Page 14 of The Date
“Yeah.”
Somehow I doubt that considering my sister and best friend are joined at the hip. “Last night, when I told Rathborn I was leaving the restaurant because he kept me waiting too long …” I scrub a hand over my face, knowing I’m about to sound like a fucking idiot. “I actually stayed. I stayed until the restaurant closed.”
Callum drums his fingertips against the table, waiting for more, but when he doesn’t get anything, he says, “It all makes sense now. Thanks for clearing that up.”
Despite my foul mood, my lips twitch. He’s such a smartarse. “Before I cancelled my meeting, a woman approached my table.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” He sits forward in his seat and leans his elbows on the table, giving me his full attention. “Was she hot?”
I nod. “She was beautiful.” So fucking beautiful. “Her name’s Rose. Rose … like the flower.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Rose like the flower?”
“It’s how she introduced herself,” I say.
“She’s named after a flower?”
“No, she was actually named after her Grandmother. Her real Grandmother.”
“She has a fake one?”
I point at him. “I said the same thing.”
The waitress approaches our table and places my drink in front of me, but Callum reaches for it before I can, pushing it to the side. “Were you drinking before you came here?”
“I drove here, so no.” I reach forward and snatch my drink back, grateful I never mentioned the murder-by-tram story. “She thought I was Brendan.”
“Who’s Brendan?”
“He’s a Zumba and Pilates instructor.”
“A Zumba and Pilates instructor? Mate, I’ve seen you dance. You look like a bloke fighting off a swarm of bees.”
“Fuck off,” I say, chuckling. “She thought I was her blind date.”
“What did she say when you told her you weren’t?”
I grimace. “I didn’t.”
He barks out a laugh. “Tell me more.”
“There’s not much more to tell.”
“Yes, there is. I want to know when it all blew up in your face. Was it when she asked you to show her your dance moves?”
“No, smartarse. I actually got through the entire night masquerading as Brendan. I even organised a second date for tonight.”
He rubs his hands together as a shit-eating grin spreads across his face. “Oh, this is fucking brilliant. Please tell me you’re going. I’ll call one of the women I have on speed dial, and we can make it a double date.” He scratches his chin. “What should I do for a living? Do you think I could pull off a marine biologist.”
“You don’t know the first thing about marine biology.”
“We go fishing all the time; that has to count for something. How hard can it be?”
“You’re an idiot,” I say. “And there is no date. Rose called it off this morning when she found out I wasn’t Brendan.”
Callum’s grin fades. “And you’re actually upset about that?” I don’t answer him. I don’t need to, because the truth is, I am. He blows out a low whistle as he sinks back into his chair. “You really like this one, don’t you? I haven’t seen you like this since Lizzy Thompson’s family moved away.”
“I was fifteen back then; I hardly see the comparison.”
