kind, I’m sure.”
Meeting his gaze with a smile, Georgie tilted her head and smoothed the skirt of her dress. “Don’t be silly…”
Michael studied her expression for a beat then sat down, sliding sideways into the booth where he traded his newspaper for a long-necked bottle of Canadian. “Rands? Grab me another?”
“You got it.” Randall headed off.
Georgie scooted in beside Michael, leaving plenty of space for Oliver on the end.
Unfortunately, his vantage point gifted him with an unobstructed view of the bar, and he was on full display. Pulling his gaze away, he hoped Will would remain out of sight.
“Oh, good! You grabbed one.” As Kaitlin nicked Michael’s copy of Now and flipped to a page of movie listings, he swallowed a mouthful of beer and pitched forward, peering around Georgie.
“Oliver, how’s it goin’ at work?” he asked. “Georgie says your boss is quite the bitch.”
She turned sharply toward her friend. “Michael,” she murmured, removing her camera from the table. “I said she has a reputation for being demanding.”
“She does. It’s true.” Oliver half-grinned as Georgie met his gaze again, but she looked downward, averting his eyes. “Although, I haven’t interacted with her in person since I arrived.”
Settling into a cynical squint, Michael rubbed his temple. “At all? No meetings or, you know, late-night collabs…”
“Yesterday was the first time I’ve been face to face with her in months,” replied Oliver. “We met at a conference in Italy.”
“So you have hung out, then,” said Michael. “Socially?”
Fiddling with the camera’s strap in her lap, Georgie seemed to fold in on herself.
Why all the questions? Oliver picked up his beer and looked across the table. Leesa avoided his gaze and pretended to read whatever Kaitlin was reading. “Once, with colleagues, but nothing here. All our interactions have been on the phone. Even my job interviews.” He took a quick sip.
Straightening up, Georgie glanced at Michael and back, a slow grin playing on her lips as she reunited with Oliver’s eyes. She seemed pleased by his answer, and…relieved, maybe? For some reason. But the glimmer in her beautiful gold-flecked blue eyes evaporated as quickly as it had appeared, making Oliver believe he’d imagined every single encouraging second.
Reality check. She’s not into you. She’s just a friend.
Oliver cleared his throat. “I reckon she’s quite strict about maintaining a professional distance.” He returned his beer to the table. “I haven’t even been in her office.”
“Monday’s meeting is a big deal, then,” said Georgie, her focus bouncing to the server swooping in, dropping off a stack of side plates, serviettes, and hand wipe sachets. “Thank you!” she trilled, collecting her envelope of photos from the table and handing them to Michael. Along with her camera, he safely stowed her belongings in her purse as she handed out plates with Leesa’s help.
