Renee stopped talking when she saw us approach the table. “They’re here.”
William rose to his feet and shook my hand. “Long time, no see.”
“Join us on Wednesday.”
“I think I can make that happen.” He turned to Carson next. “Wow…almost didn’t recognize you. I’m used to seeing you in shorts with a basketball in your hands.”
“And sweaty and gross,” she added with a chuckle. “Yes, I look like a girl in real life.”
“You look lovely.” He embraced her with a one-armed hug. “And you look lovely on the court too.”
She smiled at his compliment. “Thank you.”
I moved to Renee next, giving her a brief hug. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” She seemed to be the nervous one of the night, because she cleared her throat as she approached Carson. She extended her hand to shake hers. “It’s nice to see you again. I hope we can get off on the right foot this time.”
Carson didn’t hesitate before she shook her hand. “There’s no hard feelings, really. You were just protecting your own, and I respect that. And I’ve got rhino skin, so it’s pretty much impossible to offend me. You’ve got to be that way in my line of work.”
Renee nodded. “Well, I’m glad we can give this another go. And I’m very happy that you and my brother worked things out.”
William turned to me. “What happened?”
I lowered my voice, so they wouldn’t overhear. “Your woman came at Carson pretty hard when they met…”
“Ohh…” He nodded. “Yeah, the claws come out when she’s mad.”
“And thank you for the flowers,” Carson said. “They’re on my desk right now.”
“Yes, Dax told me.”
We took a seat at the table, where there was already a bottle of wine.
William passed it to me. “It’s the vintage you ordered last time. Thought we could give it another round.”
I poured a glass then poured hers.
Carson took a sip. “Not bad.”
I returned the bottle to the table.
Renee sat across from Carson, and based on the way she tried to divert her gaze anywhere but at the person across the table, she was still uncomfortable with the whole thing. When she’d told off Carson, she must have thought there was no chance they would see each other again. It was the first time I’d seen Renee intimidated by another person.
It was another reason Carson had stolen my heart.
“Should we do an appetizer?” Carson grabbed the heavy menu. “I’m starving.”
I smiled slightly. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
“I’m hungry too.” Renee looked at the menu. “What about the crab cakes?”
“Good choice.” Carson turned to me. “Is that okay with you?”
I held her gaze. “Would it matter if it weren’t?”
She suppressed her smile. “Just wanted to make sure.”
“Crab cakes sound great,” William said. “I’m not a picky eater.”
“Neither am I,” Carson said. “I just eat everything.”
“It’s true,” I said. “Every time we get sandwiches, she eats her chips and then my chips…”
“Hey, I asked first,” she said defensively. “Don’t make me look like a chip hog.”
The waitress came over, and we gave our order for the appetizer and the entrees.
My arm moved over the back of Carson’s chair so my fingers could touch her shoulder lightly, feel her soft skin. We hadn’t had another sleepover since our last one a few days ago, but it was the best night of sleep I’d gotten in a long time.
It was quiet for a while, like the awkwardness was still there.
William broke it. “Dax told me you played basketball in college. All four years?”
Carson nodded. “Yep.”
“That’s pretty impressive, especially since you went to Harvard,” he said. “I heard they have a good team.”
Carson turned her gaze on me, accusation in her eyes. “You told him?”
“Sweetheart, I’m proud that I’m dating a successful and intellectual woman.” I knew I could defuse her anger with my charm because it’d always worked in the past. “It’s hot. Can’t blame me for wanting to brag.”
“You should be proud,” Renee said. “That’s quite an accomplishment.”
Carson’s anger dimmed just like I thought it would. “I just don’t like to brag about it. People usually assume I’ve got a stick up my ass…”
William chuckled at her crass comment. “Definitely don’t have a stick up there, that’s for sure.”
“I get it,” Renee said. “It’s intimidating to most people, especially men you’re trying to date.”
“Except Dax.” She grabbed her glass and took a drink. “He’s not intimidated at all, which is one of the reasons I’ve come to adore him.”
I turned back to her, staring at the side of her face, watching her drink from her glass again. My hand moved to her thigh under the table, my fingers immediately pulling up her dress slightly so I could get a sexy grip on her warm skin.
“He’s so secure with himself and his masculinity that a woman’s ambition doesn’t affect his sense of worth. He’s always been supportive of my career, always been interested in it, and my brash personality and candor seem intriguing to him rather than annoying. It’s really nice to be with a man who’s so…manly.” She drank from her glass again, unapologetic about what she said in front of my sister.
Now I really stared at her, hanging on to the praise she never shared with me.
“He’s not jealous either. I live with my best friend, who’s a good-looking straight guy, and we work together at the newspaper. Most men just can’t digest the relationship or approve of it, but Dax has never cared, accepted it from the beginning, because he’s so secure that he doesn’t get intimidated by other men either. Honestly, he’s the perfect man.” She spoke of me like I wasn’t right beside her. “Why would he get jealous of other men when he’s the best of his kind?”
She’d described me objectively, like I was a subject in an article, but those characteristics were the reason she came back to me, the reason she gave me another chance after I hurt her. I had always meant a lot to her, even though I hadn’t realized that until now. She hadn’t worn her heart on her sleeve in the past, but now that she did, she didn’t hold anything back.
William shifted his gaze to me. “Safe to say…she’s obsessed with you.”
After dinner was finished, we left the table and gathered on the sidewalk.
William skipped the handshake and embraced me with a hug and a pat on the back. “I’ll be there on Wednesday. I’ve been craving hot wings anyway.”
“So, do you actually want to play with us, or do you just want the food?”
He shrugged. “Mainly the food.”
“You’re a cardiologist, and you eat that shit?” I teased.
“Come on, you’re gonna die anyway.” He shrugged. “Do what you want, right?”