“Did y’all not hear me?” he says.
A sister replies, “Is she one of your work friends?”
“She’s pretty,” another says.
“Shut up,” Theo says. I notice the slice of chest visible through the unbuttoned V of his Henley is bright pink. So is his neck.
“Oh, how wonderful, we never get to meet Teddy’s work friends. I’m Ree.” His mom reaches past Theo, who refuses to move, and holds out her hand to me. “It’s nice to meet you, sweetheart.”
I don’t miss the way Theo flinches at the word sweetheart. I don’t mind it, but I wonder why it bugs him so much. Is he angry? Embarrassed, maybe?
I take her hand and give it a warm shake, smiling. “Ree, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Nora Frasier. I sit across from Theo at work.”
“Theo?” she cuts a glance at her son.
That muscle in his jaw is going berserk now. “C’mon, we’re missing the lesson—”
“Do you guys come here often?” I blurt, suddenly desperate to keep the conversation going. I’m too curious to let them go just yet. “For the lessons, I mean. I’ve never taken one, but it looks fun.”
“It’s so fun!” the sister in the sweatshirt says. “You should join us.”
“No, she shouldn’t,” Theo snaps.
One of his sisters—the oldest from what I can tell—looks up at him with a small, secret smile. “Nora really pisses you off, doesn’t she?”
“I think everyone pisses Theo off,” I say.
The shortest sister rolls her eyes. “No kidding. I’m sorry you have to deal with him all week long. We only get him every so often, and even that’s a lot of grumpiness to handle.”
Grinning, I hold out my hand to her. “I like you. I’m Nora.”
“I’m Ava. Are you meeting a guy here? For, like, a real date?” She glances toward the door. “I would love to go on a date at a bar like this.”
“For fuck’s sake, y’all, how many times do I have to tell you no bars?”
“You’re too young,” another sister mimics.
“That’s not what my fake ID says.”
Exasperated, Theo turns to his mother. “Do you know anything about this fake ID?”
“I take them away all the time, but they just get another. And really, Teddy, how many times have I told you to watch your language?”
“Too many!” the girls chime in.
I can’t stop smiling. Not at all the references to underage drinking, but at the dynamic between Theo and his family. They’re not perfect or polite, but they don’t try to be. They call each other out, yes, but they also make fun of each other. They know each other in a way many of the people in my world don’t—my family being a prime example.
It’s refreshing. And loud. Very, very loud.
Judging by that pink flush working its way up to Theo’s face, he agrees with the loud part, but not the refreshing one. He looks like a volcano about to erupt.
“I’m a grown man,” Theo says. “I can say whatever the F I want.”
His mom reaches up to pat his cheek. “That’s better.”
“I love your bag,” Ava says, nodding at the Gucci crossbody slung over my shoulder. “How much did that cost? I bet a lot.”
“That’s it.” Theo grabs her arm. “If y’all don’t get back out there right now, I’m returning everyone’s cowboy boots.”
Ava’s face lights up. “Ooh, can I get a bag like hers instead?”
“Go.”
“I’m sorry he’s so grumpy.” Ree reaches over to pat my hand. “We’re working on his moodiness.”
“Apparently not hard enough,” Shelby says with a sigh.
They’re heading back to the dance floor just as a familiar figure appears at my elbow, his scarf brushing against my arm as he unwinds it from around his neck.
Aiden.
The color drains from Theo’s face, and I feel a pinch inside my breastbone. I’m relatively certain he was embarrassed to introduce his family to me, which means he’s going to be even more embarrassed to introduce them to his boss.
It doesn’t help that his mom and sisters gape at Aiden the way they would if Jude Law had walked into the bar. I get it. Not only is Aiden gorgeous, he also dresses like Prince William no matter where he goes. Today he’s wearing dark jeans and a checkered button-up tucked neatly inside a blue cashmere sweater. Add in the scarf, the Burberry trench, and the adorable way he uses his fingers to comb his wet hair out of his eyes, and you have one delicious looking man package.
“Who are you?” Ava breathes, staring.
Aiden shoots me a glance before pasting on a smile. “Isn’t this a surprise! Theo, bringing the family on a little week-end outing, are we?”
“He has an accent,” one of the sisters says, awestruck. “It’s so—”
“Sexy,” Ava finishes.
Aiden clears his throat. “Thank you?”
“Aiden, sorry, hey.” Theo shakes his hand. “This whole thing is, er, a bit of a coincidence. One of my sisters wanted to take the, uh, line dancing lessons they have here, so. We. Yeah. Came out—”