Page 32 of Why Not Us?

“She doesn’t want to talk to me,” he says.

I repeat the words Nate said to me last night about the stout. “How do you know unless you try?”

He sighs and shakes his head. I’m not sure what happened between him and Vic all those years ago, but they had been friends, and maybe even more than friends for a little while, then they completely stopped talking to one another. Spencer might know the whole story, but whatever happened was before the four of us were really close. I’m about to say something else when the thoughts leave my mind. Nate and Dani have walked in, and all my attention focuses on the man who has invaded my dreams and desires.

“Areyougoing to talk tohim?” Tanner asks.

I blink, looking at Tanner again. “Who? What?”

“The guy you just noticed.” He peeks over his shoulder at Nate, who’s watching us, before turning back. “Though I have to admit, I wouldn’t have pegged him as your type.”

“He’s not,” I reply, too quickly.

Tanner winks. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

I huff. “How does everyone know?”

He grins. “You turned pink.”

Ugh. My fair complexion foils me again. “He’s not my type,” I say.

“Yet you’re attracted to him, anyway.” He bobs his eyebrows at me. “So you want me to help you make him jealous?”

I snort and roll my eyes. “How would you accomplish that?”

“Easy. You’re a hugger, Adalie. And to most people, it would be completely platonic. But to a man who is interested in you, he’ll want to know who I am, why I’m hugging you.”

I’m still grinning, but I shake my head. “He doesn’t see me that way.”

“You never know. Besides, I’m going to hug you, anyway. That’s what friends do, right?”

Tanner wraps me in a gentle hug. I hug him back and ask, “Why weren’t you part of our group in college?”

He steps away, adjusting his glasses. “Spencer and Vic had a few ideas when we started that class and none of them interested me. So I said I’d find a different group. Spencer said it was for the best because he didn’t think I would be a good fit for the project.”

The five of us had all been in the same MBA program and the Blue Vista crew had become friends initially during a single class that consisted of a project to create a business plan. We could have had a fifth person, but Tanner hadn’t joined us.

“Not for the project, maybe, but definitely for the friend group.”

He shakes his head again. “Vic wouldn’t be happy with me being there. I better get over to Juliet and Becca before they get into trouble.” He moves off to where his two nieces are talking to Lis. She’s come up with some appetizers. I send a couple staff members over to make sure Tanner and his nieces are set up at the front of the row to my left, then I move to the first easel to my right, adjusting it down to where I remember I had it last time for Dani.

I’ve been alone for about thirty seconds before Nate is next to me.

“Who was that?” he asks.

I tilt my head to the side, looking up at him and trying not to smile, remembering what Tanner said about a man who’s interested in me needing to know who was hugging me.

“He’s a friend from university.” I finish with the easel and straighten. “Would you like me to introduce you?”

He scowls. “Why would I want to meet him?”

I shrug. “You’re glowering at me as though you want me to do something, and I’m not sure what it might be if it’s not introducing you to my friend.”

The glower disappears immediately, and he lets out a breath. “Sorry. I meant to come over and say thank you for fitting us in on such short notice.”

“Short notice?” Calista says, coming up behind Nate. “So he got in on short notice but your own sister had to beg for a spot?”

My hands clench into fists for a moment before I relax them and smooth them down my skirt. “I did say Nate is a VIP. He’s a new partner with Blue Vista.” I take a breath. “Nate, this is my sister Calista. Calista, this is Nate.”

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