Shannon grinned, looking more than a tad smug. “He can’t help that he’s gorgeous.”
I think Maia and I blushed even harder.
“Oh God. Don’t be filling his head with that nonsense.” Cam gave Cole a teasing shove toward the table. “It’s big enough.”
“I’ll have you know I have just the right amount of ego,” Cole shot back before pulling out Shannon’s chair for her. I noted Cam did the same for Jo and Logan did the same for Maia.
It was such a gentlemanly thing to do. And here I thought chivalry was dead.
Before I could pull out my own chair, Logan slid around Maia’s and did it for me. I smiled at his kindness and settled in across from Jo.
“Where’s Belle?” Maia said immediately, looking disappointed.
I had to rack my brain, but I was sure Belle was Jo and Cam’s daughter.
“Oh, our friends Hannah and Marco are babysitting Belle. They have two boys and a daughter, Sophia, who is close to Belle’s age. They’re like cousins. They’re really close,” Jo explained.
“Hannah is Cole’s best friend,” Logan added for Maia’s benefit. “She’s a high school English teacher.”
Maia’s eyes widened. “At my school?”
Logan shook his head. “She doesn’t work there.”
“Thank God,” Maia murmured, and then blushed when everyone laughed. “Sorry. I just really don’t want to know one of my teachers outside of school.”
“Hannah can always help you though,” Cole said. “She’s happy to tutor after school.”
“Thanks, but Grace helps me with my English homework.” Maia grinned up at me, and now I had everyone’s attention.
“Oh? What do you do, Grace?” Cam said.
“I’m a freelance book editor. Mostly self-published fiction but some academic papers as well.”
“Really?” Jo leaned forward, looking extremely interested. “Our friend is a writer, and she’s thinking about self-publishing this series her publisher doesn’t want. She’s been looking for an editor.”
Yay for me! Dinner had suddenly turned into a potential client. “Oh, well, I’ll give you my number to give to her, and my Web site. What’s her name?”
“Jocelyn. She writes under ‘J. B. Carmichael.’”
My jaw dropped.
Jo snorted.
Her snort was quickly followed by muffled laughter around the table.
Clearly my face was a picture.
Considering J. B. Carmichael was a number-one Sunday Times bestseller, however, I think I was entitled to my surprise.
“You’re friends with J. B. Carmichael?” I said.
“This feels like déjà vu.” Cole grinned cheekily at Shannon, and she threw her napkin at him for some bizarre reason.
Jo ignored them. “Yes.” She smiled. “Can I still give her your number?”
“Wait.” I glanced down the table at Logan. “Is J. B. Carmichael our landlord, Braden – your boss’s – wife?”
“Yeah.”
“And you just didn’t think it was important to mention that his wife was a bestselling author?”
Logan’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “Not really.”
“Have you not seen her flat?” Maia jumped in for me. “It’s, like, overflowing with books. Including J. B. Carmichael’s books. You could have told her.”
Cole found this even more hilarious.
“Can we maybe stop calling her ‘J. B. Carmichael’?” Cam asked the whole table. “It’s weird.”
“Agreed.” Jo nodded and turned back to me. “Can I give Joss your number?”
Joss, I mouthed. “Joss.” I managed to utter the word. “Yes. Yes, you can definitely do that.”
Holy crap. There was a possibility J. B. Carmichael could be my client. That would look amazing on my Web site!
“We’ve lost her,” Logan said.
I rolled my eyes at him. “You have not. I’m here.” I grinned huge. “I’m just happier than I was ten minutes ago.”
He burst out laughing but was stopped from responding by the pretty waitress hovering over him. She grinned down at him, cocking her hip toward him. Logan’s own grin deepened.
I felt an unpleasant sensation in my stomach.
“Can I get you guys drinks?” the waitress asked the table while looking into Logan’s eyes. She was just his type. Petite, blond, with exaggerated curves.
“Water for the table,” Logan said.
“Anything else?”
“Guys?” he asked us without taking his eyes off her.
I wanted to punch him.
Hard.
“I like your tattoo,” the waitress said. “Does it mean something?”
“It definitely means something.” He grinned suggestively at her.
Shannon shot him an annoyed look before turning to us. “A bottle of wine?”
We nodded.
“Red?” Jo asked.
We all nodded again.
“A bottle of the house red,” Logan said. “Maia.” He finally wrenched his eyes away from the waitress to look at Maia. He frowned when he found her glaring daggers at him. “What do you want to drink, sweetheart?”
Instead of answering, she buried her nose in her menu.
He looked at me for answers and I glanced down at Maia, unable to look him in the eye. I had no right to feel jealous or hurt by his flirting with another woman. Maia… she had a right to be confused by how it made her feel. I imagined right now she wanted Logan all to herself. “Diet Coke, sweetheart?” I asked her softly.