Page 35 of Fighting

“Aw,” Kyle says. “Guess this is why I could never convince you to have a drink with me. Who is the lucky gentleman?” He extends a hand.

My date tonight returns the gesture, grasping Kyle’s hand firmly. “Mateo Santos-Manolo. Wish I could say I’m sorry she never said yes.” He steps back and pulls me into his side.

Remembering to play nice, I force myself to relax against him. Warmth radiates between us, eliminating any chill in the fall air.

“We’re joining the council tonight,” I say. “Delia said we’re upstairs. Is that still the plan?”

“Absolutely. It’s the smaller dining room.” He holds out an arm, gesturing for us to head that way. “River’s already up there too. Let me know what you want from the bar, and I’ll send someone up with your drinks while you wait.”

“Perfect. Sparkling water with lemon. And for you?” I ask Mateo through long, fluttering lashes.

“Aw, Ivy.” He drops a kiss on the crown of my head. “A scotch old enough to order its own scotch, please.”

I bite back a laugh. There is no way Kyle will understand the request, so I grab my phone and shoot Delia a text.

Nessa:

Mateo just told Kyle he wants a 21-year-old scotch, but I doubt he understood him.

Delia:

Correct, he just asked me for “old scotch.”

You only want sparkling water with lemon?

Nessa:

I knew he could get that right

Delia:

No alcohol? For this dinner?

Nessa:

Nothing strong. I need to keep my wits.

Delia:

Red or white?

Nessa:

Surprise me.

A few minutes after we’re seated, our drinks arrive. Despite Kyle’s claim about River waiting up here, he’s nowhere to be found. And I’m not going to knock on that office door. He and Lily have been unable to keep their hands off each other, and I’m not interested in catching him with his pants down.

fourteen

Mateo

It’samazing what the team did in here. Below the chair rail lining the room, the walls are painted a creamy off white. Above it, they’ve applied a whimsical floral paper. The fixtures are all black iron and wood. The table is one of those resin-filled raw-edge pieces, the legs and chairs an old gold. Gold mercury glass votives in clusters filled with flameless candles decorate the top. This is really a step up from the old days.

Nessa is smirking and nudging me under the table as River and Lily enter. When I take them in, I fake a cough to cover my laugh. River’s green shirt is untucked, while Lily keeps tugging on her skirt to adjust it.

“Heard you’d be up here waiting. Looks like we were wrong.” Nessa breaks into a wicked smirk.

“Oh, uh. We were,” River stammers. “But we had to run upstairs to the apartment to make sure things are in order for when my brother comes home for Christmas,”

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