Page 72 of So Much More
“It is,” I say to my brother. “Look how happy your gorgeous girlfriend is that you’re wearing that ridiculous scarf. You’ve made her day. No, let me amend that.I’vemade her day by coming up with my little game.”
Ash looks at Leslie and can’t help but smile at her, but then he glares at me. “You don’t get to call her gorgeous.”
“Why not? It’s true.”
“It is,” he practically growls, “but you’re not supposed to notice her looks. And it’s not smart to say things like that in front of your …” His sentence trails off as he looks at Wendy.
“Friend?” Wendy supplies.
“Uh, yeah. Your friend … who’s a girl … I mean woman … that you hold hands with.”
The table is silent for a second before Leslie says, “Who’s up for a fruity cocktail?”
Wendy raises her hand and waves it. “Me!”
I shoot Leslie a grateful look for changing the subject from the status of my relationship with Wendy. Leave it to Ash to mention the elephant in the room. As the women discuss their drink choices, my brother shoots me an apologetic look.
“Okay, on to the next game for the evening,” I say.
Ash groans. “No more games.”
Wendy claps her hands and bounces in her seat. “Yay for more games.” She points at Ash. “What did I tell you about being a stick in the mud?”
My brother glances at Leslie and then back at Wendy. Then he says in a monotone voice, “Yay for more games.”
We all laugh as I wonder what Wendy said to him.
“So what’s this game, then?” Leslie asks.
“Whichever one of us can get the waitress to say the word ‘hot’ the most times during the meal gets to decide what we do after dinner.”
Wendy rubs her hands together. “You’re all going down.”
“Oh, yeah?” I ask. “And what are we doing after dinner if you win?”
“Something that’ll makeyouuncomfortable,” she says with a smirk.
“I’m on Wendy’s team again,” Ash says.
I shake my head. “This isn’t a team event.”
“It is now,” he replies.
* * *
Wendy and Ash win by a landslide. I knew they would, because even though Ash didn’t want to play, he’s the most competitive person I know. I was also hoping they’d win, because I’m dying to know what Wendy has planned for us next.
“It’s like you two didn’t even try,” Ash says to me and Leslie.
I sneak a glance at his girlfriend, and her smile tells me she wanted to lose as well. I have a feeling she wants to see me in an uncomfortable situation.
“Maybe we didn’t,” I admit.
“You purposefully put yourself in a position to be uncomfortable?” Ash asks me. “Why?”
“Because it’ll be fun.”
“How are we related?” my brother asks.
