quite pricey compared to what they could have ordered at the restaurant he had suggested earlier.
He wished she would relax and not worry about the cost. He could bloody well afford it.
He reached for her hand under the table. It was cold. "We could order different dishes and share. How about that?" he asked softly.
"Okay," she replied warily.
Trey rattled off a couple of items he'd like to order. They were among the most expensive on the list, guaranteed to impress any woman—well, someone easily awed by money, anyway. But it had the opposite effect on Ari. She looked worried.
"You're joking, aren't you, Trey?" she asked.
Trey raised his eyebrows. "No."
"Well..." Ari started, then closed her mouth.
"Well, what?" Dylan asked.
Ari puffed out a sigh. "Well, Trey seems to think I would prefer it here. It's sweet of him to think so, but it's not really fair to you," she explained to Dylan.
"Oh, is that what you're worried about, Ari?" Trey asked and leaned closer to her. "Don't worry. I meant to foot the full bill from the start. I did suggest we go here, after all."
"Don't be ridiculous, Trey. I'm happy to get this," Dylan said, bristling. The last thing he wanted was for Ari to think of him as cheap. Or worse, that he didn't consider her worthy of a place like this. He could really wring Trey's neck right now.
"No, no, Dylan. I insist," Trey said.
"No. I insist," he answered.
"Maybe we should just leave. We haven't ordered yet," Ari suggested dryly.
"Sorry, Ari. We'll shut up now. I suggested this place, and I'm paying, so let's order and enjoy ourselves," Trey said decisively.
"Trey. . ."Dylan said with exasperation.
Trey gave him a knowing look. "Dylan, please let me, okay?"
Dylan took a deep breath, lips pressed in a tight line. Trey meant to play the ISAG to its fullest. He really must have a private word with him.
*
Ari excused herself to go to the bathroom and Dylan took the opportunity to straighten things out with his meddling pal.
"Trey, there's no need for the ISAG with Ari," he said with a scolding look.
"And why's that?" Trey asked.
"While I do want us to be good friends, I have no intention whatsoever of having a serious relationship with her."
"So why were you holding her hand earlier?"
"She looked like she was having a bad day. That's also why I thought I'd take her out to lunch," he justified.
"How did you know she was having a bad day? Did you talk on the phone or something," Trey prodded.
He sighed. "No. I had to pick up my wallet from her. I left it at her place last night."
"Ah! You've had sex with her. And here you are taking her out to lunch. Which proves my point that she needs to be put through the ISAG," Trey said triumphantly.
"What do you mean?" he scowled.
"Dyl, you usually wait at least two weeks before having any further communication with girls you've had one-night stands with. If they're too keen to communicate, you usually stay the hell away from them. If they're cool with your silence, they become your chums. Wasn't it you who said that that time frame helps them understand you have no other motive apart from friendship? But we're talking one day here with Ari. In fact, not even one day. Half a day," Trey said emphatically.
"I told you I had to get my wallet back from her. Back off, Trey. I mean it. You're making her feel uncomfortable," he said earnestly.
Trey sat back in his chair and stared at him with concern.
"What?" he asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"You're sounding like Adam," Trey said quietly.
He gasped. "I am not!"
Trey shook his head, astonished. "You are. That's why I have to continue with the ISAG whether you like it or not. That's the promise we made to each other."
"She's not like that!" he said in a half-shout, making a few heads from nearby tables turn their way. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Damn it, Trey was annoying the hell out of him.
Trey snorted. "I seem to remember Adam having this exact same reaction when
He wished she would relax and not worry about the cost. He could bloody well afford it.
He reached for her hand under the table. It was cold. "We could order different dishes and share. How about that?" he asked softly.
"Okay," she replied warily.
Trey rattled off a couple of items he'd like to order. They were among the most expensive on the list, guaranteed to impress any woman—well, someone easily awed by money, anyway. But it had the opposite effect on Ari. She looked worried.
"You're joking, aren't you, Trey?" she asked.
Trey raised his eyebrows. "No."
"Well..." Ari started, then closed her mouth.
"Well, what?" Dylan asked.
Ari puffed out a sigh. "Well, Trey seems to think I would prefer it here. It's sweet of him to think so, but it's not really fair to you," she explained to Dylan.
"Oh, is that what you're worried about, Ari?" Trey asked and leaned closer to her. "Don't worry. I meant to foot the full bill from the start. I did suggest we go here, after all."
"Don't be ridiculous, Trey. I'm happy to get this," Dylan said, bristling. The last thing he wanted was for Ari to think of him as cheap. Or worse, that he didn't consider her worthy of a place like this. He could really wring Trey's neck right now.
"No, no, Dylan. I insist," Trey said.
"No. I insist," he answered.
"Maybe we should just leave. We haven't ordered yet," Ari suggested dryly.
"Sorry, Ari. We'll shut up now. I suggested this place, and I'm paying, so let's order and enjoy ourselves," Trey said decisively.
"Trey. . ."Dylan said with exasperation.
Trey gave him a knowing look. "Dylan, please let me, okay?"
Dylan took a deep breath, lips pressed in a tight line. Trey meant to play the ISAG to its fullest. He really must have a private word with him.
*
Ari excused herself to go to the bathroom and Dylan took the opportunity to straighten things out with his meddling pal.
"Trey, there's no need for the ISAG with Ari," he said with a scolding look.
"And why's that?" Trey asked.
"While I do want us to be good friends, I have no intention whatsoever of having a serious relationship with her."
"So why were you holding her hand earlier?"
"She looked like she was having a bad day. That's also why I thought I'd take her out to lunch," he justified.
"How did you know she was having a bad day? Did you talk on the phone or something," Trey prodded.
He sighed. "No. I had to pick up my wallet from her. I left it at her place last night."
"Ah! You've had sex with her. And here you are taking her out to lunch. Which proves my point that she needs to be put through the ISAG," Trey said triumphantly.
"What do you mean?" he scowled.
"Dyl, you usually wait at least two weeks before having any further communication with girls you've had one-night stands with. If they're too keen to communicate, you usually stay the hell away from them. If they're cool with your silence, they become your chums. Wasn't it you who said that that time frame helps them understand you have no other motive apart from friendship? But we're talking one day here with Ari. In fact, not even one day. Half a day," Trey said emphatically.
"I told you I had to get my wallet back from her. Back off, Trey. I mean it. You're making her feel uncomfortable," he said earnestly.
Trey sat back in his chair and stared at him with concern.
"What?" he asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"You're sounding like Adam," Trey said quietly.
He gasped. "I am not!"
Trey shook his head, astonished. "You are. That's why I have to continue with the ISAG whether you like it or not. That's the promise we made to each other."
"She's not like that!" he said in a half-shout, making a few heads from nearby tables turn their way. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Damn it, Trey was annoying the hell out of him.
Trey snorted. "I seem to remember Adam having this exact same reaction when
Similar Books
