We’re two drinks into the night. And dare I say, the date is turning out to be a fun time.
Liam whispers a few sweet nothings into Sophie’s ear. Every time he says something to her, she takes a chug of wine like a messed-up drinking game between the two of them.
Jax comes across as a nice guy. A bit withdrawn, but funny and edgy. Sophie’s daddy comment pops up in my head because I me
an, come on, the guy is sexy. But honestly, does she think he does that? She wouldn’t say something that ridiculous if there wasn’t a little bit of truth in it.
Jax has curly hair he inherited from a combination of his “mum” and dad, who is one of the best black boxers from the United Kingdom. He gets his hazel eyes, sharp cheekbones, and pouty lips from his Swedish side. A total knockout with muscles and brains to match. I ask him about his family, but he closes himself off, switching the subject back to me.
Jax can check off most people’s hot-guy boxes, but I can’t figure out what doesn’t work for me. Maybe I don’t like tattoos? He tells me they cover his body, black ink peeking out from the collar of his button-down shirt. Intricate designs cover his knuckles and right hand. I ask about a couple of them, but there are too many to get into.
When he grabs my hand across the table, my body doesn’t respond to it; it’s the equivalent of holding a stranger’s hand. I frown at the lack of flutters in my stomach or racing heartbeat. By the time we order our entrees, I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t feel a sexual connection, which is fine because it puts less pressure on me. Friendship sounds like a good idea.
“Oh, hi, guys. I heard you were out here tonight. I think my invite got lost in the mail.”
My stomach flips at the sound of Noah’s voice. I suppress the temptation to rub my eyes as though he’d disappear from my vision.
Heat rushes up my chest and neck. Liam and Jax look confused, and a surge of guilt rushes through me. Sophie kicks me under the table and I kick her back. I have no words to explain what is happening now, despite the questionable look she sends me.
Liam and Jax greet him reluctantly. Sophie and I get up from the table to give him quick hugs, except Noah holds on to me a second longer than necessary, a clear fuck-you to Jax. I choose to ignore him as I struggle to process everything.
What the hell. Why is he even here?
“So what gives? It’s unlike both of you to not invite me somewhere.”
My mouth falls open at Noah’s boldness. I fight the urge to bolt from the table and make a run for it, deciding to deal with the consequences of my big mouth. How responsible of me.
Noah’s hand rests on my chair, distracting me from the table, instead choosing to concentrate on how warmth radiates from his body. He pretends I didn’t tell him about this double date. I feel like this is an episode of The Twilight Zone, the strange occurrences just part of the show.
“We’re on a double date.” Liam blushes while rubbing the back of his neck.
“Oh, a double date? Mind if I crash it for a second?” Noah doesn’t mean to ask for permission, seeing as he commandeers the situation. He pulls up an empty seat next to Jax and me. I have a feeling he wants to stay for longer than a moment when he grabs my menu from my hands. My throat bobs as his fingers brush against mine.
I pull away from his touch and rub my temple with my hand, attempting to prevent a tension headache. Could be a good excuse to get out of this situation.
“Seeing as you already are sitting, does it even matter?” Liam fails to hide his annoyance.
My head snaps up and catches his stormy blue eyes. Sophie covers up her laugh with her hand, the muffled sound carrying past her fingers. At least one of us finds this amusing.
“Is Team McCoy trying to snag information from our Bandini ladies?” Noah rests his elbows on the table and places his chin on top of his knuckles. He doesn’t pull off the innocent look well with his wicked gleam and smirk.
I speak up. “Because everything goes back to racing for you. It’s not because they’re interested in hanging out with us outside of a track, right? God forbid that were to happen.” My statement silences the table as everyone stares at me.
Noah’s lips gape before he clears his throat. “I didn’t mean that. I was only joking around…” And there goes another hand through his hair. I gloat at his embarrassment because he deserves it after crashing our date and making dumb assumptions.
“I thought you would be busy since you usually are on Wednesdays. Jax was free and agreed to join. It’s nothing personal.” Liam returns to his usual pacifist self.
Everyone in the racing world is well aware of Noah’s Wednesday ritual. Those days usually include models, fine dining, and an exclusive tour of his bedroom. Every tabloid knows it, and hell, I know it, no matter how much I want to ignore it.
“I would’ve canceled any plans to come. They’re not that important anyway.”
Wow. Way to make any of the girls you sleep with feel special. His wicked Wednesday ritual leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Noah cocks his head to the side when he catches me scrunching my nose.
Jax and Liam offer him blank looks. They don’t hide how much they want him to leave, but Noah steamrolls along, his presence authoritative.
“Maya, you’re from Spain, right? Do you live near Barcelona?” He acts like we are the only ones at the table, going as far as to turn his back on Jax.