But my mother taught me to finish my food, and I’m not going to start off not doing that by insulting my hero. It’s probably me, after all. Money doesn’t go far, even in fourth-rate apartments, and ordering $20 cocktails is never a habit I’ve gotten into. Some things feel frivolous.
“You having a good time?” Finn asks.
I nod rapidly to make sure he gets it. “The best!”
Finn grins. “Great.”
“You know I’ve seen all your vlogs,” I tell him casually. “I’m a...” I hesitate, unsure of the word.
His blue-gray eyes glimmer. “Are you a fan?”
I shake my head. “No. That’s not it.”
“You’re a hate watcher?” His pink lips swerve up.
I stare. “Your eyes are bigger than they look on the screen.”
I think his brows lurch upward.
“I’m in 3-D,” he says, his voice rough. “Surprise.”
“Surprise!” I say. “That’s what I am!”
“You’re a surprise?” His lips curl. They are much fuller than I remember from the screen. Juicy almost. There’s a reason why I shouldn’t tell him that, though I’m not sure what it is. I know what I am though. “It begins with ‘s’ though.”
“Uh-huh?” Finn eyes my cocktail glass, but it’s already empty. I wasn’t going to make him feel bad. No way. Not anyone, but especially not him. I slick my finger along the rim and stick it in my mouth. I frown instantly. “Salty.”
“You’re salty?” he teases, his eyes glinting.
A dark-haired woman with thick black lashes appears beside him. She’s gorgeous. I know. Because I’m straight. I can tell those things about women.
A pit forms in my stomach. Maybe I’m allergic to her perfume. She seems to have slathered it all over her body. She smells like a flower shop. Which, in hindsight, is supposed to smell nice. Floral they call it. Maybe with some musk. I try toremember if Abby ever talked about perfumes, but she was so serious, I don’t think it came up.
“Are you Madison?” The words topple from my mouth.
Her eyes widen, then she smiles. “Guess I’m famous. What did he say about me?”
“That he wants to sleep with you.”
Madison’s eyes round.
“We’ll have to work on your wing game later,” Finn tells me, before directing his attention to Madison. “This is Noah.” Finn drawls, his voice going extra deep. “He makes things up.”
She turns her gaze at me. And I was completely right. She is gorgeous. Her nose turns up just so, and her eyes are set wide apart. She has glossy lipstick on and the sort of shiny white teeth that gives people thumbs-ups from dentists.
“Noah is from Rhode Island.”
Madison’s eyes light up. “I have family in Newport.”
“That does not surprise me,” Finn says.
“What about you?”
“I came from the AHL team,” I explain. “I grew up in New Hampshire. Small town actually.”
“Maybe I know it from antiquing? My mother and I go all over searching for finds.”
“I so can’t imagine anyone going to my town to buy anything else except gas from the gas station.”
