“If something good happens, you’ll be the first person I call. Well, second.” She shot Carter a sly glance. “Since this guy helped me get a line on the position, he deserves to know first.”
“She’ll get it. No doubts.” Carter slipped his arm around Alana’s shoulders. “You’d have to be a fool not to see how talented she is.”
Again that vaguely uncomfortable veil of intimacy fell around them, separating the table into two distinct halves. Except this time he and Kelly exchanged a glance of their own, one full of innuendoes and promise. His hand crept on to her thigh, his fingers stretching until they were millimeters away from her center. He didn’t move away when the waitress came to take their dessert orders or when a mini-tower of chocolate cake dripping with a thick raspberry sauce was set before him.
Kelly reached for her silverware. “Oh you’re so sharing that.” Before she could dig in, Spencer forked up a heaping wedge of cake and lifted it to her mouth. “Or this way’s good too,” she said, letting out a startled laugh just as he slipped the bite between her lips.
Crumbs clung to her chin as she licked up the dark pink sauce and it took everything in him not to whisk them away with his tongue. The others at the table must’ve noticed because Carter chuckled.
“Maybe we should leave you two alone.”
“We’ll be alone soon enough,” Kelly murmured, offering a bite of cake to Spencer.
“Thank God.” Alana chuckled. “Don’t want to have to visit you in jail if any more of those smoldering looks fry the tablecloth.”
Somehow the conversation drifted back to Alana’s job prospects, eventually circling around to the bookstore and the new stores opening in Virginia.
“One of them’s right next to The Edge’s offices. I’ll make sure I use my discount to set up your advertising campaign before I leave.” Alana’s generous mouth pursed. “IfI leave.”
“I can’t believe you’re moving home again. That’s so awesome.”
“Well, things are just falling into place. I’ve wanted to for a while, but I thought I needed to stay and clean up my messes. Then I bumped into Nicky, and well…” Alana’s smile bloomed. “Home’s where I need to be.”
“I can’t believe this either.” Kelly waved her fork between Carter and Alana. “I never in a million years would’ve thought this would work. You’re so completely different.”
“Opposites attract,” Spencer said, hoping he could just eat his cake and avoid partaking in anything resembling relationship chatter.
“Maybe so, but long-distance relationships are beyond tough,” Kelly said. “A state apart doesn’t seem like a big deal at first. But then it gets harder and harder to make time to see each other. You end up growing apart if you aren’t vigilant. The phone and email aren’t good enough substitutes.”
Spencer reached up to loosen his tie. Had it suddenly gotten hotter? “You do what you have to.” He didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until three sets of eyes swiveled toward him.
“And the King of Romance weighs in yet again.” Kelly rolled her eyes and took another bite of his cake. “Have you ever been in a long-distance relationship?”
Not yet.He cleared his throat. “No. But sometimes there’s no choice.”
“There are always choices, if people want to make them badly enough.”
“For a new relationship, it’s not always feasible to move heaven and earth.”
“If no one’s willing to stretch farther than for the remote, nothing’s feasible.”
“Do you get the feeling they’re not discussing us anymore?” Carter asked Alana.
“Of course we are.” Kelly laughed uncomfortably and finished off her wine. “Who else would we be talking about?”
Spencer remained silent. Couldn’t they enjoy even one nice evening without the elephant in the corner raising its damn trumpet?
The next half hour passed quickly. After finishing up dessert and paying the bill, the four of them walked to the parking lot. As they reached Carter's car, Alana glanced at Spencer. “We had a terrific time tonight. It was great to finally meet you.”
He didn’t question thefinally. Truthfully he didn’t want to know what Kelly had told her best friend about him. “Same here. This was fun.”
More fun. Christ, he’d had a banner week.
“You guys should come out with us tomorrow night. We’re going to a comedy club. Try to get some laughs in before I leave.” Though her voice sounded cheerful, her eyes had lost their sheen. “What do you say?”
He nearly agreed. From the look on Kelly’s face, she clearly wanted to go and they’d had a great time tonight. Then he remembered the Sinclairs.
“I have plans I can’t break. I’m sorry,” he said, and meant it.