“I know I’ve mentioned him.” Brendon’s expression faltered. “Wait, didn’t I?”
“The name sounds vaguely familiar . . .”
“We were roommates freshman year,” Brendon tacked on. “I think I told you the story about the time he accidentally shrunk all his pants in the wash and went to class wearing a three-piece suit?”
A flicker of recognition passed over Margot’s face, her eyes widening slightly behind her glasses. “Oh, that Luke. Okay, yeah, you’ve mentioned him.”
At least Olivia wasn’t going to be the only new addition on this trip, the odd man out, everyone already closely acquainted with one another. “He’s a groomsman, right?”
Margot did a double take. “Hold the phone. Groomsman? I thought it was just me and your coworker Jian?”
Brendon gripped the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “Shoot. Don’t tell me I forgot to tell you.”
Margot’s hair swished against the sides of her neck when she gave a sharp shake of her head. “This is the first I’m hearing of there being another groomsman.”
“I wasn’t sure he was going to be able to make it to the wedding. He wasn’t sure he was going to be able to make it. He’s been in Minsk for the past few months treating patients with drug-resistant TB.” He smiled over his shoulder. “Doctors Without Borders.”
Olivia’s brows rose. “Impressive.”
“Right?” Brendon nodded, stopping in front of a bank of elevators. “Anyway, he managed to swing the time off and let me know a couple weeks ago. I guess with the fire at the first venue and having to make all of these new plans, it slipped my mind. Even then, he didn’t think he was going to be able to fly in until Friday, but he found an earlier flight and managed to make it to town last night.”
Margot gave a thoughtful hum. “How long is he in town for?”
“A week,” Brendon said, thumbing the up button. “He’s got to go back to Belarus for a couple weeks to finish up his rotation, then he flies back home for good. It’ll be nice to have him back.” His gaze flickered between the two of them, his smile broadening, lingering curiously on Olivia. “I think you’ll really like him.”
Wait. Olivia looked at Margot then back at Brendon, pointing at her chest. “Me?”
Brendon held his hand against the open elevator door, allowing the passengers departing to step out first before gesturing for her and Margot to step inside. “Yeah. He’s great. Funny, caring, loyal.” His smile went crooked. “Single.”
Olivia’s stomach lurched, and it had nothing to do with the elevator rising. She looked over at Margot for help, but Margot was staring at her phone, scrolling, expression giving not even a single clue as to what was going on inside her head. Olivia swallowed. “Um.”
It was one thing to keep their relationship—she didn’t know what else to call it; arrangement sounded sleazy and friendship didn’t fully encompass the scope of what they were doing. A situationship, maybe? It was all a little fuzzy and undefined—under wraps. She didn’t like it, wasn’t a fan of having to pretend like she didn’t want to kiss Margot or hold her hand, to curtail any of her impulses. But she could understand where Margot was coming from, not wanting her friends, Brendon in particular, butting in.
But here he was, doing it anyway . . . just not the way either of them had anticipated.
And Margot was no help. Did she even care that Brendon was trying to set Olivia up? Olivia clutched at the elevator’s stainless steel handrail, head swimming, suddenly dizzy.
Was this situationship so casual that it wasn’t even exclusive?
“No pressure,” Brendon added, rocking back on his heels, hands tucked in the front pocket of his sweats, the picture of nonchalance. “I promise this isn’t a setup. I just think you two might hit it off, that’s all.”
The elevator opened on the fifth floor. Margot was the first to step out, slipping through the doors as soon as she could fit through them. Olivia frowned and followed, itching to ask Margot what was going on inside her head.
But she couldn’t. Now wasn’t the right time, with Brendon beside them, footsteps slowing in front of the suite at the end of the hall.
He fished around inside his back pocket, pulling out the card to the room. The sensor on the door flashed green when he held the card to it, the lock making a soft whirring noise followed by a click.
“All our rooms are on the same floor, same hall, all adjoining,” he said, opening the door and, with a wave of his hand, gestured them through into his and Annie’s larger suite. They stopped inside a small entryway where several pairs of shoes lay heaped, as if kicked off and forgotten. Two coats hung in the closet, the sliding door left open. To the immediate right was a bathroom and to the left, another door left slightly cracked. Brendon nodded at the closed door and fished two more keys out of his pocket, glancing at each briefly before passing one to Margot and the other to Olivia. “Obviously feel free to keep your door closed, but for now we have them all open. Figured it would be convenient while we’re all still up. Darcy and Elle are right through there, then Margot, Olivia, Luke, and last we’ve got Katie and Jian.”