Luke looked again. Margot was laughing, her head thrown back. He could hear her laugh even over the music in the restaurant and the din of all of the voices.
Avery narrowed her eyes at him.
“Okay, first of all, aren’t we supposed to be pretending that we’re dating?”
Right. He’d forgotten about that.
“Only my mom would believe that the two of us were dating,” he said.
Margot couldn’t have thought that. Could she?
“No one who knew us—other than your mom—would think that, but Margot doesn’t know us. And please, that woman so has the hots for you. I saw the way she looked at me, right at first, before she recognized me. That was not an Oh, my new employee is here, that’s nice look. That was a I can’t believe this motherfucker is on a date with this bitch look. Don’t get me wrong, I respect that. And then she was so extra gracious to you. Obviously, it’s because she can’t let you know how she wishes she was at this table with you right now, but I promise you, that’s exactly what she wishes.”
Luke dropped the menu that he’d been gripping since they sat down and stared at Avery. Then he shook his head.
“I know you’re just saying that to make me feel better, but please don’t bullshit me here,” he said.
Avery laughed at him.
“Oh God, you have it bad, don’t you? But I’m not bullshitting you.” She looked around, and then lowered her voice. “Margot Noble does not have normal boss-employee feelings for you, that much was very clear to me.”
Could Avery be right? Luke thought about the night before in the car, their warm, friendly conversation. Their completely-devoid-of-flirting conversation. There had been that moment at the beginning, when they’d gotten in the car, sure, but that had just been a shared joke. After that, there had been no undercurrents, no significant eye contact, not even when they’d pulled up in front of his building, the one she’d walked into with him almost exactly a week before.
He shook his head.
“You’re wrong. She doesn’t act like that to me at all. She’s just friendly, professional, like she was tonight. There’s never any sign from her that anything ever happened between us.”
Or could ever in the future. Unfortunately.
“Luke. You were too busy being in shock that she was right there in front of you to see the way she looked at us when she noticed us. She definitely thinks we’re on a date, and she’s definitely pissed about it.” Avery raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you want her to keep thinking that? I’ll pretend for Margot, as well as your mom, if you want.”
He didn’t even have to think about it.
“No.” He sighed. “Not like it matters, she’s made that very clear, but . . . still no.”
“That’s what I thought.” Avery picked up her wineglass. “See, Luke, this is why I adore you. Some men would want her to think that, to make her jealous, make her more interested, or whatever. You’ve never been like that.”
A genuine compliment like this from Avery was rare. She usually just made fun of him. Her breakup had clearly had an effect on her. Speaking of.
“Enough about me. How are you doing?”
Avery flashed him a smile.
“I’m fine.”
“No, really,” he said. “How are you?”
She picked up her menu.
“I’m fine. Really.” Okay, she obviously didn’t want to talk about it. That was like Avery. He wouldn’t push her.
“Okay, how’s work going?” he tried.
Avery perked up, like he knew she would.
“Really well, actually. Things have gotten so busy I might have to hire my own assistant. And speaking of your mom, she sent me a couple who got engaged at the inn—I don’t do a ton of weddings these days, but they were so nice that I couldn’t say no to them.”
“Oh, that’s great,” he said. “I’ll tell her that.”
Avery smirked.
“Oh, I can tell her that, in my new role as your fake girlfriend.” She took a sip of her wine. “And don’t worry: when I meet Margot for breakfast, I’ll make it clear to her that you and I are just friends and were definitely not on a date tonight.”
He did not want Avery discussing him with Margot.
“Please don’t,” he said.
“But you said you didn’t want Margot to think we were dating!”
He never should have said that.
“I don’t, but—”