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Delane looked at me and suggested thoughtfully, “We can throw her in the trunk?”

I chuckled at that and Chelsea perked to attention. “Hmm?”

“So,” I said casually, trying desperately to come down from my Delane high. “What are you late for? Where are you two headed?”

Before Delane could open her mouth, Chelsea was already letting herself out of the car. She strutted forward. “A party. You wanna come? Delane needs a date.”

Delane squeaked in response to that.

“A party? Where at?” My interest grew with the spreading blush across Delane’s cheeks.

“A club downtown. It’s for Delane’s birthday, after all. There will be lots of grinding.” Chelsea winked. Delane turned, and slapped her best friend’s arm—hard.

“Uh, ow.” Chelsea rubbed the spot where Delane whacked and glared at her.

My eyes went back to Delane. “Your birthday? Is that today?”

Crap. I hoped I didn’t miss it.

Chelsea grinned, turning back to Delane. “Ohh, you didn’t tell him? Come on now.”

“It’s not today—” Delane blurted. I watched with amusement as she stammered over her next words. “It’s in a f-few days, b-but we were going to celebrate early, so—”

Chelsea cut her off, asking me with another smile, “So, do you want to come?”

Delane’s already pale features seemed to drain of color even more. She glanced up at me sheepishly, and when Chelsea dropped her attention back to her phone, I gave her a quick wink.

“Sure.” I said with a shrug. “Just give me the name of the place and the address, and I can meet you guys there in a couple of hours. That is—” I directed the next bit to Delane. “...if you want me to come?”

Chelsea clapped her hands and reached out to me. “Are you kidding? Of course she does. Here, give me your phone. I’ll plug the address into your GPS. I know where we’re going.”

Delane bounced on her feet nervously. “Of course, I’d like you to go, Noah, but you don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

I flashed a grin, opening my phone for Chelsea. “No, it’s fine, I swear. Celebrating you sounds more fun than anything around here.”

Chelsea was already in my Maps app adding information by the time I looked back down. How she managed to navigate my personal device so quickly was a bit alarming.

Three seconds and a wicked smile later, Chelsea handed my phone back to me. “Cool. See you around nine?”

“Okay.”

Delane sighed and Chelsea turned to her. “Oh, relax. Now I don’t have to babysit you the whole time, and I get to show you how to really dance. Not all those fancy moves this rich guy had at his ball.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Delane muttered.

I chuckled, catching Delane’s eye again and offering a quiet, steady look. I couldn’t deny the pull between us, but I wished I could ease at least some of her tension. This moment that was building between us before Chelsea’s interruption was boiling just beneath the surface, and I knew she could tell I was thinking about it. Her sheltered gaze and unwillingness to hold my eye contact told me that I made her nervous. Me being there tonight might also make her nervous.

A brief memory of her in my lap resurfaced and I bit my lip.

I wanted to make that blush on her cheeks continue. And I wouldn’t mind a repeat of our time on the terrace either.

Chelsea, ignorant to her surroundings as ever, twirled happily towards the car. “Let’s go, Delane. We’re going shopping!”

Delane rolled her eyes, then glanced up at me. I softened my expression, giving her another encouraging smile. She mirrored it. “I’ll see you later?”

Oh you will, I thought to myself.

I leaned in just enough for my voice to brush her ear. “It’s a date,” I murmured.