A table where the brunette he walked in with is sitting.
Right next to his friend Jake, the security guy.
I understand instantly that my tendency to assume the worst of human nature has just come around to bite me in the ass.
Stopping tableside, Aidan gestures to the brunette. “Deb, this is Kayla. Kayla, say hi to Deb.” He gives me a pointed stare. “She’s Jake’s wife.”
Face flaming, I say, “Of course she is. Hello, Deb. Nice to meet you.”
My face flames hotter when Deb bounces in her chair and claps in excitement.
“Kayla! We’ve heard all about you! It’s so great to meet you! Come join us, please!”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to interrupt your dinner.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re not interrupting at all. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
As I stand there with Aidan’s big hand curled around my upper arm and my mortification painting my entire face red, Jake smiles at me. “Hi, Kayla.”
“Jake.”
“How’s the security system doing?”
“Great, thanks.”
“Good to hear.” He glances at Aidan. “You gonna sit, or is your man here gonna throw you over his shoulder and stalk off into the woods?”
“There’s really no telling.”
Aidan puts me into a chair. He takes the one next to me. Then he props his elbows on the tabletop and stares at my profile with the intensity of an FBI interrogator.
“Aidan?” says Deb, looking confused. “Everything okay?”
He doesn’t answer, but the tension in his body is enough to communicate volumes.
Looking at Deb, I say sheepishly, “He’s mad at me.”
Obviously surprised, she looks back and forth between us. “Why? He was literally just telling us how amazing you are before he stepped outside to take a call!”
This just keeps getting better. I want to slide under the table in shame, but manage to smile tightly and answer her. “I did something he didn’t appreciate.”
She and Jake glance at each other in surprise, then look back at me with lifted brows.
I feel like a world-class asshole.
After a rough throat clearing, I admit, “I saw him coming in here with his arm around your shoulders and assumed you were together.”
She laughs. “Us? Oh, honey, I’ve known this guy since high school. He’s like a brother to me.”
Jake slings his arm around the back of her chair and sends her a lazy smile. “You’ve known me since high school, too. You feel like I’m your brother?”
Smiling, she smacks him lightly on the thigh. “Oh, be quiet. You know what I’m saying.”
They share an affectionate kiss as Aidan continues to burn holes into the side of my face. Then he leans over and murmurs in my ear, “You were jealous.”
I turn my head. There’s no mistaking the glint of heat in his eyes. It’s right there next to the disappointment. When I chew on the inside of my cheek, he chuckles and withdraws.
The chuckle gives me hope that my punishment for breaking my promise never to lie to him won’t be too severe.
The waitress appears with a tray of waters for the table, then asks if we’d like drinks or appetizers before dinner.
Deb says, “God, yes. Give me a scotch and water, please. Easy on the water.”
I can already tell I’m going to get along well with this woman.
I ask for a glass of wine, and Jake and Aidan both order beers. When the waitress leaves to get our drinks, Deb leans over the table, smiling at me eagerly.
“So, Kayla. I understand you’re an artist.”
“An illustrator, actually.”
She crinkles her forehead. “They’re not the same thing?”
“I suppose I’m a commercial artist. As opposed to a fine artist.”
“Meaning you make money,” says Jake with a chuckle.
“Not much,” I answer ruefully. “But it pays the bills.”
Deb says, “I’m so jealous. I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”
Jake snorts. “Don’t know about that. You come up with some pretty creative stories every month when the credit card bill comes and you have to explain why you spent so much on Amazon.”
She waves a hand dismissively in his direction. “I keep telling you, honey, everything I buy is absolutely essential.”
“Explain to me how six pairs of identical black leggings are essential.”
She turns to him in outrage. “Would you prefer I go to Pilates class naked?”