Page 31 of From the Moment We Met

Lilly's words tugged at Jacob. They were simple but profound, and he wondered if that someone was sitting next to him. The buzz of his phone distracted him, and he did a double take when he glanced at his caller ID. It was Victoria. Her timing was impeccable. He declined the call, but his phone vibrated again.

Rising from the bar stool, Jacob apologized. “Excuse me for a moment, I have to take this call.”

Lilly nodded, a knowing expression on her face. She knew who was trying to reach him with such desperation. “Of course. I’ve got to find Sabina. It’s almost time for her grand performance.”

“I won’t miss it,” Jacob promised as he headed out the door.

∞∞∞

Lilly

Lilly rubbed her forehead as Jacob exited the pub. Silly Lilly, you hopeless romantic, men like Jacob are not interested in women like you. Even though she was loath to admit it, she had looked up his ex-girlfriend Victoria online, wishing she hadn’t as soon as she verified she was indeed the breathtaking blonde in the picture from the other night.

And now, Victoria was blowing up his phone, her intentions obvious. Lilly felt like an idiot for being so flirtatious, although she surmised Jacob behaved in such a manner with most women. C’est la vie.

She grabbed her whiskey and strolled to the booth where her friends had taken up residence. Enrique smiled and winked when he saw her, sliding over to make room. “Lilly, I wondered if you’d ever make it over here.”

Lilly offered the handsome Spaniard a knowing smile. “Couldn’t arrive empty-handed. Where’s your friend tonight, Enrique?”

The pointed question hit its mark. “Emma is working late, big case in the morning.”

Ben looked between Lilly and Enrique, his interest peaked. “Is Emma your girlfriend?”

Lilly almost felt bad for Enrique, cornered in enemy territory. He released his breath in a huff. “She’s not my girlfriend, she’s…” He struggled to find the right terminology.

“Your fuck buddy?” Sabina inquired.

“I hate that term,” Enrique countered.

“So do I. Emma seems to be a lovely woman,” Lilly interjected, bringing the topic to a close. She had her answer about the willowy blonde that seemed so enamored with Enrique. “Besides, it's the twenty-first century; labels are so dated.”

“I disagree, I want the wife and kids,” Enrique responded, his dark gaze holding Lilly captive.

“I’m trying to help you here,” Lilly bit out.

“Lilly, I’m not dating her because I don’t have that depth of feeling for her.”

“And how does she feel about your lack of depth?” Lilly responded.

“She knows the score. I’ve never been anything but honest with her. I was angry with her the other night. She knew she was interrupting something—”

Sabina wasn’t about to let Enrique slide. “Hey, I wasn’t there the other night, so fill me in. What exactly was Emma interrupting?”

Lilly watched Enrique’s jaw tense, and she swore the man blushed under his tan. “I was spending time with someone I wanted to know better; can we talk about something else?”

“But it’s just getting juicy!” Sabina declared, biting her lip at Enrique’s scowl.

“Sabina,” Enrique growled under his breath.

“Fine.” Sabina perused the bar, her gaze flitting to every corner. “Where’s Jacob?”

“On the phone with his girlfriend.” Lilly forced her tone to remain light. “So, what are we singing tonight?”

But Sabina wasn’t letting the matter go. “Girlfriend? He said they were no longer dating.”

Lilly shrugged. “It doesn’t matter either way. Let’s have fun, huh? Enrique, do you sing?”

Enrique rewarded her with a rich laugh. “Definitely not, I’m far better with my hands than …” He trailed off, a flush creeping over his tanned cheeks.

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