Page 73 of Unofficial

"You looked as shocked as I felt. And they were your words."

"I know! But the way she made it sound like you should be over everything happened just because it happened a long time ago made me mad. Like what you two had wasn't that serious, even though you were five months from walking down the aisle. God, I don't like her. I don't like her at all."

Kade smirks. "Okay, I have a confession. I almost wish she would have sat with us. That would have been the most awkward conversation in the history of time, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had to say a damn thing. You, my girl, would have made her regret that."

"I wonder what they would have tried to talk about?"

"Oh, I know. They would have told us how great they are, how amazing business is, where their newest luxury house is, and how perfect their children are. "

"Perfectly bratty, entitled brats for children."

He raises his eyebrows. "Bratty, entitled brats?"

"Okay, it's not eloquent, and I don't want to speak too poorly about someone's kids, but come on. You know they're just like their parents. It’s not their fault they got the short end of the stick to have inherited the DNA of terrible human beings."

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jess was right, and Kade loved the steak her friend prepared. It just melted in his mouth, and he worries all other steak has been ruined for him. Until he looked up the cost when Jess went to the bathroom before the food came out. One hundred and twenty dollars. Woof. There is no way he plans to let Jess pay for dinner. Not after the way she stuck it to Sam.

"Here's a lovely Cabernet sent by the chef to pair with the steak," the waiter says and sets the glass in front of Kade.

Jess tries to hold back her laughter, but she can't. The way she giggles makes him smile when, on all accounts, he should be in a depressed, miserable state. "I told you!"

"Fine, I'll try it," he says, giving in. At this point tonight, Jess could ask him for his left foot, and he'd cut it off for her.

For months, Jess has tried to get him to pair wine with his steak after going on a wine tasting. He rebelled, scoffing at how something could enhance the flavors of food, but tonight he decides to give it a shot.

Taking a sip, he hates the initial feeling in his mouth. The wine is dry. Very dry. But it's not bad tasting. Actually, it tastes pretty good.

"What the hell?"

"I told you," she says again and holds up her glass of white wine. "You just have to get past the dry feeling, but you get used to it."

Chuckling, he sets the glass down. "You did tell me."

"How's the caulini? I've seen it before, but I've never tried it. It looks amazing," she says and takes a bite of her swordfish.

"It's good. I don't know what it is, though."

"Cauliflower."

He lifts an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yes," she says with a laugh. "Like broccolini"

That makes sense. They're always coming up with new things to serve at fancy restaurants. "Can I try your swordfish?"

Her eyebrows raise. "You want to try fish?"

"It looks more like a fish-steak. I'll give you a bite of this delicious red meat."

"Throw in a piece of that caulini, and you've got a deal."

"Anything for you," he says with a wink, and they swap forks.

Kade wasn't sure what to expect with swordfish, but it surprised him. He would have happily eaten it if he'd been served it, but the steak is amazing. And Jess knows what he likes. One more reason to add to the list of why he loves this woman.

"Oh my God, this is like heaven in my mouth," she says and closes her eyes. "Don't mind me. I think I might need a cigarette after how good that was."

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