Page 63 of Girls Will Be Girls
He looks down, clearly startled by the contact, but instantly his mouth lifts into a grin. I can’t see his eyes, but I bet they’re crinkling at the sides.
He wraps our fingers even tighter together without a word, and I can’t help but smile back. But then his face drops a fraction, before his gaze is drawn over my shoulder, and it drops completely.
“Look who it is!” I hear from behind me.
I turn around and want to shout,“Not now, Otto! We’re busy holding hands!”like we’re on the playground in elementary school.
“How’s the happy couple doing?” Otto asks as he reaches us.
“Otto,” Lou says with no inflection. “Always a pleasure.”
Otto smiles at Lou. It’s the only time they look absolutely nothing alike. Lou’s smile is pure sunshine, while Otto gives off a storm on your wedding day vibes.
He lets Lou’s tone slide off him like he didn’t even notice the grudge in his voice.
“You at the press release later today?” Otto asks Lou, but his eyes slide over to me and, without waiting for Lou’s answer, says, “How are you, Louisa?” He looks at me with a smug smile before winking, like we’re in on some private joke together.
I look up at the man next to me. Lou looks nothing like the happy-go-lucky guy I know, with hurt and disgust swimming in his eyes. He’s clearly testing to see if looks could kill. If they could, we would definitely be recreating one of my favorite T-Swift songs today. I wish I had a boating license now; otherwise, our’No Body, No Crime’moment will not be a particular success.
The fact I’m seriously considering helping Lou cover up a murder is disturbing.
When Otto looks over to Lou, his obnoxious smile is so calculated, so arrogant. It makes my skin crawl to see the obvious hatred between them.
It stirs something new inside of me. Something protective.
I squeeze Lou’s hand to show him I’m here.
I turn my attention to Otto, an overly sweet smile on my lips. If he wants to play a game, then let’s play a game.
“Only if I don’t try to keep him all to myself,” I answer for Lou, lifting my hand out of his and along his arm, wrappingmy fingers around his bicep, ignoring the flutter I feel in my stomach when Lou tenses his muscles under my touch.
I can feel his eyes on me like he’s not sure what I’m doing, but I keep my eyes on Otto as he sizes me up.
“Bringing your girl on a work trip.” Otto starts, talking to Lou but looking at me. “I bet you get pretty lonely while he’s away all day.”
I didn’t just imagine how blatant that was, did I?
This creep is actually flirting with me. In front of my supposed fianceé. In front of hisown brother.
I nuzzle in closer to Lou, squeezing his arm tighter against me, as I look up at him, trying to give off my best‘we’ve definitely had lots of sex’eyes.
“He makes up for it,” I say.
Lou lights up as he smiles down at me.
There he is.
Lou moves his arm around me, his fingers tightening around my hip as he holds me against him.
“Well,” Lou says, finally turning to Otto. “We have plans. See you later, Otto.” He says, without more than a glance his way, just taking my hand and pulling me with him.
I give Otto an overly cheery “Bye” over my shoulder as I let Lou lead me down the path.
We walk in silence along the water, Lou still slightly in front of me, our hands still intertwined. I can feel his brain ticking, his thoughts humming.
Once we round the corner of a small gathering of trees to a rocky opening, I finally break the silence. “Well, that was weird.”
He stops and turns so we’re inches apart and lifts his sunglasses on top of his head.
