Page 12 of Off Limits

Simon’s mouth tightens, and I’m not about to get in the way of a man who probably squats my weight as an easy warmup. Looking around the restaurant, I finally spot Cal, hanging by the hostess stand and flirting with the pretty girl working there.

I stand on tiptoe and wave my arms to catch his attention, growing more frantic by the second, because while I’m ignoring whatever’s passing between Simon and Andrew, I know it won’t end well for anyone if it’s allowed to continue for much longer. I’m contemplating sticking my fingers in my mouth and whistling to get his attention when he finally notices me.

His head snaps up and his eyes widen, and while he gives the hostess one last quick smile as he says something, he’s already moving in our direction. I drop back to flat feet and cross my arms while I wait for Cal to intervene. I’m ready for this to be over. This whole night. Because this date is a complete disaster.

Even if Simon hadn’t interrupted, I doubt I’d go out with Andrew again. We have no chemistry, and if nothing else, Simon’s presence just highlights that fact. Because Simon makes me feel things that leave Andrew looking like a pale, insipid comparison, no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise, even if my attraction is one sided.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s going on over here?” Cal says, bringing me out of my reverie.

Andrew starts blustering something, but Cal ignores him and focuses on me. “I’m here on a date with Andrew, which I’m sure you know, because why else would you be here?”

Cal has the grace to look slightly chagrined. “Mom told me, yeah.”

“Figures.”

“I’m just looking out for you, El.”

I sigh. “I know. And I honestly appreciate it, but look out for me from waaaay over there, okay? If I need anything, I know how to get ahold of you. Interrupting my date for no reason isn’t part of the deal. Ever.”

Nodding, Cal holds up his hands. “Sorry, Ellie. I went to the bathroom and didn’t realize he’d come over here.” He casts a meaningful glance at his friend. “I promise it won’t happen again.” He claps Simon on the shoulder. “C’mon. Let’s go back to our table.”

Just back to their table. Of course. It would be too much to ask for them to pay their bill and leave entirely. How would they do their duty as my self-appointed protectors otherwise?

Heaving out another sigh, I watch them leave and shake my head.

Andrew slides back into his seat, but doesn’t pick up his fork or put his napkin back in his lap. He studies me for a minute, his arms resting on the table. “So that was …”

“Simon. My brother’s roommate. And my brother, Cal.”

He nods, glancing toward the bar then looking back at me. “Football players, right?” I nod. “And you’re … friends with Simon too?”

My eyebrows pull together, and I shake my head, picking up my fork to stab at the food still on my plate. “No, not really. We’ve hung out a couple times, mostly by accident. Cal doesn’t like me around his friends.”

Andrew gives me a quizzical look. “It sounds like there’s a story there.”

I nod, looking down at my plate and picking at my food. “Yeah, it’s a long story, though.” That’s not true. It’s easily summed up in a few sentences. Cal and I were close when we were kids, but then he started high school and everything changed and I was suddenly not allowed to acknowledge our connection in public. He’d be nice to me at home, usually, but at school? If I saw him, he’d pretend not to see me. And if his friends came over to the house, he made it clear it was my job to make myself scarce. But I’m not in the mood to tell any of that, or the reasons behind it, or engage in the conversation that’s sure to follow. Not on a first date. And not with a guy I’m never going out with again.

“Fair enough,” he says with a grimace. He stares at his food for a moment, then looks up, craning his neck to spot Simon and Cal. I follow his gaze to find Simon still glaring at us.

“They’re not going to leave before we do, are they?” Andrew asks.

“Nope,” I say, popping the P. “My knights in shining armor, so to speak.”

He opens his mouth, but closes it without saying anything. Takes a sip of his water, clears his throat, shifts in his seat, picks up his fork, wrinkles his brow, and finally asks without looking at me. “You sure you and Simon didn’t have a thing? He’s acting like a territorial ex.”

That makes me choke on my own spit. Then laugh hard enough to bring tears to my eyes. Or maybe it’s just this disaster of an evening that makes me want to cry. Shaking my head, I wipe my eyes with ring fingers, careful not to smear my eye makeup. “No. I promise. He’s not. He’s acting like an overprotective older brother. He’s an extension of Cal in this situation. He thought he saw something concerning, and since Cal was off flirting with the hostess, Simon took it upon himself to act in his stead. That’s all that happened.”

Andrew grunts the grunt of a man who knows better than to argue, but isn’t actually believing a word I just said. And I’m smart enough to know that insisting will only make me look like I’m hiding something. Which I’m not. Except for my own attraction to Simon, but there’s no need to rub Andrew’s nose in that.

Setting his fork down, Andrew meets my eyes. “Look, Ellie, you’re really great …”

There’s abutcoming. One as big as my Great-Aunt Betty’s. I can see it from a mile away. “You want to end the date early?” I supply, saving him from having to say it.

He deflates with relief. “Would you mind? It’s just with The Hulk and Captain America over there glaring at me, I can’t relax and have any kind of conversation. And I’m really not hungry anymore, either.”

Normally I’d laugh at his characterization of Simon and Cal, but I’m too frustrated—with the date, with Simon, with myself—to even crack a smile. “Yeah. Sure. No problem. I’m not that hungry either.”

He catches our waitress’s eye and asks for the check. We sit in silence as she gets it, along with a couple of to-go boxes.

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