The Trade(22)

I shake my head and say, “You didn’t tell me. You suggested.” I wink and she chuckles while tugging on a strand of her hair.

“Can’t wait to rethink this entire conversation when I get home and regret every second of it.”

“Every second?” I ask, wanting badly to playfully nudge her with my foot. The urge is so intense, that my leg feels heavy and locked down by a bungee cord, ready to be unleashed.

“Well, maybe not every second. I held it together at the bar while saying hi.”

“After you smashed your face into my chest.”

“It was rather cushiony.”

“Uhh . . . excuse me? Are you saying I’m flabby?”

“You know, would you excuse me as I take my foot out of my mouth?”

“Need help with that?”

She pretends to extract her foot. “I got it.” Shaking her head, she adds, “And I can’t believe I just pretended to take a foot out of my mouth. I think I should quit while I’m ahead.”

“You can’t leave now, things just started to get really embarrassing.”

She points at me, the animation in her body making me feel like a small piece of me is coming alive. “Easy for you to say, as you’re not the one embarrassing yourself.”

“Is this your way of asking me to tell you an embarrassing story about myself?”

“I mean, if you want to, by all means, feel free to enlighten me.”

“I think I’m good.”

“What?” Her eyes pop open in humor. “No way, you can’t just offer that up and then take it away.”

“Well, there was this time—”

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” My stomach clenches from the sound of another male voice coming up to our table.

Shit.

Married. She’s fucking married.

Tacking on a smile, waiting to meet one of the luckiest guys in the world, I look up to find Jason and his fiancée standing next to me, Jason’s eyes intent on me.

Natalie mumbles something and chuckles while sipping from her drink.

Confused, I point to my chest and say, “Are you talking to me?”

He nods and grips my shoulder. “You’re truly a specimen in person.”

Dottie bends at the waist. “Be warned, he has been known to sporadically kiss his friends on the lips.”

Jason shrugs. “Just keeping things real.”

Casually, I drape my arm over the table and say, “I’m not opposed to sporadic kisses. I am opposed to them being at a team event where we’re the two newbies and I already have a reputation to adjust with a few people here.”

Jason taps his nose knowingly and then waggles his finger at me. “Got it. No kissing in front of the team.”

“Or how about you just keep your lips sacred for me?” Dottie asks.

“That would be more normal,” Natalie adds.

“When have I ever been normal?”

“True.” Natalie shifts so she’s facing her brother more. “Are you guys headed out?”

Dottie nods and glances at me before saying, “Early meeting tomorrow for me. Please don’t feel like you have to come with us.”

Hope blooms inside me that she’ll stay a little longer, but I know that’s moronic hope to harbor. She most likely has to get back to her husband, where he gets to watch her take off her makeup, revealing her beautiful, untouched face. He gets to help her slip out of the dress she’s wearing and watch it pool at the floor. And then he gets to watch her strut across the bathroom in nothing but her bra and underwear, while getting ready for bed.

Fuck, just thinking about it is turning me into a jealous fool.

Natalie looks toward me and then back to Dottie who has a tight, anxious look on her face, almost as if she’s desperately trying to communicate something to Natalie.

“I . . . uh, I think I should take off as well. I’m going to visit Joseph tomorrow and don’t want to be tired.” Well . . . shit.

I stand as well and take Jason’s hand in mine. “Have a good night. We should get together at some point, talk.”

Jason’s eyes light up. “I don’t think you know how much I would die to have that kind of opportunity with you.”

I chuckle. Jason’s excitement is amusing. “All right. Well, I have your number, I’ll give you a call.”

Jason pulls Dottie’s hand and positions her in front of him. “I just got hard and I can’t let anyone see.”

Dottie shakes her head. “I don’t know why I date him.”

“Want me to list the reasons?” he asks.

Dottie quickly shakes her head. “No. Knowing you, we’d be here all night.”

“It’s a long list.”

Taking his hand in hers, Dottie gives me a quick wave and says, “Have a good night, Cory.”

They start to take off and I turn to Natalie who takes a few steps away. Hands clutched together, she gives me a small smile and says, “Well, nice talking to you again.”

I rock on my heels, my hands stuffed in my pockets. “You too, Natalie,” I say, her name rolling off my tongue like a poem, smooth and silky.

She waves and then quickly catches up to Jason and Dottie, leaving me wanting so much more.