Page 55 of What Happened Last Night

“Aren’t we supposed to meet at dinner on Friday night?” I asked. Luna had wanted me to meet Katie. She had put three reminders into my schedule.

“We are,” Katie said. “But I’ve decided that you and I need to meet first. I want to talk to you alone. I’m not just Luna’s cousin, I’m her ride or die. You get me?”

I did, actually. I should have expected an encounter like this, based on what I knew of Luna’s family. “Do you want a coffee?” I asked her. “I can get you one.”

“You can’t butter me up,” she said with a confidence I had to admire. “This is a business meeting. I’ve been listening to Luna talk about you for weeks. Now you two have had some kind of sex getaway, and she’s head over heels, and she tells me you’re dating. I have questions.”

I had to bite back a grin, because Luna had said she was head over heels. Also, I liked the term sex getaway.

“I assume you’ve googled me,” I said, getting serious enough to treat this like any other business meeting. “You have some idea who I am.”

“There isn’t much about you on the internet. You’re awfully private.”

That sounded like an accusation. “Would you rather I post every detail on social media?” I asked back.

I had her on that one. She had to regroup. “In person, you’re much cuter than your photos.” She looked me up and down dispassionately, taking in my button-down and my jacket. I was glad I’d shaved off my vacation beard this morning. I felt like I was on trial. “I can see why she had a crush on you. You’ve got this hot nerd thing happening. You’re oblivious to it, which adds to the effect. Luna was right. You look like you smell good.”

“She said that?”

“I’m asking the questions,” Katie shot back. “Why are you dating Luna?”

Damn, she didn’t mince words. “Because she’s awesome.”

“How many women have you ghosted in the last year?”

“None.”

“Are you still in love with your ex-girlfriend?”

“Since I wasn’t in love with her in the first place, no.”

Katie’s lips pressed into a line. “You’re good. Do you drink?”

“Only when there’s a possibility of karaoke.”

“Damn it.” She shook her head. “Do you do drugs?”

“I have five grams of weed and an edible in my penthouse. I only do it when I’m gaming. Would you like permission to search?”

“That won’t be necessary. Are you on Tinder?”

“No.”

“Prove it.” Katie held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

Well, this was harsh. I wasn’t thrilled, but I also liked the fact that Luna had someone looking out for her like this. I woke up my phone and handed it to her.

Katie adjusted her glasses and swiped through my apps, a look as serious as a heart attack on her face.

“Luna has full access to my phone, you know,” I said. “My laptop, too.”

Katie waved this away. “You’re telling me that you, a supposed genius, don’t have a way to get around that if you wanted? I wasn’t born yesterday.”

I bit back a smile.

“No dating apps,” Katie admitted, handing my phone back with visible reluctance. I could sense her urge to snoop through my texts.

I put my phone away. “Now I get to ask the questions. Why was Luna’s mother spying on me on my vacation?”

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