“So how did you hear about the pop-up?” she asked. “Do you know Pinar?”
He shook his head. “No, we’ve never met. But, apparently, she takes the same yoga class as my mother. Pinar gave her some tickets for tonight.”
“Ah, I see. And your mom coerced you into coming,” she surmised with a grin.
“That about sums it up. When she came into my restaurant today she admitted to having an ulterior motive.”
“An ulterior motive?” Hannah cocked her head to one side.
He nodded. “She’s become a matchmaker, hoping for grandchildren. Right now, she’s got Pete and Pinar in her sights.”
Hannah laughed. “Good for her.” She glanced around the room and then back at Nick. “You said your restaurant? Are you a chef or the owner?”
“Both.”
Hannah nodded. “Where is it?”
He swallowed the last sip of his watered-down soda now that the ice had nearly melted. “It’s called The Fresh Pantry and it’s in Old Town. We serve American classics with a twist, using fresh, local ingredients. Meat loaf, steaks, fried chicken, pastas. Then we have things like spaghetti and tacos that have become Americanized.” He shrugged. “You get the picture.”
“Sounds great. We’ll have to come by.”
He took a business card from his wallet and held it out to her. “When you call for a reservation, make sure you mention that you’re a friend of the owner.” He smiled, wondering if she’d bring her friends, including Bree, with her. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that after tonight’s run-in. “How’s the food here?” he asked, instead. “I haven’t had any yet.”
“Delicious.” She took his arm. “Come on, let’s get you some.”
He allowed himself to be led, but abruptly stopped when the crowd separated and he came within a few feet of Bree. Roxie and Amber stood with her. From the concerned expressions on their faces, he inferred that something was wrong with Bree.
“Do you need some air?” Roxie was asking her. That’s when Nick noticed how pale Bree was.
She didn’t answer as her eyelids fluttered closed. She began to crumple to the floor and would have injured herself on the hardwood if Nick hadn’t stepped forward quickly to catch her.
BREE BLINKED A few times. Nick’s face was right in front of her. “What happened?” She turned away from him to glance at the people surrounding her. Roxie, Hannah, Amber. Behind them was a different backdrop—not the restaurant she’d been expecting. An office, judging by the desk and computer over Nick’s shoulder. She was pretty sure he’d carried her to wherever she was now because he still held her in his arms. “Where am I?” She avoided turning toward Nick again because that would put their faces only inches apart.
Hannah took a step closer and put a hand on Bree’s forearm. “You passed out, Bree.” She glanced at Nick and then back at Bree. “If not for Nick catching you—”
Bree turned her head in Nick’s direction without thinking. “You caught me?” She blinked, wishing he would stop gazing at her with those intense brown eyes. This close to him she could see tiny flecks of gold. They triggered memories she preferred to keep filed away. “How?” She paused. “How could you have caught...? Weren’t you on the other side of the room?” She realized too late that her comment might be construed to mean that she’d been keeping an eye on him.
Which, unfortunately, had been true. She’d had an innate urge to keep track of his movements.
Nick’s mouth was moving now, but she had trouble understanding his words because she was so enamored with the way his lips moved. He was saying something about seeing her legs begin to fold.
Hannah spoke up again. “Thank you so much, Nick. Bree could have really been hurt if she’d hit the floor.”
“Yes, thank you, Nick,” Bree echoed, without putting much feeling into it. “This is the second time you’ve been there to catch me before I fell.”
“The second time?” Hannah asked.
Bree made the mistake of glancing at Nick again and this time they locked gazes. She cleared her throat, unable to look away. “Yes, the first time was on the island. Remember—I told you guys—that’s how we met.”
Nick nodded slightly and his lips twitched.
Jerk. She knew where his mind had just gone. And now she was thinking about them in bed again, too.
“Would you please put me down now?” As much as she enjoyed being held by him, she needed to remember that he’d been deceitful by not telling her he lived near her, and just a few minutes before she’d been telling him exactly what she thought of him.
He carefully set her down in an office chair that someone had rolled in front of him. “She could probably use some water and a cool compress,” he said to the room at large.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, but was glad she was seated.
Amber handed her a glass of water, and she sipped it.
“Thank you all for your help.” She kept her tone businesslike and turned away from Nick to address Hannah. “How do I get back to the dining room?” She was beginning to feel the small office’s walls close in. She stood up slowly, not wanting to further embarrass herself. It took a few seconds to right herself, especially since she was wearing four-inch heels.
Hannah gripped her elbow. “I’ll show you the way. Why don’t I get an Uber to take you home?”
Bree shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I don’t want to go home.” That wasn’t completely true, since she still felt a little light-headed, but she blamed that on having too little to eat. “I’ll get some food and then I’ll be okay.”
When they reached the dining room doorway, a mature, petite woman with blond hair came rushing toward them. “I wondered where you were.” The woman was speaking to someone behind Bree, and that was when she realized Nick was trailing behind her.
“Hi, Mom,” Nick greeted the woman.
Mom? His mother was here?
Nick put an arm around the woman’s shoulders and guided her away from Bree, who could still hear the woman’s questions as they kept walking. “She passed out? And you caught her? Who is she? Do you know her?”
Bree couldn’t hear his answers, because he was speaking much quieter than his mom.
“Bree?” Roxie sounded as if it wasn’t the first time she’d addressed her. Bree hadn’t even seen her approach.
“What?” Bree answered.
“I think you should go home.”
This overblown concern needed to end now. “And I think you’re all worried about nothing. I got a little dizzy because I haven’t had enough to eat today and it’s warm in here. That’s it. Period. The end.” She paused for effect. “Now I’m going to get a plate of food. Anyone else?”
Only Hannah came with her, leaving Amber and Roxie alone, probably to discuss how to convince Bree to leave. Well, she’d show them. She grabbed a plate and added one of everything to it. Like before, the smell of the food didn’t sit well with her, but she was determined to get something into her stomach.
“There are a few chairs over there if you’d like to sit,” Hannah offered.
“Lead the way,” Bree said.
As soon as they sat down, Bree contemplated