Page 118 of For the Sub

“As if,” Brandy responded instantly. “You’re young and vibrant.”

“Tell me more, darling. And you’re quite right, we’re going to be very good friends.”

After greeting the maître d’ with a kiss on the cheek, she tucked Brandy’s arm inside hers, leaving Niles suddenly dateless.

With a helpless shrug, he followed the ladies to the table.

While Aunt Mame was seated, he helped Brandy into her chair, and possessively trailed his fingers across her shoulder.

Mame immediately ordered a bottle of champagne, then turned her attention to Brandy. “I want to get to know you.”

“And I you,” Brandy replied.

“You know, Niles, you could go to the bar for a few minutes.”

He blinked.

They were all getting together for dinner, and she was dismissing him? “That’s out of the question,” he replied.

As he’d promised when he invited her, he’d do anything to protect Brandy.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him, placing her fingers on his wrist.

“Just give me a signal or send me a text”—he told Brandy—“and I’ll rescue you from my aunt’s well-meaning, but nosy questions.”

“You could take your champagne glass with you, so you don’t have to order a new drink,” she suggested with a sassy smile.

Along with his aunt, Niles had met his match.

“Run along,” Mame said, in the same tone she might have used when he was ten years old.

The situation had become two-on-one, which meant he had no hope of winning.

Defeated, he held up his hands then stood.

Aware of the conspiracy between the women, he grabbed his glass, then headed for the bar.

“Banished?” the bartender asked.

“Yeah.” He looked toward the table where the ladies had already leaned toward each other to enjoy their conversation.

Since it was still early, the man had no other customers, and he kept Niles occupied chatting about the upcoming football game. “We televise all of them if you’re ever downtown and want to watch it away from the usual sports bars.”

Which immediately made Niles think of Brandy and her short kilt.

At that point, he stopped listening to the man’s ramblings.

A few minutes later, his aunt signaled that he could return.

Since the bartender had been friendly and made him think of Brandy bending over in a short tartan skirt, Niles dropped the man a decent-size tip.

During the meal, he and his aunt caught up, and she skillfully kept Brandy engaged in their discussions.

Then her phone skittered across the white tablecloth, and she stood, the remainder of her meal ignored. “I’ll see you downstairs, darlings.”

She waved goodbye then swept out of the room like a regal princess, leaving him with the bill.

With a wry grin, he shook his head.

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