Page 17 of A Love That Broke Us
His smile is so genuine, it catches me off guard. I’d pegged him as someone who wouldn’t even bother with small talk, let alone ask personal questions. I figured he’d be one of those guys who only talk about themselves, maybe throw in a brag or two for good measure. Turns out, there’s more to Matt than I expected.
“Matt has friends everywhere,” Jensen chimes in.
“What business takes you to Chicago?” I ask.
“I’ve looked into investing there a few times. I almost partnered with a buddy of mine I met at a conference a few years back. He’s a big name in Chicago, so if I ever do branch out of New York, it’ll most likely be with him.”
As soon as he says this, my gut tells me he’s talking about Leo. I grin, unable to hold it back. “Is it Leo Weston?”
Matt’s head jerks back in surprise, his shocked face almost making me laugh. “Shit! You know Leo?”
“Yeah, Leo’s basically family to me. He’s one of my brother’s best friends from college.”
Matt laughs, still looking floored. “No way! Who’s your brother? I’ve met a few of Leo’s friends.”
“Michael Evans. He owns…”
Matt cuts me off, his hand going up like I’ve just dropped a bomb. “The chef? Get out of here! Michael’s your brother? I’ve met him a few times. Leo’s taken me to his restaurant. His food is exceptional. He’s an excellent chef.”
My smile grows as I glance at Jensen, who’s watching us with mild amusement. This is bizarre. “That’s crazy! What a small world.”
Matt chuckles, taking a sip of his drink. “The world actually gets much smaller the older I get. It’s wild how often this kind of thing happens.”
Jensen exchanges a glance with Jordan, who’s been quietly sipping her drink, then turns to me. “See, I told you… Matt knows everyone.”
Matt shakes his head, grinning. “The Chef’s little sister. I can’t wait to text Leo about this.”
I cock a brow. “Well, maybe I’ll get to him first.”
Matt laughs. “No chance! Come here. We’re taking a picture and sending it to him right now.” He hands his phone to Jordan. “Babe, can you take a pic?”
I shoot Jensen a look, making a face and shrugging, while Matt wraps an arm around me like we’ve been best friends for years. Jensen’s grinning from ear to ear, and I smile as Jordan snaps the photo.
“I’m sending this to him immediately.”
Before I can respond, the cocktail waitress arrives with our drinks, and Matt’s attention shifts to someone across the terrace.
“Excuse me, guys. I’ve got to go say hi to someone.”
He scurries off, leaving us with Jordan, whose attention is short-lived when a group of girls approach her.
I turn to Jensen, a smile plastered to my face. He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me close. “I think Matt approves of you.”
I laugh softly. “You think?” I meet his gaze, and my stomach does that stupid flutter thing it always seems to do when I’m close to him. “Your friends are great. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous to meet Matt. With what you’ve told me… I didn’t expect him to be so… I don’t know, nice.”
He chuckles. “He plays the field a bit with women, but he’s honest, loyal, and genuinely a good guy. He’d do anything for me. Hell, he’d probably do anything for you now, too.”
I glance around at the people mingling inside and on the terrace. I laugh softly, feeling silly for ever being intimidated, and kicking myself for watching too much TV.
Jensen raises a brow. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s stupid, really.”
“Come on, tell me.”
His eyes lock on mine, and something about the way he looks at me makes me feel safe, like I can say anything without being judged. “It’s a little embarrassing, but… I thought the people here were going to be pretentious assholes. You know, like a real-lifeGossip Girlparty. And while the party is veryGossip Girl, the people are not.”
He bursts out laughing. “Shit. No, we’re nothing like that. I can’t say there weren’t parts of high school that felt like it, though.”
