Maybe they were on the same page. “Cash, I, um—”

“I want to see you.”

Her breath caught, and her heart picked that moment to have a palpitation. Oh, behavioral analysts would have a field day with that reaction. She nodded instead of speaking, but it didn’t do any good. Why couldn’t she string two syllables together? Okay. No prob. Me too.

“Nic? You there?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I’m… tired.”

“Tomorrow night, bunch of us are getting together for a cookout. You down to go? You know, catch up with us for old time’s sake?”

She nodded again, and this time managed two syllables, one word. “Okay.”

“Good. Pick you up tomorrow night. See ya.” He hung up before she said she’d drive herself. Damn it, being stuck in a confined area with Cash spelled trouble.

***

Nicola swirled the plastic soda cup, not stifling a giggle. She’d been tired and toeing the edge of a swan dive into a drama abyss, but Beth had called, promising a girls’ night. Nic needed one, badly, because the last thing she wanted to do was go to her apartment and have a conversation with her roommate about things she couldn’t discuss.

Nicola met Beth at an apartment she kept in the city above a convenience store, which was, indeed, convenient in that it sold all kinds of mixers and had a supply of plastic cups at the self-serve drink station.

“Tell me again why you have this place.” Nicola hiccupped and giggled, putting her hand over her mouth. Another one escaped.

“Came in handy tonight, didn’t it, Nic?”

Hiccup. “I need a refill.”

“Me too.” Beth snorted and poured way more Ketel One than she needed into her plastic cup. “Pink or red?” she asked, topping off her own.

Nicola studied the cranberry and pink lemonade mixer options. Tough decision. “Um, red this time.”

Whoopsie. Splish, splash. They were making a mess.

“Alrighty.” Nicola may have slurred that word. “Tell me again how this happened. How were there two teams on the same project?”

“Okay, the hot one—”

“What?” Nic recoiled, laughing. “Hot? Who?”

Beth grinned. “Well, they were all kinda hot.”

Nic shook her head, whipping her hair back and forth. “Um, no. No how, no way. One of them was my brother.”

“Nic, you’re a show-stopper. You don’t think your brother can be hot? Cause, girl, he is. But anyway.”

“Well, Jared’s not hot.”

“He is until he opens his mouth.”

“Maybe.” Yup, words definitely slurring. Hiccup and a laugh. Did Jared look hot on the rooftop? Eh, maybe… “But Cash’s hot-hot.”

Beth nodded, eyes wide open. “Hm-huh. Cash’s hot.” She took a long sip of her drink. “So you and him, huh?”

“Past tense.” Nic worked hard to enunciate her words. Her lips tingled.

“I’m totally cool with sloppy sec—”

“Beth, you—” She threw a balled up paper bag at her. “Off limits. You can’t have him.”

“Then I’ll take Roman.”

“Ew.” She wrinkled her nose.

“Jared’s too mean.”