“Let’s do some basic get-to-know-each-other questions?” His tone was playful, far from the composed man I met a few days ago.

“Okay.” I shot him a glance over my shoulder, but was skeptical. “Go ahead.”

He gestured to the empty chair next to him.

I stepped to the table, sat down, and scooted my chair to put a few inches between us. If Elodie walked in and saw us here she would definitely have something to say about the two of us sitting so close, alone in the house.

“I’ll ask you a question and you answer honestly and we go from there. Think of it as my birthday gift.” He smiled at me. I wanted to kick him for being so adorable.

“This is what friends do. They get to know each other’s hobbies and taste in music. Favorite foods, all that,” he assured me.

He was so confident—in his words, his smile, even the way he leaned back on the chair with his arms crossed. I felt that familiar pull from the bottom of my tummy down toward my legs.

“Okay, okay. Enough small talk, ask something.” I needed to be distracted from the way Kael’s mouth made me ache as he licked his lips while peeling the skin off that freakin’ orange.

“I only brought one, but we can share,” he said. I loved this playful version of him.

“Some friend,” I joked, and he shook his head.

“Hey, we’re just starting out. I get to have a few hiccups.”

“Touché.” I paused, looking around the kitchen. “Anyway, you’re the one who doesn’t tell me anything about himself.”

“You go first, then,” he offered. I thought about what I wanted to know about him. There was just so much.

Music. That’s what popped into my head first. I’d ask about music! “What’s your favorite band that no one really knows?”

He turned to me, his eyes wide, happy.

“So many. I love unknown bands. It’s most of what I listen to. I just open Spotify and type in my mood and they usually get it pretty spot-on.” He opened the app and showed me his screen. “This morning I listened to a band called Muna. I found them recently. They’re great.”

“Muna isn’t unknown. There’s a rumor they are going to be opening for Harry Styles on his upcoming tour.” I told him how I loved their music and how Elodie and I would try to get tickets to his concert as soon as they went on sale. I’d need to pick up a few more clients before I could afford resell tickets.

“Harry Styles, huh? If you could go to any concert, ever, who would it be?” he asked me.