Page 64 of The Sidekick

“Does she know I’m here?” I glance around the parking lot like she will jump out and start screaming at me any minute now.

“Nope.”

“Wait, you just came and got me, and no one has any idea?” I straightened up in surprise. I’m crashing their weekly meet up dinner? I was never invited to them, and I feel a slight grim relish at the thought of throwing a kink in the works.

“Yup.” He nods and slings his keys around a finger as he looks across the parking lot to the fancy restaurant. His stance is tense despite the casual air he’s trying to present.

My eyes narrow on him in sudden suspicion. “Did you take your car and tell people you were bringing a date so no one would come with you?”

A blush starts working up his neck as he refuses to look at me. “I didn’t say I was bringing a date. I said I was picking someone up to have dinner with us.”

“I thought you weren’t doing the whole make them jealous thing? We agreed, darn it! Nobody needs to be jealous of anyone else,” I stomp my foot to emphasize my anger.

“The opportunity presented itself! Don’t sidekick shame me,” he defends with a glare.

“I’m not lying and saying we’re together. I already told you there’s no way we could fake our way through that! We would vomit just trying it. We fight too much. Like right now, for example!”

“I’m not asking you to,” he insists, pocketing his keys as the blush enters his cheeks. “I just got pissed because they acted like I wasn’t even gone. They didn’t ask where I’d been or anything. They all acted like I never left.”

I’m suddenly feeling a bipolar swing into let’s fake a relationship territory as I glare at the windows where those jerks are sitting somewhere, awaiting my pathetic wrath.

“Ok,” I clap my hands and bounce on my toes to warm up. “What do you want me to do? I can make this believable. Or break their kneecaps. Maybe not that, but I can call someone who will do it with a smile.”

South would be on the first flight out for it.

His grin returns as he watches my warm-up. “Sure you do. Just be yourself. It’ll work out either way.”

He slings an arm around my shoulders to lead me inside. The fact that he’s touching me is a red flag that he isn’t as calm about this as he seems. He’s hurting and needs comfort, not that he would ever admit it.

“I’m serious. I can change their birth certificates. How does changing their genders to eunuch sound? And their height and weight changed to penis size of zero or negative four.”

“That sounds nice, actually,” he nods, and I start making plans.

“I’ll get the new copies mailed to them, but it might take a few weeks.”

“I like my revenge cold anyway,” he agrees with the timeline.

By the time I settle down, he’s leading me past the hostess without acknowledging her in typical Shade style. I let it go because it’s a battle that will never end.

I can see them all at a circular table with two open spots waiting for us to join them, and my feet stumble. The chairs are directly across from Andi, interrogation style. They all look so comfortable with each other without me there. I doubt they missed me at all.

“Deep breaths, you’re doing this,” his arm tightens around me threateningly, and he drags me the last few feet to pull out my chair and practically shove me into it as everyone gapes in shock.

“Tera?” Andi shrieks, lurches around the table, and gives me a strangling hug around my neck. I sit there in stunned surprise, patting her arm weakly as she tries to rock me back and forth, choking me.

Shade drops into the seat next to me and picks up a menu.

“You found her!” I cringe as she screams in my ear, and suddenly, I’m smooshed up against Shade as Andi yanks me into him to include him in the strangling. “Thank you so much!”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Felix asks in surprise, but Shade doesn’t answer him as he gets pulled back and forth in Andi’s embrace. His passive-aggressive approach to punishment is admirable. Just stay silent and let them stew.

“Babe?” Alec clears his throat and looks at all the attention she’s garnering. He’s always so straight-laced and easily embarrassed. I smirk at his unease, and he double-takes at the expression.

“I don’t even care,” she starts crying suddenly, and I lower my eyes to the table in shame, my glee running away.

“I’m sorry, Andi,” I mutter as she presses her face awkwardly into my neck, wetting my shirt with her tears.

“I’ll never ignore you again. If anyone says anything bad about you, I’ll break their legs. Or tear out their eyes. I just got my nails done so it’ll be easy. Oh my God, is that why you sent me the spa gift card email yesterday, Shade?”

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