Page 100 of Ice Ice Maybe
I cleared my throat, trying to hide my satisfaction as I pretended we were leaving. “Well, we’ll let you get to your lunch. We just wanted to say hi.”
Nolan stood, giving me a quick kiss. “I’ll call you later this afternoon when I get a chance.”
“Sounds good,” I replied.
Luckily, Jing fell for the trap and said, “Why don’t we eat here? The food looks and smells fabulous, and I would love to hear more about Nolan’s bonding experience with Mitch.”
Nolan shook his head, embarrassed. “You just had to tell her.”
I smirked. “That’s what best friends are for.”
“Okay, I see how it’s going to be.” Nolan sighed dramatically.
Tyson gestured to their table. “Join us. We’ve got plenty of room.”
“We already ordered our food,” Nolan said.
“Then we’d better get ordering! We’ll be right back,” I said, heading inside to the counter with Jing trailing right behind me.
Fifteen minutes later, our table was a lively scene of food and friendly banter. The elevator incident was still the hot topic, much to Nolan’s chagrin and everyone else’s delight.
“So, Nolan,” I teased, wiggling my eyebrows, “did you and Mitch exchange phone numbers? Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful bromance.”
Nolan, ever the good sport, played along. “Oh, definitely. We’re going to do each other’s nails after the next game and then watchThe Notebook. I hope he’s got plenty of Kleenex because I’m in the mood for a good cry.”
As we all burst into laughter, I couldn’t help but notice a moment blossoming between Jing and Tyson. They both reached for the salsa, their hands touching.
“Oh, go for it,” Jing said with a smile, pulling her hand back.
Tyson grabbed the bottle and, with a gentlemanly air, placed it directly in front of Jing’s plate. “I insist.”
“Thank you,” she said.
The simple gesture spoke volumes. Jing’s flushed cheeks told me everything I needed to know about her thoughts on Tyson. I could barely contain my excitement, eager to share this moment with Nolan. But the dear, sweet, oblivious man was too engrossed in his nacho demolition derby to notice.
Determined to clue him in, I attempted a subtle foot nudge under the table. Key word: attempted.
“Ow!” Nolan yelped, his head snapping up. “Did you kick me?”
I bit my lip, trying to stifle my laughter.
“I’m so sorry,” I giggled. “It was an accident.”
Nolan’s eyes narrowed playfully. “Uh-huh. Your mouth says ‘sorry,’ but your face is screaming ‘that was fun!’” With lightning speed, he snatched one of my chips. “Payment for my suffering.” He popped it into his mouth with a triumphant grin.
I gasped in mock outrage. “Chip thief! Just like in Vegas when you stole my fries.”
Nolan smirked. “Just getting you back for stealing my heart.”
I smiled. “You’re forgiven.”
As Jing and Tyson looked on, clearly amused by our antics, I couldn’t help but think that we were some pretty darn good matchmakers.
“By the way,” Nolan said, gesturing between our identical chicken nacho plates, “You can’t keep ordering the same thing as me every time. Show some originality, would you? And don’t kick me again for mentioning it.”
I rolled my eyes. “For your information, I ordered before you even had your plate in front of you, so I had no idea what you were going to eat.”
“Uh-huh,” he said, clearly unconvinced. “Next time we go out to eat, we’re secretly writing our orders down on a piece of paper. It’s the only way to prove you’re not copying my impeccable taste.”
