Noah’s phone rang. “I’m so sorry. I should get this. It’s Charlotte.” He pressed the button on the screen and jabbed his finger into his ear. “Hey. What’s up?” He nodded and popped a French fry into his mouth. “Okay. Hold on.” He handed the phone to Lily. “She wants to talk to you.”
“About?”
“Something about shopping.”
“Hello?”
“Lily, it’s Charlotte. I’m wondering, and I’m not totally sure how to ask this, but do you have the right clothes for this trip?”
Lily had no clue what that might entail. Did she have nice clothes? Of course. She made a point of being impeccably dressed at work. Did she have fancy, expensive clothes? No. “I’m not sure. Noah hasn’t told me anything about what we’re going to be doing.”
“I’m not surprised. I’m sure it’s the last thing on his mind. Thankfully, it’s the first thing on mine. I do not want you feeling unprepared. You should feel comfortable in the Hannaforts’ world of big money and luxury. I’ll take you shopping to be safe. Plus, Noah’s paying.”
“Does he know that?”
“Not yet.”
Lily snickered. “Okay. When?”
“Now? I had a client cancel on me this afternoon and Michael is working late.”
Lily glanced over at Noah. How anyone could look so smoking hot eating a sandwich was beyond her. And the way his lips curved around the glass? She’d never wished so badly to be an ice cube, to slide down and crash into his mouth. “You sure? You don’t have to do this.”
“Are you kidding? I live for stuff like this. Meet me at the Saks in midtown in thirty minutes?”
“I’ll have to clear it with Noah first, I guess.”
“I’m clearing it. If my brother says a peep, remind him that he’s on thin ice with me right now. Plus, if you’re going to be my pretend sister-in-law, we should spend more time together, don’t you think?”
“Good idea.” It was nice to think that Charlotte could be Lily’s ally in this. She needed someone on her side who wasn’t an impossibly handsome man. Noah wielded too much power as it was. “I’ll see you in a bit.” Lily returned Noah’s phone. “Your sister’s taking me shopping for clothes for the wedding, but she wants me to meet her in a little bit. Can you and Sawyer manage if I’m out of the office this afternoon?”
“I don’t have much choice. When Charlotte decides something is going to happen, it does. Case in point, our engagement.”
“She does seem like a force of nature.”
“She’s always been like that. Even when we were kids.”
Lily had often wondered what it must’ve been like to grow up on the sprawling Locke estate out on Long Island. “What about you? What were you like?”
“Quiet. Uncoordinated.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not. I was always the one in the background. Sawyer was the star. He was the better athlete. He had more girlfriends. He did better in school. Charlotte was the one who was in crisis or kicking up trouble.” Noah sat back and draped his long arm across the back of the booth. Lily hadn’t moved back after scooting closer, so they were only inches apart.
Lily sat there and stared at Noah, his admission still plain on his face. “I can’t even imagine you like that. It seems impossible.”
“I assure you it’s more than possible, it happened that way.”
Lily was seeing Noah in an all-new way and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Noah always seemed like the cocky golden boy of the Locke family, while Sawyer was the strong type A oldest sibling. Maybe she’d read it all wrong.
Noah got yet another text. “This is why I hate my phone.” He picked it up from the table, shaking his head when he read the message. “Sawyer needs me to get back to the office. You should take the car to meet Charlotte and I’ll hop in a taxi.” He flagged down the waiter and handed over his credit card to pay the check.
“You don’t have to do that. It’s only eight or nine blocks for me.”
“What kind of fiancé would I be if I let you walk in those shoes?”
Lily had strong thoughts on the answer. Peter had once left her to walk to a gas station two miles away when her car broke down. She’d called and asked for his help, but he’d been at the gym and wanted to finish his workout first. Noah probably had no idea how impossibly sweet he was being right now. “I want to walk. But I sincerely appreciate the offer.”
“Okay, but I’ll pay for a cab if you change your mind.” He signed the bill when the waiter returned it, then plucked the card from the leather folio and handed it to Lily. “Shopping is on me, too.”