The First Taste(37)

She perks up and waves across the bar. “There’s Mindy.”

“This isn’t a date,” I say to Sadie as a pretty brunette makes her way toward us.

“No, of course not,” Sadie says. “Just a free meal.”

“And drinks,” I add. “Plural.”

Mindy’s smile stretches ear to ear, and her teeth are as white as her tight, long-sleeved dress. “Hi,” she chirps, looking between Sadie and me.

She and Sadie hug, and the short dress rides up her thighs. Her tan is incredible, as if she’s just returned from a month in the Bahamas. Her brown hair curls around her shoulders, bouncing when she and Sadie separate. I doubt she’s even twenty-five, and even though that’s not far from Amelia’s early thirties, they seem miles apart. I hold out my hand. “Andrew. Nice to meet you.”

She looks to Sadie, tentatively taking my hand. “Hi . . .”

“Andrew, you’ve met,” Sadie says in a tone she uses when she’s embarrassed. “At my office, remember? She brought you to my desk?”

“Oh. Right.” I take my hand back. Her face is vaguely familiar, like someone I’ve passed on the street more than once. “I’m sorry. I had my daughter, so that day is kind of a blur.”

“That’s okay,” she says.

“Mindy’s new to the city. She moved here in winter.”

“I’d say welcome, but I don’t live here,” I say. “I’m in New Jersey.”

“Sadie told me. I’m so glad you made the trip tonight.”

“Your date fell through?” I ask.

Sadie nods before Mindy even has a chance to answer. “Yep.”

“I’m talking to Mindy,” I say, giving Sadie a look.

“Actually, I canceled it,” she says. “I met him online, and he was a little out there.”

“Online?”

Nathan hands me my drink and Mindy a red wine.

“That’s how people meet these days,” Sadie says, nudging me with her elbow. “Online.” She turns to Mindy. “I’ve been trying to get Andrew to sign up for one of those apps—”

“I’m not signing up,” I say.

“It’s not that bad,” Mindy says. “I’d say maybe four out of five dates are pretty awful, but—”

I open my mouth. “Four out of five? Those are shit odds. It’s that important to you?”

“Finding that one great date that could turn into more?” she asks. “Absolutely.”

I scoff, shaking my head. “I don’t even have time to go on five dates.”

“Yes you do,” Sadie says. “It’s all about prioritizing.”

“My priorities are fine, thanks.”

She slips her arm around Nathan’s waist, looking up at him. “I’d go on a hundred bad dates for Nathan.”

“Really?” I ask. “So you’d sit through a hundred bad conversations, a hundred awkward goodbyes, a hundred crushing rejections to end up with ‘the one’?”

The three of them stare at me. Maybe they’ve never been on a truly bad date, but I find that hard to believe. “Yes,” Nathan says first. “In a heartbeat.”

I shake my head. Nathan, I believe. He’d do it. I’m not so sure about the rest of the world, though. That sounds pretty brutal to me. “Fine,” I say. “Should we head over?”

“Not yet,” Sadie says. “Let’s relax. Finish our drinks. We have time.”

The girls take a seat at the bar while Nate and I hang back. Mindy’s sweet scent drifts over, and it makes me think of Amelia’s strong, distinct perfume, only detectable when I’m close to her—which is maybe the best part. I want at least a whiff of it tonight, which means I’ll need to be within kissing range.

I straighten the knot of my tie. “How do you wear one of these every day?” I ask Nathan. “It’s f*cking strangling me.”

“You get used to it.” He glances at it. “Red is bold. Definitely not a color I’d guess you’d choose.”

I flatten it against my chest. “It’s my special-occasion tie.”

Nathan sips his drink. “This isn’t anything huge. Sadie’s more excited about setting you up than the nomination.”

“Why?” I ask. “Why can’t she just let me be?”

He cocks his head at me. “Dude, she’s your sister. She wants you to be happy.”

“I’m happy,” I insist. “I’ve got everything I need.”

“I guess she thinks you don’t.” He swirls his drink. “You never think about what it’ll be like raising a preteen girl on your own? It’s not that far off.”

“I think about it every f*cking day. She’s turning seven next month, and I can literally still feel her as a baby in my arms.” I shake my head. Going backward is easier than worrying about what’s ahead of us. “You’re so lucky, man. I’d give anything to revisit those days. Don’t get me wrong. Bell’s a human now, and so much more fun, but when she was a baby . . . Jesus. Best feeling.”

Nathan watches me closely.

I’m rambling. “Sorry,” I say. “I’m just excited for you. Bell and I will be visiting a lot.”