Page 74

Her knee presses lightly against my leg.

My brain forgets how conversation works.

Across the table Mason notices.

His eyes narrow.

Dex notices Mason noticing.

Dex grins like a shark.

"So," Dex says loudly. "Shelly."

"No," I say immediately.

"Just curious," he continues. "Remind me again whose brilliant idea this whole marriage thing was?"

I lean back in my chair and look straight at him. "Yours," I say. "You said I should get married."

Dex pauses for half a second. Then he points at Natalie. "Yeah but I didn't say how to do it so successfully."

I shrug and take a sip of my drink. "When I see something worth committing to, I don't half-ass it."

Natalie squeezes my hand under the table.

Later someone jokes from the far end of the table.

"Shelly better behave now that his wife is watching."

A few guys chuckle.

Another voice adds,

"Yeah, his reputation just got expensive."

The tone shifts slightly.

Natalie stays calm.

But something in my chest tightens.

I set down my fork.

"Watch it," I say evenly.

The table goes quiet for half a second.

Bryce immediately jumps in.

"Anyway," he says loudly. "Who ordered the steak the size of a steering wheel?"

Dex raises his hand.

"Athletic necessity," he says.

Conversation restarts.

Natalie glances at me.