Just a Number(107)

Amelia blushes, but I can tell it’s not because she’s falling for his sad excuse for flirting, but because she’s been carded, once more pointing out the obvious age gap. Sweeping her hair off her back and over her shoulder, I place my hand on the back of her neck, moving my thumb over her skin softly in hopes of relaxing her as she digs out her license.

As I’d hoped, Josh notices my gesture, his cheeks reddening as his eyes drop to his notepad. Once he’s satisfied with the information on Amelia’s ID, he leaves to fulfill the drink request. Alone again, Amelia turns to me and grins.

“Are you nervous?” she asks, her forehead creasing slightly with worry.

I shake my head, trying to hide any apprehensions I may have about what’s going to happen tonight. “Not at all.”

She giggles as I lightly draw my finger over her jaw and cup her face, and she leans into the touch. “You’re a terrible liar, Owen.”

Leaning forward, my nose lightly brushes hers, and our lips are a hairsbreadth apart. “You’ll forgive me if I’m trying to keep from projecting my feelings onto you.”

She hums contemplatively before smirking. “I suppose you’re just trying to be a gentleman,” she replies softly. “You’re forgiven.”

I close the gap between us and press my lips to hers. She releases a delicate moan, her hand coming to rest on my thigh. This, naturally, causes my dick to stiffen, and I suddenly want to call my sister to reschedule so I can take Amelia home.

Whose home? It doesn’t fucking matter at this point.

Of course, that idea—and my growing erection—is immediately forgotten when our dinner companions arrive.

“Hey, Ow—what the hell is going on?” Her greeting-turned-startled question forces our attention to her, and Amelia scoots a few inches away from me, her fingertips pressed to her lips and her eyes on the table. Julia and Stephen are still standing at the head of the table, clearly not sure if they should sit on their side of the booth or not.

“Owen,” Julia prompts again when I don’t respond.

I clear my throat and hold my hand out toward the empty seat across from us. “Please,” I say, “have a seat and we’ll explain everything.”

Hesitant, Julia slides into the booth, her wide eyes moving between Amelia and me slowly before turning to look at Stephen. “You knew about this the whole time.”

I fear for Stephen’s manhood momentarily before Julia turns her icy glare back on me. “Does Alan know?”

Next to me, Amelia looks ashamed, but she answers with a more confident voice than I expect. “He does.”

“And he’s okay with it?”

“I didn’t say that,” Amelia responds, following it up with a sigh. “He’s…sorting through everything in his own time.”

Beneath the table, I place my hand over Amelia’s and give it a gentle squeeze, silently reassuring her.

Julia is quiet as she sits back in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her as she contemplates everything. Her eyes move back and forth between us, studying us as if to see if this is some kind of practical joke we’re trying to pull over on her. I’m just about to tell her it’s not when Amelia speaks up again.

“We’re in love, Julia,” she says softly. “I mean, we’ve always loved each other…but this is different. It was never intended to go this far, but it did, and we’re both extremely happy.” Explaining our relationship to others is starting to sound memorized and rehearsed.

More quiet, the sound of silverware clattering against plates while people enjoy their meals the only thing we can hear. Finally, Julia’s mouth opens, but it’s not to congratulate us. “I need a drink.”

Stephen flags our server down, and he rushes right over to take their order and drop off our wine. Julia orders a double shot of whiskey—neat—and when she gets it, she downs it in one gulp, hissing as it goes down.

“Okay,” she says after a long while. “So, you’re together.” We both nod, and she leans forward onto the table, a smile slowly spreading. “You know all I’ve ever wanted was for the two of you to be happy.” She hesitates, her smile faltering a little. “And I hate to put a damper on this, but…what if this doesn’t last? What would happen then? The two of you won’t want to be around each other, and Alan would take Amelia’s side.”

I turn to Amelia and watch her eyebrows furrow with irritation. “This isn’t just some fling, Julia. We’re two consenting adults. We understood the stakes when we agreed to pursue a relationship. Why do you think we kept it from everyone for so long?”