Page 26 of Lyric Squared

“She’ll take exactly that, and I will have your parmesan chicken over the bed of rice with a side of broccoli and cobbed corn. To drink, I’ll take a bottle of Opus One.”

“Opus One? The entire bottle?”

“The entire bottle, sweetheart,” Collin clarified.

The eleven hundred dollar wine he’d just ordered would cost him at least fifteen hundred dollars solely because we were at a bar where all the prices were increased by at least twenty percent of retail value. It only increased from there.

“Good taste,” Luca commented, tilting his glass in Collin’s direction.

“Okay. I’ll start working on that right now.”

His orbs were still on me. I could feel his eyes all over my body as my palms became clammy and wet. I’d clenched my toes to the point of pain – and was ultimately forced to release them.Every other second, I swallowed a new knot that formed at the back of my throat, refusing to get caught slipping or soundless when it was my turn to speak. It was detrimental to my pride that Ken understood he hadn’t fazed me with his silence after I’d poured my whole heart out to him. The lack of reply stung for a bit, but I shook back.

“I’m going to the ladies’ room while we wait for the food,” I announced.

Scccccccrrrr.

Every chair at the table slid from underneath it, each man standing to their feet. With a shake of my head, I watched as they all looked at each other for a solution. Everyone had intentions of seeing me to the restroom, but I didn’t need an escort. Not from the three amigos at least.

“I don’t need an escort to the restroom,” I assured everyone.

Still, no one budged as they waited for me to make a choice.

“Either you’re choosing or we’re choosing for you,” Luca explained.

“Collin,” I said lowly, pulling his hand in the direction of the restroom.

Silently, I rushed through the small crowd to get to the ladies’ room. Once there, I was relieved to see that the line that was usually there wasn’t. I rejoiced as I dropped Collin’s hand and headed inside.

I secured the lock of the single stall restroom and unlocked my cell. Because Ever was one of the only people I communicated with, it wasn’t hard for me to find her contact in my call log. She’d already called me twice, and I’d missed both calls.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Hey. Are the girls asleep?”

“Yes. Everyone is sleeping, and I’m up getting some alone time. Did you get my messages?”

“Yes. I did, and–” I paused, running my fingers through my hair.

I began pacing the small restroom in an attempt to calm my raging heart. The walls felt like they were closing in on me as my temperature began to rise and breathing became a bit more difficult.

“Annnnnnnd?”

“He’s here.”

“He’s where? Where are you?”

“Oat + Olive. And he’s here… with Luca and Laike.”

“Didn’t you have a date with Collin tonight? How’d you end up with Luca and Laike?”

“I am on a date with Collin. We walked in and there they were, with the nerve, to be sitting at the table I reserved for us.”

“Oh my God. They’ve met him?”

“Kind of.”

“What? That’s not fair. I haven’t even met him. What did they say?”