“Yeah.” He grabs his fork and flakes off a bite of salmon with some of the cream sauce. “But he’s more like a brother to me. Growing up, I spent more time at his house than I did at my own, and his mom was the mom I wished I had.”
“Why’s that?” I ask, and his expression turns thoughtful as he chews.
“Fuck, this is good.” He leans in to give me a quick kiss, then answers my question. “In sixth grade, Noah and I became friends when we both tried out for a local travel soccer team and got accepted. When that happened, neither of my parents wanted to drive me all over the state or out of state to play, so I started catching a ride with Noah and his mom. She drove us to every game and stood on the sidelines, cheering the two of us on.” He shakes his head with a smile on his face. “Rebecca was so fucking loud that I could pick out her screams over everyone else in the crowd.” I smile at that. “Our senior year of high school, Noah and I both got accepted into Stanford to play on their team, but Noah ended up turning down the offer, while I accepted.”
“So he stayed here, and you left?” I ask before I take another bite off my plate.
“Yeah.” His expression turns somber. “He said he wanted to stick close to his mom and join the police force.”
“But you don’t think that’s why he didn’t go with you?” I guess.
“His mom didn’t have a lot of money, so him going to a college out of state would’ve been a hit, and I’m sure he knew that and didn’t want to add to the stress his mom was already under, even with a full ride.”
“Do you think he resents you for going without him?”
“No, not even a little.”
“Then you shouldn’t get that look on your face when you think about it.” I lean slightly into him. “Especially when we all end up exactly where we’re meant to be in the end anyways.”
“So you were supposed to get catfished by some guy using my photo?” he asks with a grin, and my nose scrunches.
“My sisters said it was kismet that you and I met.”
“Kismet?” He lifts a brow.
“Destiny.”
“I like that.” He smiles and picks up his beer, then sets it down when his cell phone next to him on the island starts to play the theme song for Jaws. Instantly, his whole demeanor changes, and the smile on his face slides away like it was a figment of my imagination. “I’ve got to take this. It might be about my dad.”
“Sure.” I expect him to get up and take the call elsewhere, but instead, he pulls his cell phone out and puts it on speaker.
“Mom.”
“Aiden, I just spoke to Kitty, and she said you haven’t been returning any of Jennifer’s calls or texts,” his mom says in a sweet Southern accent that does not match her tone at all.
“I told you I’m not taking her out, so there is no reason for me to speak to her,” he says while his eyes stay locked on mine.
“Aiden, you really must stop being such an idiot. Jennifer is a very nice girl. At least speak with her before you start brushing her off.”
“I’m already seeing someone.”
“You’re seeing someone.” Her laugh is dry. “Who is she?”
“Her name is May. I’m sure you’ll meet her at some point.”
“I’d rather not.” She sighs, then adds, “I expect to see you at the gala on Saturday.”
“That hasn’t been canceled?” He sets down his fork and leans back on the stool.
“Why would it be canceled?” she asks, sounding offended.
“I don’t know… maybe because Dad, who owns the company responsible for the event, can’t attend.”
“Yes, well, that is unfortunate, but we must try to keep some normalcy during these difficult times.”
“Right,” he mutters while his jaw flexes. “I gotta go. May and I are eating dinner. I’ll see you Saturday.” He hangs up without even saying goodbye, and I bite my lip, not sure what to say—or if I should say anything at all. “So that’s my mom.”
“She seems really sweet.” I press my lips together when his eyes meet mine, then giggle when he chuckles.
“Do you feel up to going to a party with me Saturday?” His eyes roam over my face, and I try to keep my expression neutral.
“I don’t know. Your mom didn’t exactly seem thrilled about the idea of you seeing someone, so I doubt she would be happy about me showing up to a party I wasn’t exactly invited to and as your date.”
“I’m inviting you.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, and my toes curl. “The party is for a good cause. The money raised that night is all donated to the children’s hospital in Nashville. Plus, the food is normally pretty good, and there’s free alcohol, and dancing.”