Maybe he’s secretly happy to see me again. Maybe he missed me. Maybe he only came to New York so he could find me...

“Are you drunk, Sullivan?” he then asks, pulling me out of my head. “You look a little dazed.”

I blink my eyes as I refocus. “No, I’m fine. It’s just hot out here. Are you hot?” I fan myself with my hand, looking around to see if anyone else is doing the same. They’re not.

“Am I hot? Is that a serious question or are you hitting on me?”

I stop fanning myself. “What? No, I’m not hitting on you.”

“Are you sure?” There’s a mischievous flash in Ryan’s eyes and it makes him look so much like he did in college. I sincerely hope it goes away soon.

“I’m one hundred percent positive I’m not hitting on you. We’re just talking.”

“You seem jumpy for someone who’s just talking.”

“Yeah, well, you make me very uncomfortable.”

Ryan gives me an understanding kind of smile as he takes a small step back, giving me space even though I’m sure he knows I’m not really uncomfortable. Just on edge. And confused. And slightly freaking out.

“Sorry,” he says. “You used to like it when I would rile you up.”

I swallow hard and say nothing.

“But clearly, those days are over.”

“Yes,” I agree. “Very much over.”

Ryan nods and glances around before looking back at me. “All right, fun as this reunion has been, I better go check on Beau. He was taking shots the last time I checked and if I don’t keep him in line now, I’ll get stuck laying down bail money for him later.”

“Funny, I would have guessed it would be the other way around.”

“Sometimes it is, but I made the wise decision not to drink too much tonight. Wouldn’t want one of us to lose our cool and cause a scene.”

For a second I think he’s talking about him and Beau, but based on the way he’s watching me, I know he’s referring to the two of us.

“It was good catching up with you, Sullivan. I guess I’ll see you at the wedding. If I pass by your table with the other maiden aunts, I’ll make sure to say hi.”

“How gentlemanly. And if I pass your table where they seat the creepy toads who were invited out of obligation, I’ll bring a scotch for you to cry into.”

“Always so considerate. You have a good night.”

And then it’s over. Ryan turns and walks over to his friend, who is talking up two of Cristina’s coworkers. I turn around to keep from staring when Cristina suddenly pops up in front of me.