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“Please.”
He grinned and tapped his phone. The other end rang several times before a harried voice picked up. Austin placed the order quickly, shooting me a thumbs-up when they were able to do the sticky rice. That would make Megan—and the rest of us, honestly—happy.
He ended the call and set down his phone, then looked up and held my gaze. I’d counted four of the heartbeats that roared in my ears before he spoke.
“Location. That’s what matters most, right?”
I squashed the seed of disappointment in my heart. Of course he wasn’t going to bring up anything else. What was there to say?
I swallowed. “I think so. The kids can cross at the corner and be at the center in what, five minutes? It’s easy. Even the ones who drive wouldn’t necessarily have to move their cars.”
His fingers drummed on the table top. “I don’t think it’s worth trying to salvage the existing buildings. Even if we fixed them up, they aren’t exactly what we need. You’re right about starting fresh. Then we can make sure everything is exactly what we want.”
There was a tiny part of me that wondered if he was talking about more than the youth center. It was probably wishful thinking. I didn’t want to tear down our whole friendship just to try building something else—something more—in its place though, did I?
“I don’t think we’ll end up with exactly the same thing as was there before—but I think what we get will be better. Longer lasting.” Austin leaned forward. He took my hand—electricity sizzled up my arm—and his gaze locked with mine. “I’m willing to give it a shot if you are. If that’s what you want.”
My mouth was so dry I could only nod.
His lips curved and he reached across the table to take my hand. “To be clear. You’re agreeing that we should try dating, right? And also that I should buy the property, knock down what’s there, and get the youth center built to meet our needs?”
I laughed and squeezed his hand. “Yes. To all of the above.”
“What about Luke?”
I frowned. “What about him?”
“Well.” Austin cleared his throat, his expression earnest. “I’d just as soon you weren’t also dating someone else if we’re dating.”
That was fair. Of course, there was just one big misconception. “Luke and I aren’t dating. We never were.”
“You went out with him. Twice. On dates. That’s dating.”
“No, it’s not. It’s going out on two dates. And honestly, they barely qualify as dates.” Why was I being prickly about this? I didn’t want to date Luke. I wanted to date Austin. But something about his tone rankled deep in my soul. “Am I allowed to have dinner with friends still, or do I have to run that by you first?”
Austin held up his hands. “By all means, keep having dinner with your friends.”
He’d put air quotes around the word “friends” and I wanted to scream. “It seems to me that I was having dinner with you, my best friend, while I was also having dinner with Luke. Was I two-timing him?”
Austin growled. “We hadn’t officially defined any sort of relationship at that point. So no. But now that we have, I’d like to believe that you aren’t going to keep playing the field. We’ve been friends for more than five years and I’ve barely seen you date anyone and now you’re determined to keep two guys on a string?”
“On a string?” I spluttered. I wasn’t trying to keep anyone on a string. “And if I haven’t dated much in the last five years it’s because I was in love with you and waiting for you to get it through your thick skull!”
“Oh yeah? You have a weird way of showing it.” Austin banged the table. “You could have just said something.”
“You could’ve noticed.” I crossed my arms, seething.
Austin looked away.
“Exactly.” I pointed at him, restraining—just barely—the temptation to poke him in the chest. “When push comes to shove, you’d rather keep quiet and hope someone else takes the initiative. We wouldn’t even be friends if I hadn’t approached you. But I wasn’t going to drag you kicking and screaming to the altar. Still won’t.”
“That’s hideously unfair.”
“Tell me about it.”
Austin was the most infuriating man I’d ever known. He was also the smartest and kindest, but right now, I couldn’t focus on those things. I loved him. As a friend, for sure, but also more. At least that was what it seemed like. Maybe I was wrong. “I’m dragging you into this youth center, too. Aren’t I?”
“What? No.” He looked at me, startled. “And I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
