“Of course.” I gave him a small side hug. “The place is great. You’ve done so much already.”
“That’s all Becca. She’s the decorator. If it were up to me every room would have a big screen and a pool table.”
She giggled. I didn’t know what was going on. He seemed all in, and there was no sign of a keg anywhere.
I scanned a few of the faces on the patio. I didn’t recognize anyone. Where were the girls? Where were the friends from work? I looked at the bar over my shoulder to the few people that were milling around inside the kitchen before turning to the fountain. I stopped when my eyes landed on him. Dark hair. Dark eyes. And a sharp jawline that had made my knees weak when we were in college. What was AJ Hart doing here?
“Becca.” I grabbed my friend’s elbow before she hurried to answer the doorbell. “How do you know AJ?”
“Oh Mr. Sex on a Stick? That one?” She winked. “You know him? He’s friends with Travis. They on the same soccer club team.”
“Really? He knows Travis. Small world. I knew him at Carolina.”
“That is a small world. I’ll be right back. Someone’s at the door. You should go say hi. Catch up on old times and then tell me everything he said.”
“It wasn’t—”
Becca disappeared into the kitchen. It was crowded inside. The wine station was around the marble island. Everyone seemed to be congregating in that one spot. The air was nice in the courtyard and the mister brought the temperature down at least ten degrees.
I straightened my shoulders as I descended the stairs and stepped onto the brick patio. I took a few steps toward the built-in stone bench where he was sitting.
“Hey there.” I smiled at AJ. “It’s good to see you again. I can’t believe it’s at Becca and Travis’s housewa
rming.”
He looked puzzled. “I’m sorry. Did we meet earlier in the kitchen? Do I know you?”
My cheeks turned red, or at least it felt that way. “Oh wow. Yeah. We were at Carolina at the same time. Sydney Miller?”
He shook his head. “God, I’m sorry. I don’t remember you.”
“Econ 10? We sat in the same row?”
“No. I’m sorry. It’s not coming back to me. We had the same class?” He ran his fingers through his thick black hair.
I was about to pivot on my heels, mortified. I didn’t know how to explain how we knew each other without sounding like an idiot. Like I had memorized his schedule or hobbies. That I knew things about him that only someone who was interested in him would know. But the fact that he didn’t know who I was? It was embarrassing. It was my cue to join the wine bar. I could still pretend I hadn’t run into him, and he’d probably forget this meeting anyway.
“Wait.” His hand clasped my wrist. “Why don’t you sit? I’ll get us some drinks and we can figure it out.”
My smile turned sheepish. “I was going to get a glass of wine and say hi to some of the girls from work who just showed up. I’m sure I’ll see you in the house.” I was proud of how cool and casual I sounded.
“I’ll get it. Sit.” He pointed next to his seat. “I’ll be right back. I want to know how we know each other.” He winked. “I like a good mystery.”
“All right. A glass of wine sounds good. But I’m afraid I can unravel this for you pretty quickly,” I teased.
I tucked the little bit of my hem under my thighs and sat sideways as he walked in the house. From the bench, I could see AJ inside the kitchen smiling, laughing, pouring two glasses of wine while the girls flirted around him. He moved easily among the crowd.
He had always been that guy. The one that drew people to him. He wasn’t loud or boisterous—not the center of attention because he forced it. But rather something about his comfort in his own skin was a gravitational pull. It was the way he could sit back and watch a room. The ease at which he could talk to people. That drew them toward him. It was like he was everyone’s friends. He didn’t try too hard. Or overdo it. It was a gift.
Only I realized we were not friends. He had no clue who I was. No recollection of when we shared notes in class, or even the time we studied side-by-side for finals.
He grinned when he strolled across the paver stones, carrying our wine.
“Here you go, Syd.”
The glass was cold in my hand. I took a big gulp. I liked how he pretended to suddenly know my nickname. It was part of that charm he unassumingly carried.
“Thank you.”