Hell, her mother still tried to do that, dropping by unannounced, which Cherisse had tried to curtail, especially because her mother would always find something in her apartment to critique.

Why these curtains still up?

The floor near the living area looks so bare. A rug would look nice here, not that I’m telling you what to do at your own place.

When last you cobwebbed?

But she rolled with it, just like she’d do with this date. She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it—Tyler hadn’t wowed her with his conversational skills—but perhaps he was better on a one-on-one basis, without a matchmaking mama watching them nearby.

Ava’s sudden shout of glee drew Cherisse’s gaze up. She spotted Keiran first, standing next to a grinning Eric. Scott waved from his left, and Maxine and a couple other guys Cherisse didn’t know stood behind. What were they even doing here?

“Hey, you!” Eric planted a kiss on Ava, and Cherisse scowled.

“Are you guys crashing ladies’ night?” Remi asked.

“Uh, no.” Eric’s grin got wider. “Would you believe we’re having a groomspeople night, and we just happened to end up here?”

“Are you telling me Ava didn’t tell you where we’d be?” That seemed far-fetched. She glared harder at Keiran, who looked on with a mildly sheepish smile.

Eric made some cross-his-heart-and-hope-to-die sign. “No, honest. A happy coincidence.”

“Well, you all best get your asses at another table. This is ridiculous,” Cherisse grumbled.

“Aw, c’mon Cherry, don’t run us.” Scott broke out his usual charming megawatt smile. She almost relented, but the smirk on Keiran’s lips had her seething. She’d thought she hadn’t cared whether he apologized at all, but now, she wanted him to grovel.

“Your boy here can’t sit with us,” she huffed, arms folded to punctuate her point.

Maxine snickered, and Keiran rolled his eyes, but he suddenly dropped to one knee, right there in the middle of the bar, and took Cherisse’s hand. Too stunned to pull away, she gaped down at him. “Please forgive me, Sugar Queen. I was a fool, and I didn’t mean it.”

Cherisse yanked her hand out of his grasp. “You weren’t invited to touch me, and get your ass up!” All eyes were on them, with Keiran making a spectacle of himself. She didn’t need wacky proposal rumors spreading around, linking her to Keiran in any sort of intimate manner. “Apology not accepted. I’ll accept nothing less than sponsored drinks for all of us and a public apology.”

“What? Come on, that’s a bit extreme. This isn’t public enough?” He got to his feet.

“Stingy and a pathetic apology?” She pointed her olive-laden toothpick at him. “You’re not winning any points here. You said that shit to a blogger known for bacchanal. Are you new?”

Keiran glanced at his guys and Maxine, who shrugged and didn’t look the least bit inclined to offer assistance. Good. He wasn’t getting any backup there. It was what he deserved anyhow. Eric was smart. He knew better than to go against his wife-to-be on this. Scott’s grin said he found this way too funny to help a brother out.