“No, um, this is a friend of mine. Ari Peterson, this is Lynn Dominic.”
Ari smiled. I could tell it was forced.
“Hi, Lynn. I’m actually best friends with Jeff’s sister, Ellie.”
Lynn glanced down to my hand covering Ari’s, then back to me. “She’s a little young, isn’t she, Jeff?”
Jerking her hand out from mine, Ari sat back some. Her face showed her embarrassment.
I shook my head and kept my smile the same. Fucking hell, Lynn. Just go away.
“What can I do for you, Lynn?”
Her eyes heated, and I had to force myself not to let out a frustrated sigh.
“I saw you sitting here and thought I’d say hi.”
With a nod, I replied, “Hi.”
She laughed. “Is that it? I don’t get to join y’all or anything?”
“No, I’m having coffee with a friend.”
“Well, that gives me hope then.”
With a confused expression, I asked, “Hope for w
hat?”
“A second date. I’m open tonight if you’re in the mood for dinner.”
My mouth nearly dropped open. Was she serious?
I glanced back over to Ari. She was now staring down at her cup of coffee.
“Sorry, Lynn. As you can see, I’m actually with someone right now, and I’m perfectly content on staying here with her.”
Ari’s eyes lifted to mine, and she smiled. There was no fucking way I was blowing off Ari for Lynn. Not when we were getting along so damn good.
Lynn’s gaze bounced between me and Ari. “Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you around then.”
I nodded. “See ya around.”
When Lynn walked off, I watched while Ari stared at her.
“Wow. Do you always have women come up to you and offer themselves up like that?”
There was no way I was going to answer that question truthfully. “She only wanted a free dinner.”
Ari focused back on me. Her expression told me she knew I was full of shit. “Yeah . . . she wanted something all right, but it wasn’t dinner.”
When her phone went off, she glanced down at it. “It’s my mom. Do you think I should tell my folks what happened?”
I don’t know why I did it, but I slid my hand across the table and grabbed on to her hand again. I gave it a little squeeze. Ari’s eyes fell to our hands and then snapped back up to look directly at me.
“Yeah, I’d tell them about it, sweetheart.”
She swallowed hard. “Th—thanks, Jeff. For being there for me today.”