How to Fail at Flirting(59)

“I have such a great picture of this,” Eric exclaimed. “I’m imagining sweat bands, tube socks, and graphing calculators.”

Jake addressed Tyson, whose smile cracked from behind his hand. “Are you sure you want to marry him?”

“More often than not.” Tyson nodded, a flash of adoration for his fiancé crossing his face. “But I guess you’d be the man to calculate the exact ratio.”

The three of them had this wonderfully comfortable rapport, and I felt increasingly at home as part of the foursome. Jake rubbed his thumb across the nape of my neck as he laughed along with his friends.

“So, you were the mack-daddiest of all the studs at math camp?” Eric asked.

“Well . . .”

“Oh no.” Tyson chuckled.

“She kissed me, but it still counts.”

“So, she was the mack-daddiest of all the studs at math camp. That makes more sense,” Eric corrected. I was positive he and Felicia would get along.

Jake pinned Eric and Tyson with a mock-pleading look. “I thought maybe, just maybe, you would tell stories that make me look good. What was I thinking?”

Eric turned to me. “He does all kinds of charity work, talks to his mother regularly, and makes a mean chicken cacciatore. His fashion sense is above average, and he paid for his secretary to go on a Caribbean cruise with her husband as a Christmas gift last year.” Eric took a sip of his mimosa. “He’s generous to a fault, loves kids, and is really smart, but he’s not allowed to attend math-related events anymore because the combined impact of all of the panties dropping at his impressive nerdiness throws off the calculators.”

Jake flipped off his friend. “I get the microphone at your wedding. Remember that.” Jake stood and asked Tyson, “Can you keep your better half from telling more embarrassing stories about me until I get back from the bathroom?”

“He is a good guy,” Eric said when Jake was out of earshot. “And he hasn’t seemed this happy in a while. He’s into you.”

Heat rose on my cheeks. “Well, I’m pretty into him, too.”

Eric smiled, but Tyson’s expression was more guarded. “Just don’t fuck with his head, okay?”

I was taken aback, and stammered, “I-I, I don’t plan to.”

“Not that we think you would, but Jake’s family to us.” Eric’s voice was smoother, and he shot a pointed look at Tyson before returning his gaze to me. “I said he was shy earlier? That’s not really the right word. He’s just nice. So, just don’t take him for granted. That’s all we’re trying to say. His ex did a number on him.”

I opened my mouth to say something that would reassure him and myself that I could be a good partner. Of course, our decision the night before to make ourselves an official “us” had me questioning if I was ready and if I really would be a good girlfriend. I knew I wouldn’t cheat on him, but I had no idea if I was whole enough to be a true partner. That we were going to keep the relationship under wraps until the review of Thurmond was over made me feel slightly at ease. I’d have time to practice, to get it right, before anyone in my life was watching. Before I could form any of that into a coherent response, a woman’s voice interrupted our conversation.

“Eric?”

Both men glanced over their shoulders. A woman waved as she strode toward our table. She was tall and slim with loose blond hair in waves, a Marc Jacobs bag slung over one shoulder, and an iced coffee in her perfectly manicured hand.

“Speak of the devil,” Tyson muttered under his breath.

“Behave,” Eric chided.

“I thought that was you.” The low, kind of smoky voice sounded familiar. “I popped in for coffee and saw you over here. I had to come say hi.” She smiled at Tyson and Eric, showing perfectly straight, white teeth behind plump, glossy lips.

Tyson sat straighter. Eric cocked his head to the side with a pleasant, if somewhat cool, expression, but it looked forced. Who is this woman?

“How are you, Gretchen?” Eric’s gaze trailed to me for a moment, and my expression must have shown that I knew the name.

Why did I never consider the possibility we’d run into her?

“Oh, I’m great,” she said, a chipper note to her voice. She didn’t seem to register Tyson scowling at her and shot me only a cursory dismissive glance. “Heading into the office for a few hours. Have you seen Jacob? He’s been ducking my calls since my brother’s wedding.”

Eric pressed his lips together and shrugged.

“He’d call you back if he wanted to talk to you.” Tyson cast his gaze to the side, arms crossed over his chest.

She cocked her head to the side. “Always nice to see you, Tyson.”

“Go to hell,” he returned under his breath, and Eric shot him an exasperated look.

If the woman was surprised by Tyson’s harsh words, she didn’t show it. Her eyes narrowed, and one side of her mouth turned up. “You never liked me.”

“Cheaters rub me the wrong way.”

“Half of the gay men in Raleigh rubbed you the wrong way before I introduced you to Eric, so be nice.” She cast a sweet look to Eric, who pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You’re both adults,” he muttered from behind his hand.