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But he was decidedly less open than before he’d brought her back to the table.
He took his seat beside her and remained quiet.
On impulse, she reached over and grabbed his hand under the table. She had no idea what was going on in his head and it wasn’t like she could just ask him in front of all his friends. They were cool people, that wasn’t the issue.
But the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to his discomfort.
She squeezed his hand for a solid three seconds and then relaxed her hold, but didn’t let go.
He took a deep breath and flipped his palm over, lacing their fingers together.
She smiled at Tara’s story while her heart settled into a gentle rhythm, glad she was the one at André’s side.
If there was one thing Nikki was good at, it was talking. She told stories about being on tour, making music, her home improvement projects—those ones had Tyrone wiping tears—and what it was like to live in a crash house.
“Wait. What did you call it?” Tara asked, eyes bright with humor.
“The Lil Snugs House,” Nikki repeated, trying not to giggle. “It was because the first year I bought it, I couldn’t afford heat. So, we had to wrap all the pipes in blankets to keep them from freezing. We only ran the heat when absolutely necessary. Bands passing through would crash in the living room and it was just a massive pile of sleeping bags and pillows. Everyone snuggling together like littermates. Thus, it became known as the Lil Snugs House.”
She sighed and sat back in her chair. “I have since been able to afford heat. But the name still stands.”
Everyone laughed and she took a drink of her old-fashioned while glancing at André. He had relaxed considerably since returning from the bathroom. But they were still holding hands under the table.
His lips twitched and he squeezed her hand.
She wondered what was going through his mind.
Did he regret letting her come along tonight? Was he second-guessing what he’d said to her on the dance floor?
It was probably the latter.
Their whole situation was confusing, and it reassured her that maybe she wasn’t the only one a little mixed up in what was going on.
The more time she spent with him, the easier it was to forget that she needed to keep her heart detached.
But even without their hearts involved, she’d always enjoyed André as a person. He was sweet and funny and curious. It was his curiosity that really appealed to her. He asked questions and wasn’t afraid to learn something new.
He never treated her like she was weird or embarrassing. Even tonight when she’d gone on and on in front of his friends about her obsession with analog recording.
If anything, she loved him.
Like a friend!
Like a friend. Geez.
She wasn’t looking for a repeat of the greatest heartbreak of her life.
But she could always use another friend.
Who couldn’t?
* * *
“You don’t have to walk me.”
André tucked his hands in his pockets and didn’t say anything. But he didn’t leave her either.
Which was actually kind of nice.
