Page 70 of Eight Steps to Alpha

“Who cares if they think we’re a couple?” Ed said. “It’s not like we know any of them anyway.”

April took a deep breath and shook her head. “That’s not the point. I’m just starting to feel weird about it. The other day, I got an email asking if I was pregnant with your child.”

Ed held back a laugh, almost spitting his drink. “What?”

“Remember how I was sick last week? I guess people though I was pregnant.”

Elliot covered his mouth, and shared an amused glance with Fe. This was exactly what they needed. A night out with friends. A night that felt a little more them.

“It’s not funny you guys!” April continued. “People seriously think we’re getting engaged. I mean, I don’t even know if I want to get married. And you know why? Because I haven’t even dated in two years.” She looked at Fe, as though looking for camaraderie. “Fe, you know what I mean, right?”

Fe cleared her throat and took a sip of water before answering. “Yeah—I guess I know what you mean.”

“It’s like, we’ve been deprived for so long, like it’s time we experience the world, kiss a lot of frogs. You know?”

Ed glanced at Elliot, then turned back to the girls. “Frog huh?”

This time Fe almost spit her drink.

Ed leaned toward April and narrowed his eyes. “Let me see if I have this right. All this doubt is because you want to kiss a lot of dudes?”

April shook her head. “What? No! That’s not what I’m saying at all.”

“April,” Ed continued. “I don’t care who you make out with. Just don’t do it where our fans can see, that’s all.”

She looked down to her plate. “That’s the thing. I don’t want to hide anymore.”

Ed took a bite of his burrito and said no more.

The meal continued with much the same awkwardness. Though honestly, Elliot was a bit relieved it was between Ed and April this time. Maybe it was just that time in their lives, when everything started to shift. They’d all been friends all through college. Pretty much inseparable. But now April was talking about ending her partnership with Ed, Fe was trying to get her own classroom, he was working his ass off with the acquisition. Maybe all of this… everything that had been going on for the past month was just growing pains.

He glanced over at Fe, who was mouthing the words to the book she was reading on her kindle. Her nose twitched with amusement, and he leaned over to her ear. “What are you reading?”

Startled, she tilted her head up, and looked at him. The light above them danced in her eyes, and showed off the sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks. “Nothing you’ve ever heard of.”

His smile widened, and he turned his body toward her. “Try me.”

“How to Tame a Shrew.”

He forced his expression to become serious. “I’ve read it at least a dozen times.”

“Is that so?”

“I have the signed paperback.” He nodded, shooting her a confident grin.

She laughed, shaking her head with amusement, before losing herself in her book again. God he missed that. That simple sort of exchange between them. Him teasing her, and her pretending she wasn’t amused.

Ed and April were bickering about something across the table, presumably about their channel, and Fe set her napkin on the table. “Are you ready to go?” she whispered to him.

It was obvious Ed and April still had a lot to hash out, and frankly, giving them the space to do it seemed like a good idea. He tossed his napkin beside hers on the table and nodded. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Now. I’m ready now.” She smiled at him, grabbed her bag, and pushed herself out of the booth.

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