“She what? What did she say?” I take a breath and start to move, making my way to my walk-in closet, tearing down a dress shirt and a pair of slacks.
“I didn’t get all the deets, because they’re still all there sitting at the table, but she wants you, man. She’s down bad.”
I almost fold over with some misplaced sense of relief. It isn’t real until I hear it from her lips. Hearing it from my friend feels like I’m cheating her out of telling me herself, and I don’t want to hear more until I have her safely back home with me.
Knowing that Isabella is out there right now and has somehow proclaimed she wants me, while I’m here at home, has me ready to break every speed limit in the city.
“Look, the guy hasn’t even arrived yet. I think if I pick you up in twenty, we can—”
“Where is she? I’ll be there in ten. And I’m driving myself.”
thirty-one
“Oh God, what didyou do?”
“Okay, for the record, I came up with this plan while I was breastfeeding, so maybe my baby sucked the brain cells right out of me through my tits. So keep that tidbit in your back pocket when I explain myself, okay?” Denise stammers.
“First of all, don’t bring your titties into the conversation at this point in the night. You had your chance to shine when I explained how Mateo found me half-naked in the kitchen. Now talk, so I know if the crime could land you on an episode ofDateline,” I demand.
“So I might have invited a guy to come by and take you out on a date, like a teeny-tiny one, so you could break the ice on the dating scene in the city.”
“You invited a guy to girls’ night? That’s breaking rule number one,” Nikki exclaims.
“What are the other rules?” Daisy inquires.
Nikki shrugs. “I dunno, but that’s rule number one. That’s for sure.”
“Look, I’m sorry. Anthony and I know that Mateo has feelings for you, and I thought a little date might be harmless. You get your toes wet, and if Mateo really wants to be serious about you, he’ll step up to the plate.”
“Baseball pun. Nicely done,” Luisa interjects. I throw her a dirty look, causing her to quickly backpedal. “But totally bad. Bad Denise.” She tries and fails to hold in a chuckle. Another victim that will be out for the count tomorrow, thanks to the tequila.
I try to filter out the noise in my head and laser in on one comment Denise made. “What do you mean youknowMateo has feelings for me?”
“Well, he may or may not have told Anthony about it… in detail?”
“Oh, Denise is spilling all the tea tonight.” Amelia takes a long sip from her straw as her eyes bounce between Denise and me.
“Wait, so you know? For sure? That he—I mean—it’s not all in my head?” The last bit of my sentence seems to come out quietly, yet the soft looks on the women’s faces let me know they heard me.
“Look, Isa. I’ve already texted Jeff that there’s been a change of plans, but he’s texted back saying that he’s here and waiting by the bar.” She sighs heavily. “This is my mess-up. Let me go find him and tell him it’s a no-go. I’ll buy him a drink for his troubles and send him on his way. This isn’t on you.”
I stop myself from nibbling on my bottom lip, not wanting to ruin my lipstick.
I have no interest in going on a date with someone who isn’t Mateo, especially now with the information Denise has dropped on my lap.
But my people-pleasing ways rear their ugly head at the thought of standing this guy up, even if it wasn’t my fault.
Plus, what harm could come from saying hello and quickly letting him know that this was all a silly misunderstanding?
“Five minutes. I’ll go say hi, then tell him you had a lobotomy or something. You know, to explain how you’re setting up blind dates so stealthily that even the parties involved don’t know about them.”
Denise’s concerned gaze meets mine. “You sure? He is a really nice guy, Isa. He just got out of a long relationship, and I thought you two could be each other’s safe landing. You know, for returning to the dating world.”
I wave her away, already focused on getting this over and done with, when Luisa gets our attention. “Coach Weston?” she shouts, baffled.
The man who seems like he would be much better suited for the wilderness than the glitzy lounge we’re currently vacating freezes at the mention of his name. His eyes meet Luisa’s, and he gives a slight nod, seemingly not intending to get any closer to our table. That is until his eyes land on Daisy.
Maybe it’s because I’m the most sober of the crew, but I immediately notice how his body language changes and shifts toward her. It’s made much more obvious when he walks out of his way and comes up to stand right next to her.
