AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh… great.” I hadn’t planned on being there, but since we’re being seated at the chef’s table, I suppose I’ll have to be. “Please thank the chef for me and we’ll see you around seven?”
“Perfect. We look forward to seeing you, Mr. Greene.”
I hang up, and instead of going back and forth with Ben on text message, I call him.
“Hey,” he answers in a whisper.
My eyebrows furrow. “Is something wrong?”
“No, no. Just don’t want her to know I had to use you to get us a table. Hold on, I’m going into the bathroom. Be right back, Clara.” I hear a door shut. “Okay. Did you get a table? Ashton can’t come. I’m thinking about asking Damon.”
“No need. The restaurant thinks I’m going to be there, so I have to scrounge up a date. But it’s the chef’s table at seven.”
He goes back to whispering. “Chef’s table! Man, you’re the best.”
“I’ll see you there, okay?”
“You’re a lifesaver. Thank you so much.”
“No problem.”
We hang up and I scroll through the list of contacts on my phone. It’s three in the afternoon, how the hell am I gonna find a date?
* * *
I do find a date, but Sessilee’s not my first choice by a long shot. I press the elevator button to head down to my car to pick her up at her hotel before meeting Clara and Ben at Hillstone.
Jesus. Just thinking about their names together as though they’re a real couple makes me nauseated. Even if I only have myself to blame.
On one hand, I’m pissed I ever agreed to this shit. Second, if Ben wants to date Clara, he should plan the night his damn self. I shouldn’t be stuck playing wingman to him when I should be going over game film and the playbook in preparation for Sunday’s game.
The elevator door opens, and I hit the ground floor button, but surprise surprise, it stops on Ben’s floor. Ben and Clara are waiting, already dressed and heading out. Clara’s gaze falls down my body, but she schools her expression and steps in as if she wasn’t just checking me out.
“You clean up well,” Ben says, joining us.
“Same.” Glancing at the floor, I see that Ben is wearing his cowboy boots. “You two are leaving early,” I say to pass the time on this elevator ride from hell.
How we’ll all get through dinner is beyond me, though Ben seems oblivious to the tension between Clara and me. Any time he’s inquired why she hasn’t been down here for the past couple of years, I just told him that she’s had staffing issues at work and couldn’t get away.
“We were ready, so…” Ben shoots me a look over Clara’s head like he’s doing something wrong here. “Now all three of us can go.”
“Actually, I have to go pick up my date.” I dodge eye contact with Clara when she glances at me. Even when we were the best of friends, we never double-dated. I haven’t been a full-time resident of Alaska since I left for college, so what time I was there, we’d spend together. I’ve only seen Clara with another guy a few times, but it never bothered me as much as it does right now.
Maybe it’s because we’re not really on speaking terms and Ben gets to talk to her all he wants. Yeah, that must be it.
“Who is it?” Ben asks as the elevator stops.
Our night doorman, Rowdy, waves to us from behind the desk.
“I was just about to call up, Mr. Greene. Your car is here.” He quickly rounds the desk to open the door for us.
“Perfect,” Ben says. “I was going to hitch us an Uber or taxi, but we’ll just go with you.”
Instinctively, I glance at Clara, and she forces a smile.
“Okay, but someone will have to sit up front once we pick up my date.” My lips press together.
Ben raises his hand. “I’ll take shotgun.”
