Page 30 of Play With Me
“Having blast with best friend right now. We still need to order our hot chocolates, so will walk down to meet you. Original plan still on. Leave us alone.”
“Jude!”
He grins. “I didn’t write that last bit.” He shoves his phone in his back pocket.
I shove him on the shoulder, making him laugh. Still, I can’t help the little wave of jealousy that goes through me thinking of the three of them flitting about London together. And then Switzerland, which I’m envious for other reasons, too. “You should know Sasha’s serious about trying to set me up with her brother.” I’m just fine about Jude. “When she gets her sights fixed on something—”
Something flashes over Jude’s face, but it’s gone in an instant, replaced by that megawatt smile. “So you mean I get to witness your nerdy dating rituals in person?”
I shove him in the shoulder. “Hey!”
But Cap’s back now, and I take a napkin from him, giving him a squeeze while I’m at it. I wipe at my face, which I know has to be a pink blotchy mess. But I don’t care. Jude’s seen me at my very worst, and I don’t hold a candle to the women in Jude’s league, if he actually dated.
Cap whispers something to his dad, and Jude nods. They’re planning something, I realize too late, as Jude bends down under the table and lifts up a gift bag, festooned with colorful tissue paper.
“We got you a present!” Cap says.
There’s a card stuck to the side with my name on it in Cap’s careful, childlike hand. “It’s from home, but also we got something this morning and I picked it out and it’s—”
“Dude,” Jude says. “No spoilers, right?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Guys,” I say, my throat tightening again. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“Of course we did,” Jude says. “You’re our Nora.”
“I didn’t get you anything.”
“It’s okay,” Cap says. “You didn’t know we were coming.”
I pinch my lips to hide my laughter.
The card, when I open it up, is a picture of the three of us—I only know the woman is me because the woman’s got her camera strap around her shoulder like me. The inscription says FOR NORA LOVE FROM CAP AND DAD.
It’s so cute it hurts. I pull out an oblong package hastily wrapped in newspaper before I start getting emotional.
“Sorry we didn’t bring any more wrapping paper,” Cap says.
“This is perfect.”
I unroll the newspaper and my mouth falls open. I clap a hand over it, afraid I might laugh. It’s the most ridiculous pair of glasses I’ve ever seen. They’re bright blue, a cat-eye shape, frames fully bedazzled with jewels of varying sizes and colors. There’s even a jeweled neck chain attached to the arms. “Oh!” My voice is muffled behind my hand. I hold them up, pressing my fingers tighter against my lips. They look like clown glasses.
“There’s a glasses store right next to our hotel!” Cap says excitedly.
“They were display glasses,” Jude clarifies. “Betsey something. Cap picked them out.”
“Betsey…” I inspect the inside arm. Betsey Johnson. “Jude, these are…” I was going to say expensive, but clearly Jude doesn’t care.
“…Awesome?” Jude finishes for me.
I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah. Exactly.”
“The lady said they could fix the glass part so you can see,” Cap says. “Your subscription, I think, right, Dad?”
“Close enough,” Jude says.
Cap looks eagerly at me. “Do you like them, Nora?”
