31
PARKER
Hunter had made me realize that I needed to get to know the real Isabella, the person she was beyond all the work. Since I’d tried doing it before and hadn’t made all that much headway, I just hadn’t been sure how to go about it until I’d gotten a brilliant idea earlier.
It was the weekend, and I’d been thinking about that games night I’d been invited to at my brother’s house not so long ago. Board games had a way of relaxing people and filling any possible awkward silences with talk about the game itself. They had a way of getting things going, and that was what I needed.
When I’d been planning the evening I would be hosting in just a few minutes, I’d specifically chosen games that got people to share things about themselves. It’d be Josh and Agatha, Colt and Anna, Nash and Lennon, and Isabella and me. Reese couldn’t make it, and Marley was in Hawaii, but he’d promised to video call us to join in the fun if he could. Hunter, Hailey, and all their other friends hadn’t been able to make it either, but that was a good thing since I wouldn’t have been able to fit everyone into my apartment.
As it was, the eight of us would be a squeeze. Nash had offered to let us have it at their place, but I hadn’t wanted to make my problems his. Besides, if it was a squeeze, I’d have an excuse to be closer to Isabella at all times.
The first knock at my door came at exactly eight o’clock, and I wasn’t surprised to find Isabella standing in the hallway when I opened it. She peered over my shoulder, frowned, and lifted her arm to check her watch.
“Am I early? Where is everyone? I thought you said this was a get-together for all your friends.”
I stepped aside and waved her in, taking a second to let my gaze rake over her. She was wearing jeans, a black off-one-shoulder shirt, and high-heeled ankle boots. The outfit was a little dressy for a night in at my apartment, but I wasn’t surprised. Isabella seemed to be allergic to casual comfort.
If I hadn’t known that she wore actual pajamas to bed, I’d have been convinced that she slept fully dressed and looking ready for the day. She turned to face me with the frown still tugging at her brows. I snapped my gaze back up and shrugged when I looked into her eyes.
“You’re right on time, which kind of makes you early,” I said easily. “Relax. I swear I didn’t con you into spending the night with me alone. The others will be here soon.”
She searched my face for a moment, then nodded and held up a little cooler. “I brought wine and some ice. Where would you like it?”
“Anywhere you’ll let me have it. I’m not sure we have time for a quickie before the rest arrive, though.”
To my surprise, a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. “I’m glad to see the joker is still in you. I was starting to wonder if I’d killed him.”
I chuckled, shaking my head, and reached out to take the cooler from her. “Nah, you haven’t killed him. He just went on a short hiatus. Let me get you a glass.”
She followed me to my kitchen, leaning back against the counter and looking around as I fixed her a drink. “This is a nice place. Thank you for inviting me.”
I shrugged, not telling her that getting her here had been the motivation for inviting anyone over tonight. “You’re welcome. I thought we could use a bit of fun. We’ve been working around the clock again these last couple of weeks. I’m just glad you could make it. I was wondering if you’d be able to make time to join us.”
Blinking as if she was surprised by my choice of words, she swiped her tongue over her lips and folded her arms once she realized she’d been fidgeting. “I’ve been working at making time for other things. I even signed up for more hours volunteering.”
“It’s the same charity Nash volunteers at, right?” I asked, remembering that he’d mentioned that was where he knew her from right back at the beginning.
It was the first time she’d brought it up herself, though. I mentally patted myself on the back. The games hadn’t even started yet and she was already opening up a little more.
She nodded but didn’t seem surprised that I knew. “Yeah, it’s the same one. Lennon has started volunteering there now, too. The kids are great and—”
Another knock at the door interrupted her. Handing over her drink, I shot her an apologetic smile and cursed whoever was out there for choosing the moment to arrive when I was actually learning something about her.
Josh, Agatha, Colt, and Anna had apparently shared a ride, and Lennon and Nash got there before I’d even closed the door. Isabella’s eyes widened when she realized everyone else I’d invited were couples, but Lennon distracted her before she could consider backing out.
Once we all had drinks and were seated, some of us on the rug in my living room and the others packed in tight on my sofas, I clapped my hands. “Okay, guys. Our first game for the night is two truths and a lie.”
There was whooping and whistling, but then we got started and I realized that every single person in this room was crazy competitive. The drinks we’d brought in from the kitchen disappeared fast, and when I offered to grab another round, Isabella got up and followed me.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked when we got back to the kitchen.
I turned to look at her over my shoulder, nodding before I opened the fridge to get the drinks.
“Why am I here, Parker?”
“What do you mean?” I ignored the accusatory note of her question. “You’re here for the same reason as everyone else. To have a little fun.”
Tiny pinpricks at the back of my skull told me she was glaring at me. “No, that’s not it. The truth, please. This whole thing feels like a setup to me.”