Page 43 of Falling for Mr. Wright

“I don’t know if I’d want to haul it up five flights of stairs.” She turned to face him, resting her hand on his arm. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get all emotional.”

Before he could answer that he really didn’t mind and he’d love to learn more about her family sometime, Logan joined them along with a tall blonde who Ryan assumed must be Corrine.

“Well, look who finally made it.” Logan handed Sarah a martini glass with a peppermint candy cane hanging off its side. “Corrine recommended their signature Christmas martini.”

Sarah’s eyes went wide. “Wow, thanks. It sure is…festive. Did you not get one for yourself?”

Ryan quickly suppressed a smile. Sarah was more of a beer and margarita kind of gal and probably not that excited about Logan’s choice of drink for her. He liked that he knew that about her and Logan didn’t.

“No, but I ordered a bottle of red wine for the table.” Logan turned to Ryan. “Corrine this is Ryan. Ryan, Corrine.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Ryan said and extended his hand. Logan was right. Corrine was super tall, and in her mini black dress that stopped at her thigh, she’d come ready to show some leg.

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Corrine flashed a toothy smile.

“Shall we sit down?” Logan asked. “Our table is ready.” He put his hand on the small of Sarah’s back, leading the way.

Ryan’s muscles tensed, and he fisted a hand. Seeing his best friend touch her set off every expletive in his head.

“Should we join them?”

Corrine’s question snapped him back into the moment. “Yeah…um…definitely.” He turned to his date not wanting to show how riled up he’d gotten by Logan’s simply touching Sarah. “Thanks for joining us tonight.”

“Thanks for inviting me.” She laughed. “Or agreeing to be set up for a couple of hours of awkward small talk about how beautiful this panoramic view is.” She pointed to the floor-to-ceiling window, that indeed, showed off a breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline.

He couldn’t help but chuckle. At least Corrine had a sense of humor. Maybe this evening wouldn’t be a total disaster.

They crossed the room to their table, where Ryan pulled out a chair for his date and then took his own. His leg brushed Sarah’s, who was seated opposite him, and their eyes locked for a second. He quickly moved his leg. “Nice pick, Logan.”

“Wait until you see the menu.” Logan leaned closer to Sarah and winked over at Corrine. “Although, ladies, you may not realize that you are dining with a man that lived on street-vendor hot dogs and anything he could make in his Hot Pot all four years of college.”

“Whatever, man. It was cheap.”

Logan continued to rip on him. “I once caught Ryan sitting on our dorm floor, making dinner for our RA, who he had a massive crush on with only his Hot Pot and plates and silverware he’d stolen from the dining hall.”

Ryan dismissed that. “She was just a friend, and ‘borrowed’ is the operative word. I returned everything the next day, and, hey, what’s wrong with macaroni and cheese?”

“Nothing. I’m glad your palette finally matured,” Logan said, while offering Sarah some bread that had been set on the table.

“Do you like to cook, Logan?” Sarah said, taking a piece.

“Not so much cooking but eating. I love checking out new restaurants.” He winked. “Both for the food and the architecture. There’s this great new Brazilian restaurant in my neighborhood I’ve wanted to try that was designed by one of my dad’s former colleagues. Do you like Brazilian?”

“I’ve never had it,” Sarah said.

“We should plan on checking it out sometime.”

Ryan drained his wineglass, thoroughly pissed off that Logan had basically asked Sarah out on a second date to a restaurant around the corner from his swanky condo.

How fucking convenient. He reached for the wine bottle and refilled his glass.

“So, Ryan…” Logan winked at Corrine. “Corrine worked in the accounting office for the New England Patriots.”

“You’re from Boston?” Ryan asked, unfolding his napkin and placing it in his lap.

“I lived there ten years. I’ve been with the Patriots for the last eight.”

“At the stadium in Foxboro?”

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