“What’s up?” he asks and locks those intense blue-gray eyes on mine. “She’s right here. Hold on,” he adds and extends his hand across the table to hand me the phone. “Avery wants to talk to you.”
“Hello?”
“I’m so sorry to bother you guys, but you weren’t answering your phone,” Avery says.
“Sorry, I probably left it on vibrate since work. I always forget to turn it back on,” I reply.
“Well, the girls and I are all going to get manicures and pedicures on Friday afternoon for the gala on Saturday. Sandra is coming in to finish my shift and close up the bakery. Want to come with us for some girly spa treatments?”
“I can do that,” I say. Nate looks at me and nods towards the restrooms. I give him a smile as he slides out of his chair and heads towards the men’s room.
“Great. As your boss, I was going to order you to do it anyway,” she adds with a laugh.
“Well, I don’t want to upset my boss,” I say, smiling back at her through the phone.
“Oh, and we’re making a stop at the mall, too. It’s sort of a tradition for us girls to go buy sexy new underwear anytime we can,” Avery says in a hushed tone.
“I’m in,” I say with a smile, finding it hard to conceal my excitement at Nate discovering a little surprise later on Saturday night.
“Okay, well, we are meeting at the bakery at two. Everyone is going to park in the back and hop into the new Tahoe,” Avery says. Maddox bought Avery a new Tahoe last week. Between her constant moving around big boxes of baked goods and their growing brood of children, they needed more room. I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t find out about a pending arrival of a new Jackson in the near future.
If I’m still around for that announcement, that is.
“Sounds great,” I reply.
“How’s the restaurant? Nate took you to The Fisherman’s Wharf, right?
“Yep, and so far so good. Although, I want to throat punch the hostess for hitting on Nate,” I say with a chuckle.
“Oh my gosh, is that girl still there? The same thing happened to Maddox and me on our first date! She was openly flirting with him like I wasn’t even there.”
“Well, I’m guessing it’s the same girl,” I reply.
“Don’t take her crap, Lia. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” Avery says.
After quick goodbyes, I hang up the phone and set it on the table. Just as I release my hand, though, it starts ringing again. I don’t even glance down at the screen as I answer.
“What did you forget?” I say with a chuckle.
“Excuse me?” I hear on the other end of the line. Nope, definitely not Avery. While still a woman, this voice is deeper and huskier in that I-just-woke-up kind of way.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else,” I respond.
“Is Nate there?” the woman asks.
“Not at this moment. Can I take a message?” I ask, wondering who this woman is to Nate. My gut tightens with an emotion I’m not too familiar with, yet find myself feeling more and more where Nate is concerned. Jealousy.
“Yes, please tell him that Vicki called. I will see him at the gala on Saturday,” she says.
“I’ll give him the message,” I reply. Nate is meeting someone else at the gala?
“Thank you,” she purrs before hanging up.
I’m just setting the phone back down on the table when Nate returns to our table. “What did she want?” Nate asks.
“Which one?” I reply, trying to keep my jealousy in check.
Nate’s eyebrow shoots to his hairline as he says, “Who else did you talk to?”
“Vicki,” I say as I look down, taking a big - very big - pull from my margarita.
“Vicki? She called?”
“Yeah, sorry about answering it. I thought it was Avery calling back because she forgot something,” I respond, wiping my suddenly sweaty hands on my dress.
“What did Vicki want?”
“She said to tell you that she’ll see you at the gala.”
Nate reaches forward, extending his hand across the table for mine. I hesitate, but only briefly. I place my hand in his.
“It’s okay, Nate. You don’t have to explain anything. We aren’t exclusive or anything. Hell, we really aren’t dating,” I say, trying to will my voice to be more casual than I know it is.
“First off,” Nate starts, “we are dating, and we are exclusive. I’m not dating anyone else, Lia. Ever since you slammed that pan upside my noggin, I have no desire to date anyone else. There’s no room in my life for anyone else because you consume my thoughts, day and night. And second, I haven’t seen or talked to Vicki in over a month. She was a friend I hung out with on occasion,” Nate says.