Page 65 of Something Like That

Alex stood near the hostess stand, an attractive Black woman at her side. She still had her hair down, but had curled the ends so it hung around her shoulder like golden spirals. She was also wearing makeup. Not a lot, just something that highlighted her eyes, and some shiny gloss slicked over her lips. Gloss that caught the light, making her lips look extra plump.

The hostess pointed to the table where he and Ty sat. Alex’s gaze swung toward them and she smiled. And damn, if his heart didn’t do that stupid fluttery thing again. She was so fucking beautiful.

She made her way toward them, weaving around the tables. He couldn’t look away. As she neared the table, she undid the tie on her coat. The sides of her coat slid open. He forgot how to breathe.

She wore the most incredible dress he’d ever seen. It was a dark red, and made of some silky, almost shiny but not quite, fabric. His palms itched to run along it, see if it was as soft as it appeared. He knew absolutely nothing about fashion, but this dress was something special. It wasn’t tight, but it formed to her body, ending just below her knees. It also had a slit in the front that gave him a glimpse of her long, lean thigh with every step she took.

“You might want to roll your tongue back up.” Amusement peppered Ty’s tone.

Nick glanced at him. “What?” Which he quickly followed up with, “shut up.”

Ty laughed quietly and stood. Alex and Janelle stopped next to the table. He scrambled to his feet.

“Hi,” he said, and then wanted to kick his own ass for being so fucking dumb. Ty made some sort of noise beside him, one that sounded an awful lot like a snort. At this rate, his friend would be lucky to not miss his flight tomorrow, due to the fact he’d be in traction.

“Hi,” Alex said. Time seemed to stop, the two of them just staring at each other.

Ty cleared his throat. “Hi, I’m Tyler.” He held his hand out across the table.

That seemed to break whatever spell had fallen over them. Alex gave a tiny start and angled herself in Ty’s direction.

“Hi, I’m Alex,” she said, her voice open and friendly. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m a big fan.” She shook his hand, her cheeks turning that adorable shade of pink.

Jealousy flared hot in Nick’s chest. His fingers twitched, wanting to grab her and yank her into his side. Very Neanderthal. And very unappealing. He quietly blew out a breath and unclenched his jaw.

Ty turned to the woman standing next to Alex and held out his hand.

“Janelle.” She shook his hand. She was very attractive, with medium brown skin and dark eyes. Her hair was a crown of natural curls. She wore a pair of black flowy pants and an emerald green blouse.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Alex bonked herself on the forehead with the heel of her hand. So. Fucking. Cute. “That was really rude of me. Janelle,” she turned to her friend and then indicated Nick with a sweep of her hand. “This is Nick. Nick, my friend and business partner, Janelle.”

He held out his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Janelle.” She shook his hand with a surprisingly strong grip. Especially considering she couldn’t be any taller than about five foot five. The three of them dwarfed her.

“You too, Nick. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The assessing look in her dark eyes could mean a bunch of things. He suddenly found himself incredibly nervous. Like he needed to make a good impression, or was being measured or something. It was clear he was going to need to earn Janelle’s approval.

Did Alex know just how many people loved her this fiercely?

“I would say, all good I hope, but I know that’s a bit of a stretch.” He kept an airy dryness in his tone, going for self-deprecating. He must have hit the mark, because Janelle laughed, breaking the tension that had crept in around them.

Alex slipped off her coat, and the only reason he wasn’t on his ass on the carpet was because of the death grip he had on the back of his chair.

Her dress had thin little straps, leaving her shoulders and chest bare. All that creamy, soft skin on display. His mouth actually watered. She sat in the seat next to him—the table was a small square that sat four—Janelle in the seat between her and Ty.

Ty nudged him with an elbow.

He was still standing, staring at Alex and all of her gorgeousness like a horny, teenaged idiot.

His cheeks prickled. He hoped like hell the dim lighting in the restaurant would hide his blush. Taking a seat, he couldn’t help but glance at Alex one more time. She gave him a sweet, shy smile. The tension leaked out of him.

“So, Janelle,” Ty said, his voice loud in their intimate group. “What do you do for a living?”

Janelle smiled, although there was a guardedness to her expression. “I’m a massage therapist.”

“Nice.” Ty took a quick sip of his beer. “I wouldn’t have survived my final season without the MT.”

Janelle’s shoulders relaxed a touch. Nick briefly wondered if she’d been expecting Ty—and possibly him—to judge her, or make assumptions about her career. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ty and Nick were professional athletes. They took all forms of personal health seriously.

The waiter came by, filling up the women’s glasses with ice water. “Can I get you ladies something to drink?”