She smiles. “News flash. You do.”
31
A COUPLE OF WORD DEVOURERS
Ellie
A few days later, on Sunday morning, Gabe and I walk along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, savoring the late summer sun as we make our way to The Tree House.
I squeeze his hand tighter. “It’s kind of wild that I’ve only been in town for a month and we’re already doing this,” I muse.
“Having brunch on a Sunday,” he says. “Just like everyone else.”
“Nobody would know what we did last night,” I tease.
“Not a single soul has any idea,” he says in a dirty whisper.
We went to a hotel along the beach. We met at the bar. I was a businesswoman in town for a conference. He happened to be going to the same conference but had to catch a late flight back to New York. We didn’t know each other. But he still had his hotel room for another hour, so he took me back to his room, tied my wrists with his tie, then bent me over the edge of the bed. Stranger sex with the man you’re crazy for is absolutely fantastic.
But I put it out of my mind as we head into the cute café, looking for his friends.
Gabe nods toward the booth in the corner. “There they are,” he says, a touch of excitement in his gravelly voice. It’s sweet how he wants to do this for me.
As we head toward the table, bits of their conversation drift into my ears. Brooke and Drew are debating—from the sound of it—what baseball flick to watch that afternoon.
I smile when we arrive. “Hey there. I’m Ellie.”
“Hey Ellie. So good to meet you,” Brooke says warmly, then pops up to give me a hug.
I like her already. “I’m so excited to meet you.”
After Gabe makes quick intros to Drew, we sit down and I slide right into the conversation. “So the debate isSweet Spot,Aceand what was the other movie?”
Drew clears his throat. “High and Tight,” he says in a serious tone.
My spidey senses tingle. I arch a brow. “High and Tight? I feel like that’s a trick name,” I say and Brooke cracks up.
Drew laughs too. “I made it up,” Drew says, with a casual shrug. “But it sounds plausible.”
Gabe shakes his head in amusement, then stage whispers. “He’s such a clown.”
Brooke nods in agreement. “Drew is the biggest clown,” she says.
“Also, I thinkHigh and Tight’sprobably a different kind of movie,” I offer.
Brooke laughs, then adds, “Maybe not such a bad one either.”
“Oh, we’re going to get along well,” I say to Brooke. I rub my palms. “All right. I have my vote on what movie you should watch.”
Brooke beckons with her fingers. “Lay it on us.”
“Sweet Spot,” I declare.
Brooke’s brown eyes light up. “Yes, because it’s–”
“Based on a book,” Brooke and I say in unison.
Then I shoo Drew away from his spot, so I can switch with him. “Move, I need to sit next to your fiancée. I’ve already decided she’s fabulous and I adore her.”