Page 284 of The First Time
The room is impressive—a table big enough for eight people and tall windows that let in the intoxicating mix of sky and steel.
Blake is sitting opposite Declan, the guy I met at the company party. He must be the friend. I guess he's visiting.
Blake stands. "We're fine. Thank you." He takes the menus from the hostess.
She nods and disappears back down the stairs.
Blake offers Lizzy his hand. "Blake Sterling. You must be Lizzy."
"Yeah." She shakes his hand. "It's nice to meet you. About time, really, with you engaged to my sister."
"You can't blame me for wanting to keep her to myself," Blake says.
She shoots me anice linelook. "You can't blame me for objecting."
"No. Anyone would want Kat around." Blake motions to his friend. "Declan Jones. Too much of an ass to introduce himself, apparently."
Declan makes his way to Lizzy. They shake. "Nice to meet you." He turns to me. "And nice to see you again, Kat. I thought Blake was fucking with me when he suggested we invite two more people to our dinner."
Lizzy laughs. "Kat doesn't ever go out with me either."
They share a knowing look at our expense.
Blake pulls out my chair. His fingertips skim my neck as I take a seat. It makes me warm and hot at once. It's sweet and possessive. Affectionate and sexual. But which part is real and which part is fake?
I turn to Declan. "Have you ever met one of Blake's girlfriends?"
"A girlfriend? Blake? No. He's never had one." Declan shoots Blake a wink. "Maybe not even a girl-space-friend. You should have seen him in college. Girls went crazy for him. He was a legend—the kid with the company, the one who ignored female attention. There was a bet in our class. A bunch of women thought they'd be the first to seduce Blake. They'd come up to him with gaga eyes and offer to blow him right in the computer lab."
Blake's cheeks flush red. "It wasn't that explicit."
"It was worse. It got to be a thing—who was hot enough to tempt him away from his work? But no one ever did," Declan says.
Blake is actually blushing. It's amazing. I want to capture his expression forever. I want to draw it in a million panels and a billion portraits.
"I wasn't exactly a monk," Blake says.
Declan laughs. "He can't have you thinking he didn't get laid."
Blake motions to me and clears his throat. "I'm trying to convince her I'm a gentleman."
Lizzy laughs. "Kat is the same with guys. She always thinks they're friendly. There's this waiter who's always flirting with her, but she insists it's just professional courtesy."
"Is that so?" Blake shoots me a knowing look.
"He's just being nice," I say.
"He invites you to meet him after his shift all the time. And he gives you free drinks," Lizzy says. "He's cute too. You should have taken him up on it when you had the chance." She smiles at Blake. "Well, maybe not as cute as your fiancé."
She and Declan share another knowing look.
Thisis flirting.
I swallow hard.
No way in hell is my sister hanging out with an entitled player.
There's a knock on the door. A waiter steps inside and takes our drink orders. Lizzy sticks with her usual Diet Coke.
