The Hookup Handbook(37)
The door opens, and Nic is standing there with Elle by his side, her round belly swelling under her dress. With his arm around his pregnant wife’s shoulders in the doorway of their new home, Nic looks like the perfect picture of a family man. It’s hard to believe that just a year and a half ago he was one of my best escorts, wining and dining women like it was his job—literally.
“Hi there, Case, it’s been so long!” Elle says, reaching out to pull me in for a hug.
When we part, Nic claps a hand on my shoulder. “How’s it going, man? Glad you came.”
They usher me inside as we go through the usual pleasantries. Nic opens the bottle of wine for us while I pour Elle a glass of sparkling water, and the three of us settle in around the kitchen table, the smell of fresh herbs and garlic filling the air.
“I hope you’re okay with a kind of garlic-heavy pasta dish,” Elle says sheepishly. “I know it’s strong, but it’s all I’ve been craving for the past week or so.”
“Thankfully, most of her cravings have been things I can make. There have only been a couple times I’ve had to drive all over town to find what she was looking for. Did you know there’s a Chinese market not too far from your place? I found that out when she was dying for a specific brand of sweet chili sauce to pour over her French fries.”
Elle covers her face with her hands in embarrassment, and Nic puts his hand on her knee.
I can’t believe how domestic the two of them have become. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing him so happy, but after so many years of working the business together, it’s a little bizarre seeing him this way.
I blink a few times and manage to nod.
“Anyway, enough about us,” Nic says. “How are you doing? Things going okay with that new assistant of yours?”
My heart rate picks up at the mention of Sienna. I pull it together fairly quickly, though. I may be a horny mess, but I’m not a monster who can’t operate in social situations.
“Yep, everything’s going great. Business is still booming, and Sienna is adjusting just fine.”
“None of the guys are giving her any trouble? It’s been a while since you’ve had any women in the house. I can imagine some of those guys are having a field day.”
You have no idea.
I suppress a smile and shrug off his comment. “She’s mostly stuck with me in my office. The other guys don’t really see her at all, actually.” Thank God.
Nic nods, and Elle’s eyes widen.
“That job must be so eye-opening for her.”
Among other things.
“She’s a fast learner,” I say.
Elle nods, but Nic just watches me closely.
For a second, I worry that he can tell something’s happened between us—one of the tricks of the trade is being able to sniff out when and where chemistry exists between people—but before he can say anything about it, Elle stands to refill our glasses and starts chopping vegetables for the salad.
“What about you? How’s that house you’ve been working on?” I ask, eager to change the subject.
Nic watches me for a moment, swirling the liquid in his glass and seeming to see right through what I’m trying to do. I brace myself for a question about Sienna, but it doesn’t come.
“Eh, it’s all right. The electrical has been a bitch this past week. I think it’s to the point where I’m going to have to have someone else come in and take a look at it.”
“That bad?”
“Yeah, the wiring in some of these old places is so fucked up. No regulation back then.”
“You should take a look at the place I’m buying for my mom, just to make sure it’s all up to code. I’ve done a walk-through with a contractor, but you have a lot more experience with that kind of stuff than I do.”
“Of course. I’d be happy to.”
“Thanks, I’d really appreciate that. My mom would too.”
“Where is she living now?” Elle asks from the counter where she’s halving grape tomatoes and scooping them into a bowl.
“Way far away on the north side of town. That’s part of why I’m buying her this place, to move her closer.” Not to mention to repay her for everything she’s done for me my entire life.
“I just think that’s the sweetest thing. I bet she’s over the moon about it.”
“Yeah, turns out Case is a good guy when it comes down to it. Who knew?” Nic teases, cocking his head to the side and giving me a knowing look.
Once Elle finishes assembling the salad, we eat, talking and laughing throughout the meal. Nic’s pasta dish is as delicious as ever. I’m always excited when he invites me over to eat, because if there’s one thing his mom did right, it was pass down her Italian cooking skills.
Before I know it, another hour and a half has passed, and I notice Elle starting to space out a little bit. She mentioned earlier that she gets tired easily, and the last thing I want to do is overstay my welcome. After thanking them for the meal and helping clean up, I head out, deciding to take a walk through the park before heading home.
The second I’m out of the house, my thoughts immediately return to Sienna, like the whole time they’ve just been waiting for me to be alone before completely taking over my mind again. I wonder what she’s doing, how she’s feeling about the other night now that more time has passed, if she’s worried about Ryder finding out.