Page 19 of Too Good to Be True

“She’s got nothing on you,” Kelsey said.

Paige turned to see what they were looking at. “Amateur hour,” she hissed.

Stacy appreciated her friends’ show of support, although it was unnecessary and unwarranted. “I’m not competing with her,” she said, lowering her voice.

“That’s right, because there’s no comparison. You’re smarter, prettier, and more experienced.”

“In other words, older,” Stacy said with a half-laugh.

“Would you stop with the age thing?” Kelsey implored. “You are not old.”

“Right. Because, if you’re old, we’re all old,” Paige said, motioning between the three of them.

Just then, Britney belted out a loud laugh that carried across the bar. Her hand rested on Nick’s upper arm as she leaned against him for support, laughing at who knew what and making quite a spectacle of herself.

Stacy tried to read Nick’s expression, but he was partially blocked by some of their other coworkers. She could barely see his profile, and gorgeous as it was, it didn’t tell her anything.

Kelsey looked down at her empty glass. “I need another drink. Where’s our waitress?”

“Probably busy serving other thirsty customers,” Paige said.

“I’m going to find her. Do you two want another?”

Stacy hadn’t finished her first drink, but she and Paige both nodded.

“Be right back.” Kelsey hopped down from the stool and went in search of the waitress.

“I have to use the restroom. Will you be okay by yourself?” Paige asked.

Stacy laughed. “Of course. Go ahead.”

She didn’t mind being alone. In fact, she’d become accustomed to it. She’d never thought it would happen, having gotten married right after college, but she’d adapted. She’d had no choice.

She’d tipped her head back to swallow the rest of her wine when she felt someone come up to the table. She didn’t even have to look to know who it was. All she had to do was inhale, and she caught his scent.

“Hey,” Nick said. “Mind if I join you?”

Since her friends would probably be gone a while, she motioned for him to sit down.

Instead of sitting across the table, he perched on the stool beside her, and she immediately felt his heat. She was torn between moving her stool further away or inching closer to the sun.

“Did your friends abandon you?”

“No. They went off on separate missions. What about you?” She glanced over to where Eric and Britney were standing, Britney looking forlorn and Eric glancing around the room like he wanted to escape.

“I needed a break. Britney talks so much, I was afraid my ear would literally fall off, plunk, right in the middle of the appetizer tray.”

The image struck her funny bone, and she burst out laughing, garnering attention from Eric, Britney, and several others who were milling nearby. Some of her coworkers had never heard her laugh that loudly, since she was more reserved at work. Only her family and closest friends had seen her cut loose.

Nick smiled with surprise and pleasure at her reaction, and then he eyed her empty wineglass.

“I only had one, I swear. It was just funny.”

Then the waitress appeared out of nowhere and set another glass of wine in front of her. Stacy glanced around, expecting Kelsey and Paige to materialize too, but they were nowhere to be seen. She was starting to wonder if they had abandoned her after all. More likely, they were spying on her and Nick from somewhere else in the bar.

“How about a toast?” he said, lifting his beer glass.

“What should we toast to?”