Avoiding Intimacy (Avoiding #2.5)(27)

“I ordered our hookah, too. They should be bringing it over.”

“What flavor did you get?” she asked.

“Apple,” he said with a shrug. “The guy said it was popular. We can try something else if you want.”

“No, apple is fine,” she said, reaching for her martini hungrily.

Alcohol was such a good idea. It made her forget things, and tonight, she really wanted to forget things.

A few minutes later, a waiter showed up with a bright green hookah and their apple selection. Adam tipped the guy and then went about his business setting up the shisha for them. When he finished, Chyna leaned forward, her navy spaghetti-strap dress revealing ample amounts of cle**age. She took a drag off of the hookah, winking at Adam. She breathed out the smoke and then licked her lips, surprised by how refreshing the faint hint of apple was. Adam followed suit, breathing the smoke out.

Then, he started digging into his pocket. “I’m going to take this,” he said, taking a sip of his beer before he pressed the phone to his ear. “Hello?” he yelled over the music and people talking in the establishment. “I can’t really hear you!”

“Yeah, that’s better!” he yelled back into the phone.

Chyna looked over at him expectantly, enjoying the mixture of the tobacco and vodka in her stomach.

“Sure. You’re finished already?”

Chyna’s ears perked up. Excuse me?

Who was done early?

“Yeah, come on over. We just got a hookah.”

Who was he talking to?

“I don’t remember. Hold on,” he said into the phone before glancing back up at Chyna. “What’s the name of this place again?”

Her throat constricted when she went to answer, and she had to take another sip of her martini. It didn’t help much because her throat wasn’t reacting to the smoke.

“Sulgaana Hookah Lounge.”

Adam repeated that into the phone and then hung up. “John is on his way over,”

he told her. “He said his dinner plans ended early, and he would rather hang out with us tonight.”

With a shiver running down her spine, Chyna swallowed again, her throat tight.

She slurped down her martini like it was her life force. “I…uh…think I need another,” she said, standing.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

He was in such a good mood from their evening together, and now, his brother was on his way. Chyna had never met anyone who liked his sibling so much.

“There’s a waiter.” He called the guy over and ordered another round of drinks for them, not letting her leave their little niche. He rested backwards into the cushioned seat.

“So,” Adam began, taking another pull from the hookah, “you have fun last night?”

“Yeah.” Chyna shrugged.

“I was surprised you were in before me. I didn’t finish the project until two, but I wasn’t expecting you until at least three or four,” he said with an easy smile.

Nonchalantly, she said, “Just an early night, I guess.”

“I didn’t know you had those,” he said innocently.

“Sometimes.”

“Thank you for dragging John out with you.” Adam crossed his leg over his knee at his ankle and slung one arm across the back of the booth. “I know he’s my older brother, but we’re only two years apart. I guess I took care of him for long enough that it’s kind of natural.”

“Why did you have to take care of him? He seems like a big boy,” Chyna said.

“Too smart for his own good. He always thought he could get away with murder.” Adam laughed.

“He probably could,” Chyna said under her breath.

“Anyway, he was a party animal in high school and college. He’s cut back drastically since taking this job. I probably shouldn’t try to keep taking care of him. He has a good head on his shoulders.”

“You’re a good brother.” Chyna swallowed.

Adam chuckled softly. “Thanks. I know John didn’t always deserve it, but I love him. It’s kind of like how you are with Lexi.”

“Yeah, she’s basically my sister,”

Chyna said, doing anything to grasp on to a new line of conversation. “Bitch needs some serious therapy, but I’d do anything for her.”

Both of them started laughing because, really, no one could deny that.

“There you guys are,” John said, rounding the corner unexpectedly. “What’s so funny?”

“Hey,” Adam said, standing and making room for his brother.

Chyna’s eyes went to John. He was in crisp, black dress pants and a white button-up shirt with the top button undone for a more casual look. When he glanced in her direction, she diverted her eyes.

“We were just talking about Chyna’s friend, Lexi.”

“The one who left for the week?” he asked with a curious glance in her direction.

Chyna nodded and tried not to look at him. “Yeah.”

“You made it over here fast,” Adam mused, moving closer to Chyna to give John room to sit down.

“Yeah, there’s not that much traffic yet tonight. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought some friends along. After I told them where we were going, they insisted,”