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“Thanks for that,” I say softly and he nods.
“Anytime.”
For a moment, the world seems to shrink to just the two of us, sitting in that booth, sharing an unspoken moment, but then the bell above the door jingles, and I look up to see my two friends walking in, their faces lighting up when they spot me.
“Auden!” Lena calls out, waving as they make their way over to our booth. “What a coincidence! We were just talking about you.”
“Hey, you two,” I said with a grin, scooting over to make room for them. “What are you doing here?”
“We were just grabbing lunch,” Arlowe says, sliding into the booth across from me. “We had called you to see if you wanted to join us, but you didn’t answer.”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear my phone,” I apologize, digging around in my big purse until I find my phone.
Sure enough, I have two texts and a missed call from them.
“No worries,” Lena says, eyeing Wade and then me.
“Wade and I were just—” I start, but before I can finish, Arlowe cuts me off with a sly smile.
“Wade, huh?” she says, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
I roll my eyes, but I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips.
“Yeah, guys, this is Wade Collins. He’s the contractor on the Montgomery project. He went to high school with us,” I tell Lena and she nods.
“I remember. Nice to see you again,” Lena says.
“Nice to meet you, Wade,” Arlowe adds, offering him a friendly smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Wade raises an eyebrow, glancing at me with an amused look. “All good things, I hope.”
“Mostly,” Lena teased, nudging me with her elbow. “Nah, I’m just kidding. Auden has just told us that you’re her neighbor and the contractor for her work project. It’s still nice to meet you and put a name to the face.”
“Likewise,” Wade says.
There is a moment of silence, and then Arlowe leans forward, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “So, Auden, we were thinking about hitting up the Lucky Horseshoe tonight. It’s been ages since we had a girls’ night out. What do you say?”
My first instinct is to say no, to come up with some excuse about work or being too tired., but then I think about it. It has been a long time since I’d gone out and had fun. I’ve missed hanging out with my friends and just letting loose and enjoying life. I’ve been focused on work for too long, so maybe a night out would do me some good.
“Yeah, that sounds like fun. I’m in.”
“Great!” Lena said, clapping her hands together. “We’ll meet you there at eight?”
“Perfect,” I agree, already looking forward to it.
Wade shifts beside her, and I turn to him.
“You should come with us,” I blurt out, the words escaping before I can think them through.
He looks a little taken aback, but then he smiles, a little apologetic.
“I’d love to, but I’ve got plans tonight.”
I try not to show my disappointment, but I can’t help feeling a little bummed that he won’t be joining us.
I wonder what kind of plans he has. Is it a date? He said that he hasn’t dated before, but maybe he’s ready to now.
“Maybe another time,” I say, hoping I don’t sound too deflated.
