Page 39 of Off Her Game
“How about if I grab us some coffee and we meet in the center of that chaos?” she offered. “How do you like it?”
His eyebrows shot up as his gaze drifted to her lips.
“Coffee. We’re talking coffee, remember? How do you take yours?” She compressed her lips against a laugh.
“Black.” His strangled voice entertained her.
“Back in a few.” She pivoted and left.
Something about that man made her lose her freaking mind. The choked noise he made when she teased him had been priceless.
She managed to weave through the crowd and avoid all conversations in a beeline for the coffee station.
On her way back to Noah, she spied her brother, who worked in the marketing department. Yes, small world but Emma had encouraged him to apply when he’d lost his job at the sports clothing company. Their eyes met. He headed her way.
Not good. He wouldn’t know about her “arrangement” with Noah.
“Hi, Tori.” Jason smiled. “What’re you doing here? You come with Emma?”
“Uh, not exactly. Where’s your wife?” Maybe distracting Jason with his wife would make him give up the questions. She scanned around for Noah, spotting him close to the exit. She’d give him his coffee and then take a bathroom break, one that might just last the rest of the brunch. Good plan.
“Jillian is at home. She’s got a cold she’s been fighting all week.” His gaze darted to Noah who met their gazes with a smile and a wave. “Why is Noah Harrison waving at you? How in the world do you know him?”
A svelte blond guy moved in close and gave her a speculative scan. “Hey, Jason. Who’s this?”
“This is my sister, Tori.”
“Good to meet you. I’m Chris.” The blond leaned in to Jason to ask low, “Have you heard about Noah?”
Jason shook his head. His worried gaze met hers.
“You know I’m tennis partners with his brother. The three of us have known each other since preschool. Michael mentioned this morning that Noah was dating again. Some hot girl with piercings.”
Jason sprayed out his mouthful of orange juice on a cough. He wiped at the orange droplets on the guy’s shirt with his paltry drink napkin. “I’m so sorry.”
Tori compressed her lips to hold back her laughter, but a few chuckles broke free.
The blond hit Jason on the back. “Yeah, that was my reaction, too. He hasn’t jumped back into the dating game since… Well, you know since the whole Darcy fiasco however many years ago that was. I mean, good for him. The man needed to get laid.”
Jason subjected her to a double eyebrowwhat-the-hellthat had her shifting on her feet. Little got past her brother. Her at his work brunch was weird enough. Noah waving at her…girl with piercings? Yeah, he’d figured it out.
Chris continued, “Michael ran into Noah last night while he was on his date.”
“Last night?” Jason’s gaze snapped to her. His eyebrows couldn’t go any higher.
Tori shrugged in response to Jason. She wished she could prevent the heat in her face. “Great to meet you, Chris. I’ve got to get going.” She shot Jason an apologetic smile. “Call me later.”
She moved quickly to Noah, finding him with a young mother and her son. The boy couldn’t be much beyond kindergarten or first grade. With a smile Tori handed Noah the coffee.
The lady asked her son, “Can you thank Uncle Noah for coming by your class last week, Max?” She glanced up at Noah, “They were so happy to meet you.”
Noah smiled. “It fit in the schedule and it was fun. What’d you think, Max?”
Max beamed up at him. “It was awesome. And when you let us do the vextual realty it was great.”
“Virtual reality,” his mom gently corrected.
Max gazed solemnly at Tori. “He’s not my real uncle. He’s my fill-in uncle while Dad’s in Afghan-stand. He’s been gone a long time.”
