Page 68 of The Close-Up
It takes me a second, but I eventually recognize that look in his eyes. It’s the same exact look he gave me while standing over me as I lay naked in that tub in Lake Tahoe, right after he nodded yes when I suggested he join me.
The sound of Landon sharply clearing his throat yanks me back to the present. I jerk my hand away from Simon’s neck and to my lap, then guzzle the rest of my club soda.
“What the hell was that?” Landon mutters in my ear.
I don’t answer him. I’m too focused on the expression on Desiree’s face. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows are right under her hairline as her gaze darts between Simon and me.
Clearly she’s bothered by the way Simon and I were interacting with each other just now.
“Just friends, huh? That’s pretty handsy for just friends.” She scoffs and turns to Simon. “How do you know Naomi’s mom? And when did you introduce her to your grandma? You haven’t even introduced me to your grandma. Or your mom.”
Simon looks at her, a tinge of guilt in his otherwise neutral expression. His face is red again, but I suspect for a totally different reason this time.
“My mom called me when we were working together one day, Naomi happened to be there, and she insisted she come over for dinner. That’s all it was. She’s like that with all my friends.”
Desiree stabs her straw into her glass, which is mostly ice now. “Uh-huh. Sure.”
“I’m sorry, Desiree,” Simon says gently. “We’ve only been out on a handful of dates so far, and I honestly didn’t think you’d be interested in meeting my family this soon.”
“Oh, but you’ll introduce your new female friend to them without a second thought.” She slams her glass down, which causes the people at our end of the table to look over. “If you’re bringing your female friend over to your mom and grandma’s, it’s a no-brainer that you should do the same with the woman you’re dating. I can’t believe you.”
I contemplate getting up and walking away to give them privacy to talk. But before I can even move, Desiree darts to the back of the restaurant. Simon follows her.
“Are you gonna answer my question now?”
I whip my head to Landon. “What?”
“What is going on with you two?”
I press my hand to my forehead, tension building in my skull. “What are you talking about?”
“Desiree was right. You were getting pretty handsy with Simon.”
“Landon, you know there’s nothing between Simon and me.” I dig through my purse for an aspirin.
“Do I?”
His indignant tone sets me off. “Yes. Youdoknow, Landon. Because I’ve told you before, Simon and I are just friends. We just work together. Why are you acting like this?”
I try to keep my voice down so that Simon’s friends at the table with us can’t hear. Luckily the dull roar of conversation from earlier is now louder and judging by how everyone is turned away from us, engaged in their own conversations, they’re not paying attention to Landon and me bickering.
“Maybe because you thought it was totally appropriate to grab his neck like you were trying to come on to him.”
Landon’s accusatory tone is the last straw. “Are you serious right now? I wasn’t coming on to Simon. Okay yeah, we were joking around and I grabbed his neck because I thought it would be funny, but I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry that it bothered you. You’re right, it probably wasn’t the most appropriate thing to do, but I sure as hell wasn’t coming on to him. Do you really think I would do that? In front of you? In front of Desiree? In front of everyone at this bar?”
When he says nothing, I walk from the table to the bar, but his hand on my arm halts me.
I start to jerk away until I see his regretful expression. “Hey, wait, okay? Please.”
We stand facing each other, off to the side of the bar to avoid getting in anyone’s way.
“You’re right, I shouldn’t have accused you of coming on to Simon,” Landon says. “I just...it was weird to see you touch him.”
I swallow. “I get it. I’m sorry. But I really didn’t mean anything by it. We were just joking around. I won’t do it again.”
My stomach starts to churn. I’m genuinely sorry for hurting Landon’s feelings, but I hate how placating I sound. This thing with him is supposed to be carefree and fun.
He sighs and tugs a hand through his hair. “Look, I have to run. Work emergency.”
