Page 98 of Lotus

“You okay over there, Neville?” Brant hollers as he mixes a Whiskey Sour. Amber eyes drift over to the broom I just snatched up. He glances back down at the cocktail, nailing the ratio as always. “You seem jumpy.”

Emptying the shards glass into a trashcan, I spare him a quick look. “Just a lot going on. You know me—I’m always a mess.”

Rebecca chimes in, reaching for the bottle of Blue Label worth more than my car payment. “A cute mess.”

“If by cute you mean it took me three days to finally shower, not to mention, my eyes are still swollen from crying overBoy Meets Worldreruns, then cool.”

“Shit,” she sniggers, her green-haired head swinging back and forth. “You pregnant?”

A snort meets her amused expression. “Yeah, right.”

That would be impossible. I haven’t even had sex since…

Wow, how longhasit been? Months? A hell of a lot of months? I haven’t been keeping track, but it feels like forever.

And then my belly flutters when I realize exactly how long it’s been.

Ten months.

Since he came back.

As soon as the realization dawns, a feeling sweeps over me—a strange tickle, a whisper on my swiftly heating skin, like someone is breathing down the back of my neck. It pulls my chin up from my chest, my gaze landing straight ahead to where Oliver Lynch is standing, hands in his pockets, hair an untamed mess of waves and curls, his eyes fixed on me.

I fuckingfelthim.

It takes an embarrassing amount of time to notice Gabe standing beside him, waving stupidly, a familiar-looking brunette attached to his hip. My hand lifts in a lazy wave as I watch the three of them approach the bar, Oliver’s sunset stare never drifting from my slack-jawed face.

A pinch to my hip interrupts my trance and Brant chuckles as he passes me to fetch a rag. “I repeat:jumpy.”

“I preferaware of my surroundings.”

He shoots me a humored side-eye. “Looks like your surroundings are equally aware of you.”

I tug my lip between my teeth, biting down hard as Oliver slides up in front of me, a tender smile stretching on his mouth. His dimples bloom to life, his gaze glittering, his nearness alone wrapping me up in the warm hug I’ve been craving all week.

Drinking him in with zero apologies, I can’t help but appreciate his too-tight slate gray t-shirt with three little buttons popped open to reveal a light dusting of chest hair. The muscles in his arms flex, his eyes flaring with gold flames as he reacts to my blatant awareness of him. It feels like a shot of adrenaline and whiskey to my blood. I reach deep inside to find my missing voice. “Oliver…” I say in the most pathetic, longing breath. “What are you doing here?”

Those dimples blossom even more as he situates himself on a bar stool, eyes darting around curiously before focusing on me. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”

I’m swooning. And it’s so obvious I’m swooning, I swear everyone in the club is staring at me, pointing, laughing at the swooning girl who forgot how to talk again.

“Stop swooning.” Rebecca’s words are whispered jokingly into my ear, so only I can hear them.

Dammit.

Gabe finally catches my eyes, one eyebrow arched with a gallon of judgment, his arm draped around his date. She’s astoundingly pretty with delicate features, shampoo-commercial hair, and alabaster skin. Her smile flashes brighter than the DJ lights.

“This is Tabitha,” Gabe introduces, removing his arm from her off-the-shoulder mustard sweater and leaning forward on his elbows. “She doesn’t know this yet, but I’m planning on proposing. The wedding is all planned out, a total fairytale, but I’m stumped on what kind of ring to get her. Does she seem like a princess-cut kind of a girl? Or maybe one of those rose-gold diamonds? Rose-gold is trending, right?”

Tabitha’s face is buried between her palms, her body shaking with laughter.

“You see, this is only our first date, so I don’t know her all that well yet. But we have our whole lives ahead of us, you know?” he finishes with a wink, giving her arm a playful nudge.

My chin is propped up on my palm, my own giggles mingling with Tabitha’s. “You’re such a dork,” I tease, watching as a rosy flush stains the apples of the woman’s cheeks when she lowers her hands. I realize then that she’s the girl fromThe Matchmakercase, as well as Oliver’s date from the week before. She looks shy, a little guarded, and her eyes hide more secrets than I’ll ever want to know, but I can tell she’s smitten.

The two of them share a sweet look, Gabe’s megawatt grin meeting Tabitha’s big, brown eyes, her lashes fluttering with bashful adoration. There’s definitely something there, and it makes my heart twist with hope. Gabe deserves this.

This may be their first date, but I’m confident it won’t be their last.

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