Role Playing(73)

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said to the table, with just the right amount of enthusiasm and a smile that would’ve turned Scrooge into a softie, no ghosts required. “Aiden’s told me so much about you.”

“Funny,” Sheryl said, arching an eyebrow. “He’s never mentioned you.”

Fuck.

To her credit, Maggie never missed a beat. “You must be Sheryl,” she said. “Which would make you Davy? And it’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Bishop.”

His mother pursed her lips, nodding in acknowledgment. Davy just looked startled.

“And that guy down there is obviously Riley,” Aiden finished.

“We’ve met,” she said, with a wry smile. Riley grinned unrepentantly.

They sat down, and the servers swooped in with appetizers. Grilled-cheese “bites” served with a cup of tomato soup, and flatbread with figs and feta and some kind of balsamic drizzle. Hailey’s family had pulled out all the stops for this wedding, it looked like.

“So you weren’t able to make it to the rehearsal dinner,” his mother said. “What happened to get you here now?”

Aiden’s stomach tightened. Nothing like diving right into it.

“I thought I’d have to work,” Maggie said. “But I finished and drove down this morning. The roads were better than I expected, and there wasn’t much traffic, so I was in luck. I’m just glad I could make it in time.”

His mother’s eyes narrowed. “I’m surprised he even asked you.”

He suppressed a groan. Jeez, Mom, really? “I wanted Maggie here. The whole time.”

Now the whole table was staring at him—Maggie included.

He cringed at himself.

Maggie shrugged. “We’re good friends,” she said, acting as if he’d wisely kept his mouth shut. Which he should have. “He’s my best friend in Fool’s Falls, really.”

His mother still looked sour—like her candidate, Deb, had somehow gotten knocked out of the running by this usurper. Davy looked puzzled. Riley looked highly entertained. And Sheryl . . . well, Aiden couldn’t get a bead on what was going on with her. Her expression was impassive—which, from experience, made him nervous.

“Friends,” Davy echoed, turning over the word like it was a Rubik’s Cube he couldn’t figure out. “How’d you guys meet?”

“We’re in an online video game guild,” Maggie said, shooting a quick, warm smile at Aiden. Then she dipped the little triangle of grilled cheese in the tomato soup, and her eyelids fluttered for a second. “That’s good! Oops, sorry.”

He watched as her tongue darted out to catch a stray drop of soup. It slicked her full lower lip, just for a split second.

He found his own mouth going dry. Yeah, he’d definitely need to explore this more, sooner rather than later.

It was really weird sitting with Sheryl and Maggie. All it needed was for Jordan to walk in the door, honestly, and he’d hit the hat trick of relationship weirdness.

Not that you’re in a relationship with Maggie.

But . . . maybe? If she didn’t beat the crap out of him, metaphorically speaking, for even asking? He didn’t know how it would work, or if she’d be open to it. But for the first time in ages, he really wanted to try and see where it went.

He ate his own appetizers as Maggie and Davy chitchatted about her job and, naturally, her car. He also supplied some embarrassing stories from their childhood, which Maggie giggled at with an almost supernatural charm. She tossed her curls over her shoulder. She ate daintily.

She didn’t say “fuck” once.

It was eerie.

As Davy and Riley swapped some stories about people they knew, catching up, and Sheryl and his mother talked about the kids (who were staying with Sheryl’s parents, while Bug stayed with his mom), Maggie leaned closer to him.

“Hey. Doing okay?” she said, in a low voice.

“You’re not being you,” he noticed.

“Of course I’m not,” she whispered. “Are you kidding? You’re trying to make a good impression, or at least blend in. So I’m finally using those manners and socializing skills Nana Birdie kept trying to drill into my skull.”

He snickered, shaking his head. “I don’t care about any of that. I like who you are.”

Her cheeks went pink. “I . . . like who you are too.”

Oh, yeah. They were definitely talking soon.

He nodded in response. They were already halfway through their risotto and beef tenderloin medallions. “Just need to get through this, eat some cake, listen to some toasts,” he whispered to her, close enough to her to smell her perfume, “and maybe two dances? Then we’re home free.”

She smiled, nodding. “Been a while since I danced,” she murmured. “Then I guess I’ll find a place to crash for the night.”

He’d been facing her—she was sitting on one end of the table, and he sat to her left, while his mother sat to her right. Davy was at the other end, with Sheryl between him and Aiden, and Riley sitting next to his mother. He took her hand under the table, giving it a squeeze.

“Maybe we can talk a little, hang out? Before you hit the Best Western,” he added.

She nodded, and he turned back to see the rest of the table staring at them. He realized they had perhaps gotten a little close, physically. He felt his face flush, even as his body was tightening in response.