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We made small talk while eating. Once we were done, the waitress boxed up the extra pizza, and Colby generously settled the bill.
“I wonder if Josh is awake? I brought some cigars from Vegas, and he might want something to eat, too,” Colby commented.
“Probably. You know how he is with his insomnia,” Mark provided.
“Where are you staying, sis? Do you need me to get you a hotel room? I’d offer Sasha’s place, but it’s small,” Brian said.
Colby spoke up. “I was planning to put her up at Josh’s place. My mom is staying at a hotel next to the hospital, and, Mark, you’re in the apartment down the hall, right?”
Josh had a penthouse suite which I’d never been to, but Brian had once described it as being large by New York standards, with a separate guest apartment down the hall.
Mark nodded. “Unless you want me to switch, and Kenzie can have the apartment down the hall.”
“No need. I’ll take Josh’s room, and she can have the guest bedroom. Then if we’re super nice to her in the morning, we may even talk her into making us breakfast.”
Mark’s face lit up. “Ooh, pancakes?”
I finally got a word in. “Does it seem strange to anyone else that you guys have had an entire conversation about me while I’m sitting here without a voice?”
Three smart-ass retorts came back, “Nope,” “no,” and “not so much.”
“Come on, Kenz, you’re like a little sister to all of us,” Colby declared once again.
Considering the hard time the guys had given him about taking me to Vegas for the weekend, I knew his motivation in making this comment, but it still annoyed me given what he’d admitted last night. I managed an eye roll and sipped the rest of my beer, unprepared for Will to chime in.
“You know, Kenz, I’m happy to see you to Josh’s building while the guys return to the hospital. In fact, there’s this fantastic place which does doughnuts down the block if you’re interested.”
A slow smile broke out on my face. The humor reflected in his eyes made me wonder about his motivation, however at this point I couldn’t get up fast enough. “Sounds great. See you big brothers later.”
Mark and Brian seemed mildly surprised while Colby looked straight up annoyed. “How are you going to get into the apartment? You don’t have a key.”
Oh, I hadn’t thought about that. But evidently Will had, or else he happened to be great at adlibbing. “That’s okay. Why don’t you text her when you’re on your way back, and we’ll stay out in the meantime? We can grab some coldies if it’ll be awhile.”
“Good by me.” I took his offered arm, giving a little wave toward the guys and trying not to read anything into the fact that Colby appeared to be busy giving my brother the third degree—as though Brian should prevent me from leaving with Will.
Once we were out on the sidewalk and walking down the block, I started giggling. “Thanks for the rescue and the reminder I am, in fact, a grown-up. If I hear I’m like a little sister one more time from anyone but Brian, I’m going banshee. What’s a coldie, by the way?”
Will chuckled, tucking my hand into the crook of his arm. “Coldie is a beer. And I got the big-brother vibe from Brian and Mark and even from Josh earlier, but not quite the same from Colby. Matter of fact, I think he was ready to kill me when I called you Kenz. I take it that’s his name for you.”
“He’s the only one who calls me that, so I guess so. And good to know I’m not the only one who notices the mixed signals.”
He laughed. “I’m not overstepping by commenting, am I?”
“No, but unless you’re a mind reader, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to what Colby’s thinking.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not, but I do think you leaving with me made him jealous.”
Interesting. Since I could use a male perspective, I decided to fill him in on the bet. “So you see, regardless of having the opportunity for a kiss: nada, zilch, zippo. It’s a great self-confidence booster, incidentally. In case you ever want to feel truly pathetic with a crush, bet them to kiss you and have them refuse. And because that’s not humiliating enough, puke your guts out in front of him directly after. Then bring the bet up again and have him use the little sister excuse—you guessed it—yet again. Good times. I can’t remember what number of seduction fail that was.”
He threw his head back, laughing at my self-deprecation, and then took me into a shop which smelled like doughnut heaven. “He hasn’t brought it up since then?”
“Nope, and I’m never doing so again.”
“Given that everyone else seems to have you little-sister-zoned, and considering Brian’s death glare at the restaurant when he found about Vegas, I’m guessing Colby feels as though he needs to keep you there, too?”
I thought back to his comment at the hot tub. “He’s certainly trying.”
After Will ordered a dozen freshly-made doughnut holes and two milks, he led me over to an empty spot.
