Page 32 of Watching Ames

“No, I want to meet your friends.” It was the truth, too. Alex had described both of his best friends to me before: Wren, who was loud and witty and, like me, rambled when she got nervous or excited. Who also apparently had great taste in music, if her insistence on going toThe Living Deadconcert was any indication. And Dev, who was funny and outgoing and seemed like the sunshine to Alex’s dark cloud.

“You sure you’re up for it?”

“Yeah. It’ll be nice, peeling another layer back, seeing who you spend your time with.”

“I thought we peeled plenty of layers this morning.” He raised an eyebrow, looking at me from the same position as he did during our game of twenty questions earlier.

I shrugged noncommittally, thinking about the weeks of friendship where Alex was holding back, about his job and his interest in me. I wanted to see how he acted around his friends, what they were like, if I fit into the space Alex had made for me in his life. I still wasn’t sure what kind of role it would be, but I figured a good first step was meeting his friends.

“Can I help?” I motioned toward the food laid along the countertop, enough for half a dozen people. Alex handed me a cutting board and a knife, putting me in charge of a salad while he threw potatoes in the oven. We chopped and prepped in quiet harmony for a while, soft music playing from the speaker system Alex had linked throughout the house.

“Aww, how domestic.” The sarcastic voice caught me off guard, almost making me drop the bowl of salad I held. At the last moment, a brown hand shot out, catching the bowl with ease, and I looked up into a set of smiling eyes that matched the wide grin pulling at his lips.

“Sorry, sneaking is part of the job description. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he apologized, grin still firmly in place as he set the salad on the counter and stuck out a hand to introduce himself. “Dev Shah, nice to meet you.”

I slipped my hand into his, not missing the calluses on his hands or the easy bunch of muscles in his arms that betrayed more strength and depth than his friendly face conveyed. “You’re Alex’s business partner, right?”

“He’s told you about me? I’m flattered.” Dev pretended to wipe tears from his eyes, and his sarcastic antics coupled with the smile still taking up half his face caused a laugh to burst out of me, and soon there was a grin of my own to match his.

“Stop flirting with her,” Alex growled halfheartedly, his shadow overtaking where Dev and I stood until Dev pulled Alex into his side, clapping him on the back in greeting.

“Don’t worry, man, I would never try to steal your girl. Just had to see who had you so tied up in knots.” Dev sent me a quick wink, his casual attitude about Alex’s feelings toward me somehow helping me relax despite the reminder. I couldn’t take my eyes off the duo, the stark differences between them instantly obvious.

It wasn’t just the difference in ethnicities but their clothing style, too, Alex dressed in a pair of black jeans and a knit top while Dev was more casual in joggers and a t-shirt that stretched against his biceps when he moved.

But it was the difference in their attitudes that was more immediately noticeable. Dev was still grinning at full force, a mischievous look in his eyes that made it seem like he was constantly looking for trouble. I would’ve never imagined Alex - who gave out smiles like rare gifts that I had to hoard - having a best friend like Dev, who gave out an infectiously friendly energy even while standing still. Alex had his arms crossed and was closed off, the slightest turn of his lips the only indication that he was content.

But the closer I looked, the more I saw their similarities, too. Watching them together, they both radiated power, the thought slipping into my mind with little doubt. They were both striking figures, handsome and tall, - though Dev seemed to have Alex beat by an inch or two - tall enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet their eyes. Both of them had lean builds with wide shoulders and slim waists, but their clothes hid what I suspected were bodies packed with strength and power. It was the way they stood, where even in their casual stances - Alex leaning against the counter, Dev’s arm still slung around his shoulders - they felt dangerous. Alex’s muscles were subtly tensed beneath the sleeves of his dress shirt, as if he were prepared for anything.

But if Alex was prepared, Dev wasready, slightly shifting on the balls of his feet as if he were primed to run at any moment. Even though his arm was around Alex, he held all his own weight, and his eyes flickered around the room every few seconds as if checking for intruders. I knew their job - Alex had explained it to me in plain terms this morning - but seeing them here, it hit home that these men were dangerous. Lethal. And yet, I couldn’t conjure up an ounce of fear as the two traded a few friendly jabs in greeting.

“Where’s Wren?” Alex glanced around the room, a wrinkle appearing between his brows as he realized Dev had walked in alone.

“I’m here!” A cheery voice called out, sounding slightly breathless. Alex and I traded confused looks until we saw the source of her struggle: a giant suitcase that likely weighed more than her, being dragged across Alex’s carpet by a small woman that I assumed was Wren, her chest heaving in exertion.

Dev’s hands were already raised in surrender by the time Alex looked his way, explaining defensively, “I tried to get both suitcases, but she insisted on carrying that one herself.”

Alex punched him in the arm, the resoundingthumpenough to make me flinch alongside Dev as Alex made his way toward Wren. He wrestled the suitcase out of her hands, ignoring the angry protests coming from her mouth with a surprising amount of cursing and threats. But her anger was quickly forgotten when Alex mussed her hair in a friendly gesture, and Wren responded by throwing her arms around his waist in a tight hug, her face barely reaching his chest.

Alex whispered something in her ear, and Wren immediately turned toward me with an excited little hop-skip combo before she ran over, surprising me with an equally enthusiastic hug.

“Wren,” Alex sighed, though his tone sounded more amused than annoyed.

“Sorry!” Wren released me from her bone-crushing hug, stepping back and offering me a hand instead. “I’ve just heard so much about you, and I’m so excited to meet you! I’m Wren Yao.”

I shook her hand as I inspected her, watching as her amber eyes did the same, albeit from a couple inches lower than mine. She wasn’t much shorter than me, but something about her petite figure made her feel much smaller and more delicate. But even if her stature couldn’t be more different from the boys’, she was a match for Dev in personality, with a broad grin that didn’t dim even after Alex’s friendly reprimand. She looked out of place next to these large, dangerous men, with her floral sundress and a barrette that held her thick black hair back from her face.

“You’re gorgeous,” she told me good-naturedly as she finished her perusal, reaching out to run a fingertip along a few of the piercings in my ears. “And I like your style.”

A faint blush worked its way up my cheeks as I took in Wren’s outright compliments, but was saved from having to respond as Alex’s arm reached around my shoulders, pulling me back against his chest and out of Wren’s reach.

“When did you both become such flirts?” Alex huffed as he tightened his arm, and I imagined him shooting both of them dirty looks over the top of my head.

Wren just shrugged, grabbing a drink out of the fridge and popping the top. “I wasn’t flirting. Much.” At this, she sent a wink my way, though I was starting to gather that her flirting was more friendly than outright innuendo. “Besides, I do like her style. Ames is lucky I went along with Dev to pick up clothes from her apartment, because she probably would’ve ended up with a bunch of underwear and a couple of t-shirts.” She gestured toward Dev’s casual outfit with a raised brow, as if saying,See?

“My clothes?” I glanced between the three of them and the suitcase that Wren had dragged in, noticing that there was another matching suitcase in the hallway, which I assumed Dev had set down before surprising Alex and me.

“I sent them to grab some clothes and toiletries for you, since you’ll be staying here for a little bit,” Alex explained with a shrug of his shoulders, which I felt more than saw, since his arms were still holding me tight against his chest. He leaned down, lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “I figured you wouldn’t want to go back yourself.”

---