Hero(59)

“Ooh, he is cute,” Sofie said, nudging my elbow with hers.

I pushed the drink toward the waitress. “Sorry. Can you take this back?”

She smiled and removed the mojito from our table. “Gotcha.”

“What are you doing?” Sofie narrowed her eyes on me as the waitress walked away. “You just turned that cute guy down. Why? I thought you hadn’t gotten laid in, like, a year and a half.”

I frowned at that calculation, counting back to when I’d last been in a relationship. To my shock I discovered Sofie was right. Before Caine the last guy I’d slept with had been my boyfriend Pete. We’d only dated for three months and the relationship naturally fizzled out because neither of us was that into it.

But yeah, that was eighteen months ago.

The last time I had sex, however, was of course a totally different story.

I sipped the mojito I’d paid for and avoided Sofie’s eyes, pretending to innocently inspect the bar. We were at Brick & Mortar in Cambridge and as always it was packed.

“It was a year and a half ago, right?” Sofie sounded suspicious.

“Mmm-hmm.”

She grabbed my arm, forcing me around to look at her. “Oh my God. Who are you sleeping with? You have to tell me! It will totally take my mind off the fact that I just lost my internship. Please, please, pretty please.”

“All right, all right,” I huffed. “I met someone at work, but I can’t tell you his name because there’s this whole employee fraternization thing, and plus, you know, we’re not serious. It’s just sex.”

Sofie’s eyes were round. “I’ve never done casual sex before. Is it hot?”

I wouldn’t know. There was nothing casual about sex with Caine despite his silent protestations that what was between us was the epitome of casual. “Uh, sure.”

“Wow. Getting engaged young is a good thing, but at the same time I feel like I’m missing out on loads.” She lifted her hand and stared at her simple but pretty engagement ring.

I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Trust me, you’re not.”

She smiled. “So you can’t even give me a clue who it is?”

“Nope.”

Her eyebrows drew together in concentration. “The only person I even know that works there is the man himself, Caine Carraway, but I know it’s not him because he kind of hates you.”

I flinched on the inside but somehow managed to give a small smile. “Yeah, boy, does he ever.”

“So you’re really going to turn down hot guys all night? Because you’re having a casual fling with someone? I mean …” Sofie looked around. “I’m getting married but I’d still like to dance with someone. Dancing is okay as long as the guy doesn’t get handsy.”

I grinned. “Okay, you find us two nonhandsy guys to dance with and you’re on.”


I hugged Sofie good-bye in the taxi, but she wasn’t done.

“I had so much fun!” she cried. “I missed you so much, Lex. We gotta do this like more. Like a lot more. ’Cause I love you, Lexie.”

I smiled at her drunken affection. “Love you too, babe.”

Relief moved through me when her fiancé, Joe, opened the driver’s door. Although I was tipsy, Sofie was smashed. I’d forgotten what a lightweight she was. After we’d danced the night away in a few bars in Cambridge, changing dance partners when they got too “handsy,” I’d tumbled Sofie into a taxi and had the driver drop her off first even though she lived in Southie. My worry had been that I’d have to carry her into her apartment, but Joe had obviously been keeping an eye out for us.

“Joe!” Sofie cried, her whole face lighting up at the tall, handsome redhead. “I love you, Joe.”

“I love you too, Sofie. I’ll love you even more if you keep it down.” He reached for her, helping her out. He shot me a smile. “Thanks for bringing her home, Alexa. What do I owe you for the cab?”

I shook my head. “It’s on me.”

He smiled gratefully. “On us next time, okay?”

“Sure.”

“Bye.”

“Night.”

“Bye, Lexie!” Sofie shouted, and I laughed as Joe tried unsuccessfully to shush her and half carry her into the house.

As the driver drove back toward my place, I contemplated directing him to Arlington Street. I was still wide-awake and Caine had suggested we get together tonight.

I chewed my lip, thinking it over.

Eventually I decided against it, wishing it could be easier between us, wishing we could trust each other enough not to feel so insecure around each other. For all I knew, Caine didn’t even feel that way. I was probably projecting my neurosis onto him.