Page 19 of Always You (A Lilac Bay Novel)

“I don’t care,” Jenny said firmly. “I still think it’s a good idea. Best friends get together all the time. It’s romantic.”

“Well, it’s not going to happen this time,” I told her, reaching for my beer. “Because I have zero interest in Andrew Powell. Zero. I am not attracted to him. I don’t want to date him. Not in the slightest. Okay?”

“The feeling is quite mutual,” a voice behind me said.

I spun in my chair to see Andrew standing behind me. Apparently he and the blonde hadn’t headed off for a private place after all. He was looking down at me, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Andrew—”

But then he grinned that familiar cocky grin of his. For some reason it made me feel much better. “Who’s trying to set us up this time?”

“This time?” Jenny asked.

“Oh, it happens all the time,” he assured her. “Our parents. Co-workers. Most of the people at this table, at some point over the years.”

“We all learned our lesson,” Posey explained.

“They’ve been very clear,” Libby told her.

“We’ve never had those kind of feelings for each other,” I said.

“Which is why I’m about to leave with that hot blonde from the bar.” He grinned around the table. “I was just stopping by to say goodnight.”

There was a chorus of goodbyes from around the table, except for Jenny, who continued to sit with her arms crossed, looking annoyed—and very determined.

“Oh, I know!” Cora cried. “What about Liam?”

And just like that, the suggestion of anything between Andrew and I was forgotten. I was relieved—there had been something in his face when I turned to see him standing there that I hadn’t liked. Something that looked almost like—hurt. But that was silly. Andrew wouldn’t have hurt feelings about anything that I said. He’d said the same things himself, dozens of times.

“Here,” he said, crouching next to my chair. “Take this.” Something touched my hand, and I looked down to see him pressing his camera into my hand. “I took those shots at the game, remember? Thought you’d want to finish up the application tomorrow.”

“Oh—right.” I looked up into his face. If therehadbeen hurt feelings before, all traces were now gone. He looked just the way he always did. Carefree, friendly, and just a little mischievous. That was Andrew Powell.

“I’ll try to get this finished up tomorrow. You want to come over and help me add these shots?”

He shrugged, eyes twinkling wickedly. “I’ll call you. Might be kind of a late night, if you know what I mean.”

I rolled my eyes, taking the camera from him. “You’re so gross, Andrew.”

“Yeah. That’s what you said,” he muttered. Then, as he released the camera, his fingers brushed against mine.

Something flashed across his face, something that looked a lot like what I had thought I’d seen when he'd first appeared. He was just staring at me, his face inches away. My heart started to beat faster. Was I blushing?

But then Andrew was standing, his expression normal. “I’ll see you later, Riley.”

“Um. Yeah.” I swallowed, wondering what in the hell was wrong with me. I didn’t need to feel guilty about teasing Andrew. It was what we did. “I’ll see you later, Andrew.”

Then he turned, presumably in search of the blonde, swallowed up by the crowds within seconds, leaving me at the table with the rest of our friends, plotting out the next step in my love life.