It puckers my lips at first, and I’m not sure if I love it or hate it. But after another sip, it starts to warm my insides, and I decide Jordan’s right: it’s delicious.
“Told ya,” Jordan says, jostling me lightly with her elbow. Under the dim lights, her hair looks white blond, and her silver earrings wink when she tosses her hair over her shoulder. “All right, food.”
I peruse the menu, and my stomach starts to sink.
It’s almost all meat based, and there’s hardly anything that doesn’t have an animal on the ingredients list. Maybe I should’ve told them I’m a vegetarian, but that never comes up naturally in conversation, and I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. I’d assumed a fancy place like this would have plenty of plant-based options, but now I’m almost wishing we’d opted for Chipotle; at least they have sofritas.
My concern must be apparent on my face, because Sebastian leans forward, a furrow in his brow. “What’s wrong? Don’t see anything you want?”
“Um . . .” I let out an awkward chuckle and push a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s not that, I just . . . don’t eat meat.”
Lucas scoffs, and I try not to let heat rise into my cheeks.
This is why I don’t like going out to eat with people. There’s almost always someone who thinks my diet is silly or stupid or just plain wrong, and they usually let me know. Loudly.
“Why not?” Sebastian asks, though he seems more interested than disgusted.
With my gaze down at my menu, I say quietly, “I like animals. I don’t want someone to hurt them just so I can eat them.”
“That’s stupid,” Lucas says, and across the table, Alisha shoots him a scathing glare.
“No, it just means Nora has principles.” Dex’s voice is hard, and when I look over at him in surprise, his sharp gaze is leveled on Lucas. “But you wouldn’t know anything about that.” Lucas opens his mouth, but Dex holds up a hand. “Just shut the fuck up, dude.”
A beat of tense silence goes around the table, and then Sebastian launches right back in.
“I think it’s cool,” he says, and he reaches across the table to bump my fist. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
I laugh. “Well, I guess we’re both having salad, then.”
Once the moment has passed, I risk a glance at Dex, but he’s not looking at me. He’s focused on his menu, his blue eyes narrowed and a subtle furrow in his brow.
Why did he come to my defense like that? Does he actually mean what he said, or is he just so fed up with Lucas today that he’s looking for any excuse to lay into him?
His eyes flick up to mine, and a thrill goes through me. I hold his gaze for one, two, three seconds, then offer him a small grateful smile. He doesn’t quite smile back—not fully—but the tiny upward twist of his lips is enough to send my heart racing again, so I tear my gaze away and take another drink of my caramel apple martini.
I didn’t really want a salad for dinner, but as far as salads go, it was delicious; even Sebastian seemed to enjoy his. I ordered sweet potato fries on the side, and I’m especially grateful I did, because the martini is already hitting me hard, and I’m hoping the carbs will soak up some of the alcohol.
When we’ve all finished our meals and the waiter comes back around, I quickly dive into my purse and pull out my wallet, determined not to make the others think I just want to mooch off them. Sure, this dinner alone might make it impossible to put any money in my savings account this month, but it’s not like I eat out with rock stars every night.
Dex notices me pulling out my credit card, and a weird look crosses over his face. He looks . . . confused, maybe? But as soon as he notices me staring, he wipes the expression clean away.
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out a slim gray wallet and removes a thick black credit card. Without a word, the waiter sweeps by to take it from him, and Dex tips his head at me.
“I’m happy to pay for my dinner,” I say, but Dex just shakes his head.
“You’re our guest. It’s my treat. Except for you.” His gaze cuts to Lucas. “You’re paying next time for being a dick.”
“All right, all right.” Lucas runs a hand over his buzzed blond hair and gives me a shy glance. “Sorry, Nora.”
“It’s all right. I get that a lot.”
“Really?” Jordan says beside me. “That’s fucked-up.”
I give a little shrug. Talking about this is always a bummer, so I’d rather just avoid the topic and drink another martini.
“Okay, what’s next?” Sebastian asks, rubbing his hands together like he’s about to do a magic trick.
Next? I didn’t expect there to be a next.
Jordan and Alisha glance at each other, then say in tandem, “Velvet!”
I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been there; Velvet’s a sexy nightclub where the who’s who of LA like to hang out, or so the tabloids have led me to believe.
“What do you say, Nora?” Alisha looks at me with gleaming brown eyes. “You wanna go dance?”
Over her shoulder, Dex meets my eyes and flicks his lip ring, and looking at the sharp cut of his cheeks under the dim restaurant lighting, there’s no way I can say no, no way I can walk away from this, from him, without finding out what’s waiting on the other side.
This is bad.
“Let’s do it,” I say.
The girls squeal with excitement as I drain the rest of my martini.
I have a feeling this is going to be a night I won’t soon forget.
chapter 10
