“What’s goin’ on, ladies?” Tom casually put an arm around Kira.

“Gia was just giving us a hard time for not telling her about the hottie I met last week.” Kira took a sip of her drink.

“That’s so unlike Gia.” Tom glanced over at her with a grin. “And why was she giving you such a hard time? You deserve to find true happiness, Nash. Don’t listen to Gia. She’s such a downer.”

Gia let out a huff, jokingly, and scrunched up her nose at Tom. “No one told me about it. Turns out I’m the last to know.”

“That’s only because you’ve been off in la-la land with Seth all week,” Courtney chimed in. “Head in the clouds, ignoring the rest of us.”

Gia protested. “I haven’t been ignoring you guys, have I?”

Courtney laughed. “I’m just kidding. No, you have not, and you deserve it, Gia. We’re all really happy for you.”

Gia thanked her.

Tom rubbed his chin. “What are you talking about? What’s going on with Seth?” He rested his gaze on Gia, his tone uncertain. “I thought you two were on the outs.”

Angela jumped back in. “They were. But he set things straight and now they’re dating. Isn’t that fabulous?”

Tom looked distraught and removed his arm from Kira’s shoulder.

Kira made a face to keep the mood light. “Letting you two talk.” She stepped out of the way and changed the subject at the table, and the laughter resumed.

Tom stepped toward Gia. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Of course.” She kept her voice down. “What’s wrong?”

Gia knew exactly what was wrong. She hadn’t yet told him about Seth because she wasn’t sure how. It was either going to hurt him, or he was going to warn her away from Seth again, and she didn’t want to deal with either of those things—at least not yet.

“What’s this about you and Seth? Are you dating now?” He seemed agitated.

“Yeah, we are.”

Tom nodded, his jaw clenching. “But—”

“I’m sorry, Tom. I appreciate how you helped me feel better last week, but what Angela said is true. He wasn’t trying to go behind his girlfriend’s back with me, and he wasn’t trying to let me down easy that night. He was actually trying to tell me he likes me. It was all a big misunderstanding. We’re together now.”

Tom let it sink in. “Wow. Together.” He nodded. “So, then—”

“I really like him, Tom. He’s not what you think.”

“And when were you planning on telling me? I thought we were friends. After all the times we talked about him…”

Gia frowned. He was right. “I owe you an apology, Tom. I should’ve called you.” She grabbed his hand.

Tom shook his head and tried to brush it off but his tone was blunt. “It’s fine. I hope it works out for you.” He turned and walked away.