Page 15 of Wrapped Around My Heart
I look across the table, finding my mom already watching me, and level her with a glare that hopefully conveys just how unimpressed I am. She at least has the decency to appear apologetic. Not that it’s going to help her escape the earful she’ll get once everyone leaves for trying to set me up with a man she’s never met before.
Reaching for my drink that Dean graciously refilled before we sat down, I take a giant gulp and brace for my favorite meal to be ruined by the finance bro to my right trying to impress me.
CHAPTER 6
Arianna
I swearif this man says how beautiful his new driver is one more time, I might vomit on his lap. I don’t normally hate golf. I’ve even gone a couple times with my dad and Landon. But I swear, after listening to Tanner talk about each individual club, always circling back to how amazing his brand-new driver is, I never want to hear about golf again in my life. While he rambles on about his shiny stick, I bite back the urge to tell him to put me out of my misery and bash my head in with his prideful clubs.
Every plate at the table now sits empty except for a couple of the guys who somehow manage to keep eating while the rest of us resist the urge to remove our spandex or undo buttons on pants. The conversation at the other end of the table seems to be much more captivating than my side and jealousy pricks at the corners of my mind as I watch Stella and Lilly laugh together.
Whenever Dean or I would try to steer the conversation to more relatable topics, Tanner would manage to bring it right back to fulfill his deep need to talk about golf. It’s no help that his mother encourages his every thought. I’m all for supportive parents. My parents are perfect examples of that. However, it’s quite clear that Liz full-heartedly believes her baby boy could walk on water, and it makes me want to gag.
Beside me, Dean swirls his now empty glass, the ice clinking loudly against the sides as he stares off into space. He looks exactly how I feel. Drained and over this dinner with golf boy.
Pulling my phone out from the pocket in my dress, because yes, every dressshouldhave pockets, I angle my screen away from Tanner and open my text thread with Dean.
Me: Should we be concerned with how much he loves his golf clubs?
Dean sets his glass down and grabs his phone from his pocket. The corners of his lips twitch as he reads it before his fingers fly across the response. My phone vibrates and I eagerly check it.
Dean: Nah, the man clearly knows what makes him “happy”
Dean: Who are we to stand in the way of a man and his joy sticks?
A laugh slips free before I can stop it, and I barely manage to cover it with a cough. Patting my chest with my free hand, I make a show of acting like I choked on something.
“Do you need water?” Tanner asks, already reaching for my glass. I shake my head, waving him off while making sure my phone screen is facing down.
“I’m fine.”
Tanner shrugs. “Anyway, as I was saying. If you’re free tomorrow, I could take you to the golf course with me and show you around. I’ll even make sure to take it easy while you get used to theswingof things.”
He’s barely finished his offer when my phone vibrates with another text update, at the same time that I push back and stand up. “Sorry, I need to take this call.”
I make a show of acting like I’m answering the nonexistent phone call, pretending it’s Vivian calling me with some family drama, and head upstairs. Only once I’ve made it to the top of the stairs do I drop the charade. I look around the hallway, spotting the guest bedroom, and decide to hide out for a bit.
Just as I step into the bedroom, I finally open the latest message.
Dean: Absolutely not.
My heart stalls as I read the two words over and over again. The more I read them, the more of a jumble my thoughts become.
We’ve never talked about exclusivity in the entire time we’ve been hooking up. Not that I’ve even given another man the time of day. I know for a fact he hasn’t seen anyone else since the guys on his team all talk about their love lives like they’re on an episode ofGossip Girl.
Questions spin off in my brain, one after the other popping up so quickly, I can barely keep up with myself.
Does he think we’re exclusive? Does Dean actually care or is he just being friendly and could tell I’m not into Tanner? He’s never said anything when we’re all out and some random guy at the bar hits on me, so why now? Did he say something now because we’ve been hanging out more and he just wants to be friends? Friends speak their thoughts, so maybe that’s all he’s doing?
There’s one last thought that circles on repeat between them all, making me bite my lip and trying to ignore the way my heart races at the thought.
Is Dean jealous?
No. I’m simply overthinking things because Tanner has sucked the life from everything else today and there’s nothing better for me to fixate on. There’s no way that Dean is?—
“Sounds like a very important call.”
I tense, whirling around, ready to defend myself, only to find Dean leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and that damn knowing smirk taunting me. At the sight of him, my shoulders relax. I hold up my phone and give him a look of fake concern.
