Page 112 of Between the Lines

“So uh… Is anyone going to explain what’s going on?” Lucy peeps.

Without removing her gaze from Tony-slash-Ant, Penelope’s voice drops to a timbre I can only recognize as a deadly weapon.

“Do you remember the story I told you about Christmas?”

I think back to the in-service before the first day of school, when Penelope and I had one too many drinks as she hashed outthatstory.

“You mean your mom’s best friend’s son?”

“Yep.”

“This is him?”

“Yep.”

“Are youkiddingme, Samuel?!”

Juliet whips around on her husband, and I watch Lucy do the same to Aaron. Their faces say the same thing:You’ve heard this story before! Were you even listening?!

In the meantime, Penelope is glaring at Tony—Ant?—with such disdain that I’m afraid her eyes will spark lasers, and he is looking at her in what can only be described as remorseful longing—with a side of snark. Something tells me that if these two went toe to toe, the world as we know it would implode around them.

I feel like an awkward seventh wheel—the twoactualcouples are in the middle of their own hushed lover’s quarrels, while Penelope and AntMan seem on the brink of World War Three. My saving grace slides in at the exact right moment.

“Sorry I’m late. I was held up with a parent meeting. Hello, Tony. Nice to see you again?—”

“It isnotnice to see him,” Penelope interjects without taking her eyes from her enemy, holding up her hand in a stop sign to her damnboss.

Nathan pauses for only a moment before sliding into the only vacant chair—the one beside me—and leans down to press his lips dangerously close to my ear. His hand rests casually on the back of my chair.

“What did I just walk into?”

“The end of the world, possibly.”

We both watch the unrestrained stare down for a few momentsbefore I sense the slight turn of his head. When his thumb grazes a light trail up and down my spine, I understand.

He was checking to see that everyone else was preoccupied. After I do the same, I slide my hand below the table and squeeze his thigh. And then, all hell breaks loose.

“Theyinvited me, Penny.”

“And I amuninviting you, Anthony. I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept.”

He exhales sharply through his nose, but matches her manic expression.

“Myfriendsasked me to meet them here for dinner.”

“They were my friendsfirst!”

“I’m not going anywhere this time, Penny Lane, so you can just?—”

“You don’t get to call me that anymore!”

She explodes. At the sound of that nickname, Penelope is up and out of her chair, tossing water all over poor Anthony-Ant-Tony. She stomps toward the bathroom, leaving a dripping wet man standing dumbfounded at the head of our table.

The rest of the restaurant watches on in silence. Poor Anthony blinks, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. That sad remorse washes over him in a slow wave as activity trickles back into the restaurant. The waitstaff brings over a mop and some towels, hushed whispers chirp at the surrounding tables, and three chairs scrape across the floor as the girls and I spring into action.

“I’m going to kill Sam when I get home,” Juliet says as we maneuver our way to the bathroom.

“I’ve told Aaron that story atleastfour times,” Lucy nods, echoing the sentiment. “Like, do men justnotpay attention?”

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