* * *
The event did NOTgo the way she’d expected it to.
Rachel looked to her right. Jamie and his two friends were sitting at a small round table, their heads bent together, talking intently. She could understand Jamie and the Frenchman being friends somehow, but she didn’t get how the young guy fit in.
Jamie had thrown her completely off.
No—he’d thrown her offyesterday. Today was merely gravy.
Jamie glanced up, even though he was listening to something the blond was saying. She shivered at the way he looked at her, like he was hungry and wanted to feast on her.
No one had ever looked at her like that. She shivered again. That look brought her more satisfaction than any guy had in her past. She’d been sitting at the kiddie table all her life, and she hadn’t known it.
She was here for Chris. She remembered her word and returned her focus on the event. Turning around, she surveyed the room.
Everyone else was having a great time, even her grandma, who was currently at the bar talking to Chris. Several people had already passed her their final surveys with people marked on there that they wanted to see again. That made her happy. And Chris was doing brisk business, which made her even happier.
Alice came up to her, a big smile lighting her pretty face. “That was so much fun, Rachel! I’m glad you convinced me to come.”
Jeez—she hadn’t checked on Alice since before the event started. “Did you meet anyone interesting?”
“That French guy, Didier.” Alice’s eyes sparkled. “I liked him a lot. Did you see how nice he was to your grandma?”
“I did.” She melted, grateful for that. “Lottie is having a ball.”
Alice nudged her. “You spent a lot of time with Didier’s friend. What’s his name?”
“Jamie.” She felt her face start to burn, thinking about him. “He wasn’t supposed to sit at my table the whole time.”
Alice shrugged. “Wasn’t the point of this to meet someone you wanted to spend time with? So if you found him the first round, why waste the rest of the hour with other people?”
Rachel frowned. “You sound like Jamie.”
“It’s just logical.” Alice nudged her arm. “Let’s get a drink and go sit with them.”
She glanced back at the table. “I don’t know. I should—”
“Have a seat with us and relax,” Alice finished for her, taking her wrist and pulling her along. “Everyone is having a good time.”
“Chris—”
“Is too busy counting his coins to think about anything else,” her friend said with a bite in her voice.
Rachel studied her. “Did he say something to peeve you?”
“I don’t even know where to start,” Alice said in a dramatic voice that was so unlike her.
What was going on between the two of them? Did Alice like Chris too? How perfect would that be, if her two closest friends got together?
Before Rachel could ask her, Alice smiled bright and called out, “Hey, guys!”
The three men looked up. Jamie stood immediately, holding out his chair for them, and his friend Didier followed suit. “Sit with us,” Jamie said to them, his gaze on her.
Alice nudged her again. “Let’s sit with them,” she repeated in an overly enthusiastic voice. She let go of her and bounded over to Didier, smiling up at him as she took the seat he held out for her.
Jamie’s friend was gorgeous. He was exotic, with his mix of French and whatever other background he had. He had mocha skin and light eyes that looked like they belonged on a tiger. It must have been the way he stalked.
Really, Didier reminded her of Chris, except Chris was bulkier and Didier, like Jamie, had more of a lean athletic thing going on. Was Alice interested in him because he looked like Chris? She hadn’t ever noticed Alice having a type, but Alice hadn’t been dating anyone in the nine months since they’d met at work.