Page 45 of Awestruck at Dusk
“I’m sorry about the paella,” Nathan said.What? He knew it’s my favorite. Nolan excused himself and gave us privacy.
“Why?” I asked him, looking into his eyes with a puzzled smile.
“We just had paella last week. I didn’t think you would want to repeat today,” Nathan explained. “I told William to cook whatever the hell he wantedbutpaella.” Nathan snorted. “I don’t want to ruin your favorite dish by having it too often.”
He obviously didn’t know how William owed me a paella. That he’d promised to cook one for Easter this year. But I understood Nathan’s frustration. He’d ask for a single request, and William dismissed it, as it was expected.
“I don’t mind at all. I swear. You know how much I love it.”
“I know. It’s just annoying. William insisted on helping, on how he had a free schedule, and I needed the help, so I agreed.”
“It’s okay. Everything’s perfect.” I kissed him. Right there. With all I had. And I kept striking myself with a mental whip as I wondered whythiscouldn’t be enough.
“You taste like tequila,” he said to me with a weak laugh. “Don’t mix, love. If you’re going to switch, do the switch.”
“I know, but I’m fine. I swear.” I was fine, but I could feel the brewing sensation of the wine and the tequila building up in my head. And I wasn’t thinking about Caleb, so that was already too convenient.
“I’m heading to the loo,” Nathan told me, kissing my hair. “That dress …” He shook his head. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
I nodded and smiled at him. Nolan stood a few feet away from me, shuffling through the images on the camera’s screen. “Thanks,” I told him.
“Sure, Bee, no problem. I’ll keep taking care of the camera for you.”
“I meant—”For lying for me. Nolan quickly picked up on that.
“Oh. Yeah—well. Try not to torture yourself with that right now. Just … enjoy your birthday. You know we can talk about this any other time,” he said, turning the camera off and letting it hang on his neck. “Also, um … Emily and Bryce want to know if it’s okay to ask William for a photograph. They’re too embarrassed to ask themselves. I understand if—”
“No, no. It’s okay. I’ll tell him when I see him again. I’m sure he won’t mind at all.”
“Thanks, Bee.” Nolan turned around and walked back to sit with my friends from school.
Cecile seemed bored as she chatted with Nina, Sophie, and Ren. And I didn’t want to see her like that. I wanted her to have fun. CJ was still talking to David. I could see them near the main entrance—arguing, it seemed.
On my way back to cheer Cecile up, I heard a deep voice behind me, “Billie Murphy?”
I turned around, and it was Jordan Schreiber. “Oh, hey! Yes, I’m Billie.”
“Hi, Billie, I’m Jordan,” he said in a deep voice.Yeah,I know who you are. “Nice to meet you.” He had agorgeousface.
“Nice to meet you too,” I said. I couldn’t offer my hand to him because of my wrist cast, but I saw him eyeing it, so we got that easily out of the way by avoiding handshakes. And I learned the hard way that I couldn’t double-cheek kiss people around. Not everyone’s used to it.
“I just wanted to introduce myself since a few of us are crashing your party. But we’re all excited to see the band playing later tonight.”
“Oh, so you’re into jazz?” I asked him.
“Um, yeah. Besides, Tobias can’t shut up about how great you are. I wanted to meet the little sister he never had.” He laughed.Tob! He was the sweetest. “You’re with William, right?”
“Ah—no. No, I—”
“Shit, I’m sorry. I just assumed, you know, from Tobias’s premiere photographs a few weeks ago. I saw you together and—yeah, I’ll shut up now.” He laughed again. I tried joining him, but it wasn’t the most genuine laugh in the world.
“Anyway,” he said, looking at his drink. “Is—sheyour friend?” Jordan jerked his chin at my friends’ table.
“Ah, yes. They both are. Which one do you mean?” I needed clarification onfriend. Nina and Cecile both sat at the same table. And I knew he wasn’t asking about Sophie, who sat on Ren’s lap.
“The cute French girl with an attitude,” he said, taking a sip of his whiskey and glancing at Cecile. “I heard her talking to the blonde girl beside her when I walked by, and she’s so damn cute.”
Cecile’s left brow seemed to be stuck on a raised arch position giving off majordon’t mess with mevibes. So I understood where Jordan was coming from with theattitude remark about Cecile. But yeah, she looked classically beautiful as she always did.
