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“I did. They canceled. Which is a good thing or otherwise I wouldn’t be here with this very beautiful woman.”
Dana gave Nathan a quizzical look.
“Lucky you,” Levi said dryly.
“Ain’t it the truth.”
Siobhan came over and asked what Levi wanted to drink. “I’ll have a draft.”
Siobhan left and the three of them talked awkwardly until she returned with Levi’s beer. He took it, asked Siobhan to run a tab and said, “I’ll leave you to your…date.”
“Oh, it’s—” Dana started to deny it but Nathan nudged her before she got the words out. She was torn. On the one hand, it was gratifying to know that Levi didn’t like seeing her with Nathan. On the other hand, it wasn’t really fair to Nathan to well, use him like that. Not that he seemed to mind. In fact, he seemed all for it.
“We were leaving soon, anyway,” Nathan said. “Weren’t we, Dana?”
Okay now she knew something was going on. Exactly what, she couldn’t say. But she could feel it. A definite tension between the two men. It dawned on her that Nathan was needling Levi and Levi wasn’t a bit happy about it.
“Were we?” she asked Nathan.
“Yes,” he said firmly.
“Have fun,” Levi said in a tone that meant anything but. He picked up his beer and left.
“You did that on purpose,” she accused Nathan.
“Guilty. Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
“Couldn’t resist what? Pissing off Levi?”
Nathan shrugged. “Seemed like the thing to do at the time.” He finished his drink and said, “Why don’t I walk you home? Unless you want another drink?”
“No, I have to work in the morning.”
Nathan settled the tab and they left. But not before she felt Levi’s gaze boring into her back. She turned around and sure enough, Levi was watching them. And he didn’t look happy.
Was it ridiculous that she felt a little thrill?
She and Nathan walked across the Square to her apartment building in companionable silence. Then she realized that she might have screwed up in allowing Levi—and Nathan—to assume her being with Nathan was more than accidental.
“I’d ask you up but I have to get up early.” If he was annoyed with her, so be it. But apparently he wasn’t, she thought looking at him.
Nathan smiled. “I wasn’t angling for an invite.”
“I didn’t think you were. I just…I’m uh… Oh, hell.”
He was laughing now. “Don’t worry about it. I had a nice time tonight.”
“I did too,” she said, and meant it.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “See ya.”
He waited while she opened the building’s door. “Hey, Dana?”
“Yes?”
“I’m not stupid either.”
And with that he was gone.
