“I guess we should get started on planning these parties, huh?”
He pulls out his phone. “Tell me your ideas and I’ll take notes.”
“Okay. But I just have one question first. Are we really not getting strippers?”
He laughs. “Woman, don’t tempt me. I would love to see my brother fight a guy in a sequined thong. But for the sake of keeping him out of jail, I think we should stick with something boring.”
“Right.”
12
For the next hour, we eat and throw out ideas. We immediately rule out all the usual stuff like paintball (too messy for Andre), camping (too scary for Casey), or sailing on Andre’s yacht (too predictable). Trying to come up with something that satisfies everyone seems impossible.
“This is harder than it should be. Maybe we’ll just take them to Andre’s penthouse and leave them there alone. That’s probably what he really wants anyway.”
I’m really not as bitter as I sound. Maybe just a little jealous that my brother found his perfect match while mine leaves me in restaurants and sends me fake dicks at work.
“Tempting. Well, I would love to at least decide on the date. I need to make sure I’m off shift that night.”
“Off shift,” I repeat, suddenly realizing I’m probably monopolizing her time after a long day.
“I’m a nurse,” she reminds me.
“Believe me, I remember. You have no idea how tempting it was to get hit by another car.”
She hides her face behind her hand but nothing can hide the blush climbing her neck. It’s fascinating how such a breathtaking woman can be so uncomfortable getting a compliment.
“What made you want to be a nurse?”
When she hesitates, I nudge her shoulder. “Come on. I wasn’t kidding when I said we should get to know each other better. After this, we’ll be seeing each other occasionally. It shouldn’t be awkward.”
“I wanted to help people,” she admits finally.
“That’s very noble.”
Clearly uncomfortable with the praise, she shrugs.
“It’s a scary thing being sick. You’re away from home and everything that’s familiar. Sometimes a friendly face can make all the difference. I wanted to make a difference.”
Something about the way she speaks makes me think she knows from experience. Was she sick as a child? The thought of her once being alone and helpless tightens my throat.
“I bet you bring a lot of happiness to everyone you treat. You hide it with that wild behavior but you care about people. You’re the type to go the extra mile for your patients, to make being hurt just a little bit more bearable. And I bet they never forget you.”
I lean forward until our noses are almost touching.
“I certainly didn’t.”
I get up for some water, giving her a little space. Ariana is like a skittish animal. If you corner her, she will bolt. Or bite your face off. So I turn the conversation to banal, everyday things. Before long she relaxes and finishes off the enchiladas.
She clearly loves Mexican, a fact I file away for future use.
After we’re finished eating, I pack up the food and put the containers in her refrigerator.
“You put the food away? Without being asked.”
I pause, unsure where she’s going with this. “I did.”
“Geez, if I was the swooning type I’d need a fainting couch right about now,” she mutters.