Page 42 of Tobias

“That’s annoying.”

“Tell me about it.” I shift in my seat, glancing out the window and watching the buildings fly by. “I sat at a table with a ton of my family, and they all felt like strangers.”

“I know the feeling.”

“Shouldn’t be that way on Thanksgiving.”

“No, it shouldn’t,” he agrees.

We don’t say another word until we get to the bar.

“It’s locked,” I say after tugging on the door and it not opening.

Tobias just smirks, coming up beside me and knocking on the door three times, slowly. He keeps his eyes on me, and I swear I could stare into those hazel eyes all night long. I swallow hard, feeling a strange rush of warmth take me over. He’s standing so close, his body heat warming me. He smells amazing, as usual, but then I remember he was out on a date with someone and the way he’s dressed right now has nothing to do with knowing he was going to see me.

Unless… maybe it is? He could have changed. Asking would be weird, so I won’t do that. I should stop thinking about it. Maybe I could ask how his date went and he'll tell me it was awful… but what if it was amazing? Best I forget it.

The door unlocks from the other side, and it’s pulled open abruptly.

“Oh, what a nice surprise!” Nathanial says with a grin and a look to Tobias that makes it seem like they know some sort of secret.

“Hi, Nathanial,” he says as he moves inside.

“Hey,” I say.

“Well, hello.” He winks at me, then closes and locks the door behind us. Along the bar are aluminum tins of food with red serving spoons sticking out of them.

“There’s plenty, if you want some,” Nathanial says as he reaches my side.

“Oh, I’m good. Thank you.”

“Suit yourself.”

We make our way to the table we sat at last time, with all the same people. The bartender is behind the bar, just doing his thing. Wiping the counter, restocking, bobbing his head to the soft music playing from the speakers.

“Does the new owner know we’re here?” Tobias asks as he takes my coat for me. I slide in to take a seat.

“Yes?” Benton says, raising his brows and reaching for his drink.

Tobias shakes his head as he sits beside me.

“We do it every year. He’s not going to stop us,” Luca says with a wave of his hand.

“He could,” Tobias says.

“He better not,” the bartender says as he drops off two drinks. Both whiskey.

“Thank you,” I tell him, reaching for my wallet. He waves his hands at me.

“No, they’re all set.”

I glance at Tobias, scowling. “I can pay for dr—”

“Free drinks on Thanksgiving,” Tobias says with a smirk.

“This new owner is going to hate you all,” I say, causing everyone to laugh.

“He better not or we’ll make sure he doesn’t make another damn dollar,” Benton says.

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