Page 89 of Play It Sinful

By the time the waiter returns with our separate bills, I’m sleepy. I blame the tiramisu and the copious amount of red wine I drank.

A yawn sneaks up on me, and I try to hide it with my hand. “I need coffee.”

“Me too,” Micaela replies.

Gia’s phone pings with an incoming text message. “Noah is asking if we want to stop by The Heritage.”

Blair is looking at her phone as well. “Alex asked me the same thing.” She looks up, sporting a smile. “Aww… our boys miss us.”

I roll my eyes. “Gag me.”

“Why are you hating on their love bliss? Aren’t you in love with Brian?” Zoey asks, squinting at the bottom of her empty wine glass.

I snort. “In love? Where did you get that notion?”

She shrugs. “You seemed pretty smitten with him at the wedding.”

“He’s nice, but we haven’t been dating for that long.”

Not that that’s a valid explanation. It didn’t take long for me to fall hard for Sean.

“I’ve never been to The Heritage,” Micaela pipes up. “Let’s go.”

“This should be fun! I can’t wait to see the boys try to behave because the coach’s daughter is around.” Gia’s eyes crinkle with mirth.

Micaela frowns. “Do you think I shouldn’t go? I don’t want to make them uncomfortable.”

“Oh, it’ll be fine,” Gia assures her.

Zoey looks at me. “You’re coming, right, Ash? Unless you have plans with Brian.”

I want to bail. I’m sure Sean is at The Heritage, and I’m not in the mood to deal with him. It’d be easy to use plans with Brian as an excuse. He’d be more than happy to see me, and he even hinted he’d be up late. But tonight is reserved for my girlfriends. “No, I didn’t make plans with him.”

“Then you need to come,” Zoey says enthusiastically.

My phone vibrates in my purse. I check it and say, “Speak of the devil. Brian just texted me.”

BRIAN: Just finished the paper due tomorrow. How was dinner?

“If he’s up, why don’t you invite him to come to The Heritage too?” Gia asks.

Sean and Brian under the same roof again. God, that’d be a recipe for disaster. It was already bad at Jesse and Riley’s wedding. Sean glowered at Brian the whole time. At The Heritage and with booze flowing, I wouldn’t put it past him to be a total asshole.

“Nah, it’s okay. It’s girls’ night out.”

I reply to Brian’s text.

ME: Dinner was great.

BRIAN: LOTR is on if you want to come watch it with me.

Even if I hadn’t already agreed to extend the evening with the girls, I would pass on the invitation. I need to sleep.

ME: I’m heading to The Heritage with the girls for a bit. Then home and bed.

BRIAN: Have fun. Text me when you get home so I know you made it safe?

My kneejerk reaction is to sayFuck no.You’re not my keeper. But I rein in the impulse. There’s nothing wrong with him wanting to make sure I’m okay after a night out.

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