Dating-ish (Knitting in the City #6)(111)

Jack dutifully grabbed the computer and left the kitchen.

Twisting the rag I'd been using to clean the fridge, I gathered a deep breath and said, "Matt-Professor Simmons-and I are together."

Sandra and Kat stiffened, their eyes swinging to me, stunned shock written all over their features.

"What?" Sandra breathed, turning off the water.

"Oh?" Alex shared a look with Greg; if I wasn't mistaken, they were both hiding smiles. "What a surprise."

Sandra's gaze cut to her husband. "You knew?"

He shrugged, glancing at Greg again.

"You knew?" This came from Kat and was directed to Greg.

"Who knew what?" Dan strolled into the kitchen and walked straight to Kat, stealing her solo cup and taking a long drink.

"Marie and Matt-Fiona and Greg's next-door neighbor, the guy at the hospital last week-are dating. They're together." Sandra sounded incredulous and wiped her hands on a towel with exaggerated movements.

"Oh. Yeah. I knew that." Dan nodded. "Nico told me."

"What?" Kat, Sandra, and I asked in unison.

"How did Nico find out?" Sandra swung her eyes to me. "Did you tell Elizabeth?"

I shook my head, but before I could answer, Dan said, "I think Drew told Nico."

"Oh my God." I shook my head, so confused. "How did Drew find out?"

"From Quinn," Alex said as he strolled out of the kitchen. "Quinn told me, too."

"Well then, who told Quinn?" Kat rubbed her forehead.

"I did." Greg patted his daughter lightly on the bottom, soothing her.

"Then who told you?" Sandra placed her hands on her hips.

Greg kissed his daughter's forehead. "Matt."

"Matt told you?" I stood straighter, feeling surprised and . . . touched. "When did he tell you?" I kinda liked that he'd told Greg. It made me feel warm and fuzzy.

"Yes. Matt told me, yesterday morning after I remarked on his gleeful walk of shame."

"Walk of shame?" Sandra's eyes darted to me, amusement and question written all over her features. 

"Yeah, he was wearing the same suit he'd been in Friday night."

"Go, Marie!" Dan stepped forward and offered me a high five, which I returned numbly, amazed at how quickly these men shared information with each other.

And, by the way, why would any of them be interested in who I was dating? It didn't make sense.

Greg picked a piece of lint off his jeans, looking smug. "But I knew before he told me."

Kat glanced at me, then back to Greg. "How?"

Greg smirked at Kat, then at Sandra. "It was written all over his face last week, for anyone who was looking. Fiona called it, too." Then to me he said, "We've been gossiping about you two all week."

"You and Fiona?" I smiled, relieved that Fiona knew. I hadn't been looking forward to telling her, not after she'd warned me away from him weeks ago.

"She's thrilled." Greg returned my smile with a soft one of his own, seemingly reading my mind. "She had her reservations, but seeing you two together at the hospital was all the assurance needed. We couldn't be happier for you both."

Standing in front of the kitchen sink, Sandra was shaking her head, her eyes unfocused. "Okay. I'm so confused. About so many things. First of all," she pointed at me, "I need the whole story. When did this happen? I didn't even know you liked him. And secondly," she turned to Greg, "what is the deal with you guys and the efficiency of your man-gossip phone tree?"

Greg gave her a droll look. "Don't be a hater, Sandra. You ladies need to learn how to communicate more effectively."

Kat laughed, shaking her head. "This is nuts."

"What I don't understand is why you told Quinn to begin with." I turned back to the fridge, allowing my face to show how perplexed I was about Matt and me being a topic of conversation.

"Are you kidding?" Greg stood and began swaying back and forth, shaking his head at me. "Marie. You saved my life last spring. You saved both Fiona and me. You organized Quinn and Janie's entire wedding. If memory serves, you also threw a tequila bottle at those Boston guys who showed up to grab Janie a few years ago, spurring everyone into action and effectively saving every woman in this room. Of course Quinn wants to know. And Alex, and Drew, and Nico, and-"

"And me." Dan moved to refill Kat's solo cup, adding simply, "You're a hero, Marie. We want to make sure this guy is good enough."

Inexplicably, emotion clogged my throat, robbing me of my ability to do anything but swallow for a few moments before I managed, "You'd do the same for me. You all would."

"Exactly." Greg nodded once, sending me a soft smile that looked foreign on his typically sardonic features. "Which is why I told Quinn as soon as I found out. We're looking out for you, kid. And don't you forget it." But then added, "And now you and Fiona have more in common."