Say You're Mine(37)
“Uh…” Lauren sat up straight and picked up her beer. “I’m here. I swear.”
Lydia fluffed her hair and pressed the tips of her fingers to her mouth, looking a little thinner and a little bit green. She’d been sipping ginger ale while waiting for the men to arrive for dinner, instead of wine or her usual appletini, and Lauren was pretty sure why. The other woman looked way too happy to have contracted a stomach bug. “The other problem is, and I’m going to take a wild guess here…Steven.”
Lauren laughed uneasily. “Why would you think that?”
“He’s living with you, right?” At her nod, Lydia sighed. “What did the numbskull do now? Is he bringing too many girls back to your place already?”
Lauren’s cheeks flushed. “I don’t think you really want to go there with me. You’re his sister.”
“No, really?” Lydia smirked. “Is that why he was always hanging around my house without a shirt on all those years?”
“Lydia.”
The strawberry blonde shrugged. The fact that her hair was the same exact shade as Steven’s never failed to escape Lauren’s notice. “Spill it. What did my idiot brother do now?”
“Nothing. He did nothing at all.” Lauren shredded the napkin in front of her on the wood table. “I’m not mad at him.”
“I never said you were,” Lydia corrected. “But he’s staying with you, and you’re being all quiet and pensive, so obviously something’s going on. It’s only safe to assume he’s involved somehow.”
Lauren remained silent.
After a while, Lydia sighed. “How’d you do it, by the way?”
“How’d I do what?”
“Get him to stay with you?” Lydia asked, pressing a finger against her red lips. “Did you make something up?”
Lauren shifted uncomfortably. “I had an ex come into my house and grab some stuff when I got out of the shower last night, and it freaked me out…so I asked him to stay. I exaggerated my level of fear a bit, so he agreed.”
“Good thinking on your feet. And I really appreciate you doing this for us.” Lydia twirled a piece of her hair on her finger. “And he won’t find out about your…exaggeration. You’re probably worried about that. I mean, with how much he values honesty, if he found out you lied—”
“He’d hate me.” Lauren dropped the rest of her napkin. “Yeah, I know.”
“I don’t think he could ever hate you,” Lydia said slowly. “He loves you too much for that.”
“He doesn’t love me,” Lauren said quickly.
“Not like that. I didn’t mean that,” Lydia assured her. “You two are like bros, and that’s how he loves you. He’s told me that, like, a million times. I used to tease him about when the wedding would be, and he would get so mad.”
Lauren forced a laugh. “Yeah. I get the same way.”
“It’s so cool that you two have managed to keep it platonic after all these years. Most people can’t do that, and when they don’t, it doesn’t end well.” Lydia scrunched her nose up. “I’ve seen it way too many times.”
Lauren averted her eyes. “Yeah. Me too.”
“But—” Lydia frowned and cut herself off. “Wait a second. Did something happen between you two? If so, I take it back. Forget I said any—”
“N-No. Of course not.”
Lydia relaxed. “Good. That would make what’s about to happen really awkward.”
“Why?” Lauren blinked. “What’s about to happen?”
“You know how last time you broke up with one of those jerks you date, and you were drinking, and you begged me not to let you pick another jerk?” Lydia swirled her straw in her soda. “And then you went and found another loser the next day?”
AKA Brian. Lauren stiffened. “Yeah…”
“Well, surprise.” Lydia grinned. “You’re single again, so I set you up on a blind date with a non-jerk before you could manage to find another one. And he’s here. Now.”
“Wait. What?” Lauren shook her head so fast the world blurred. “No.”
“Don’t worry. He’s great. Wait till you meet him.” Lydia grinned mischievously. “Mark! Over here!”
“Don’t do that,” Lauren hissed, her cheeks going red-hot and her heart beating at a panicked pace. “Don’t call him over here. I didn’t agree to a freaking blind—”
“Glad you made it,” Lydia said, her voice way too cheerful.
A man’s shadow fell over them, and Lauren squeezed her eyes shut, unable to believe her luck. Why, of all nights, did Lydia have to pick tonight to follow through on that promise made over two months ago? It’s not like she could announce she was currently sleeping with Steven, and therefore kind of, sort of, out of the dating pool. Ugh.