Page 29 of Waves
“You made this?” Kai asked, sounding genuinely impressed.
“Eric makes his own beer as a hobby, and he enjoys handing it out at parties,” I explained to him.
“How do you brew this yourself, exactly?” Kai said with a tilted head.
And with that single follow-up question, I lost him. Eric’s eyes lit up at someone taking an interest in his process, and he offered to bring Kai down to the basement to see his home brewery. Which meant Eric handed off the rest of the six-pack to me and promptly walked away with Kai in exchange. I wasn’t sure who looked more excited. Actually, I was more surprised they weren’t skipping away together when they left. Mary and I, now abandoned, walked to the living room together to chat. I felt relieved the place was still relatively empty, but even as more of her friends filled the space, I kept my worries at bay.
Everything went swimmingly while the evening progressed. Eric and his younger brother, Scott, had an animated conversation with Kai across the room. I couldn’t understand what the three of them all had in common to keep them talking for so long until I realized they must be talking about fish. I forgot until now, but Eric mentioned going ocean fishing with his brother before and even invited me along once or twice. Both Eric and Scott intently listened to Kai as if he preached the gospel, and I just knew they were swapping stories or something.
Natasha came over to chat with me, accompanied by a different man from the last time. Somehow, her gossiping didn’t ruin my evening, and I didn’t even care when Claudia interrupted us. Claudia realized when we both went silent that she was still on my shit list, and she promptly walked away without a word. She and I hadn’t shared an actual conversation since... well, since the both of us said things we shouldn’t have.
When Mary found me again later in the evening, her smiling cheeks flushed pink. “I like this one.” Her eyes darted across the room and she gestured with her drinking hand.
I followed her gaze and landed on Kai, laughing along to whatever Eric was saying, both of them having a blast. “Me too,” I admitted with a slow grin.
“Yeah? You’re not going to get sick of him?” Mary smiled since even she could see I had it bad for this man.
“Never. He’s... he’s just the sweetest guy ever, Mar. He’s funny, and kind, and...”
“Good in the sack?” Mary winked and giggled.
“Mary!”
“Don’t play innocent with me, mister. You had more fun in college than anyone here.”
I snorted and took another sip from my bottle instead of dignifying that very true comment with a response. “It’s not like that with this guy. I mean, yes, I am very much attracted to him, and we have good chemistry, but we’re still getting to know each other as friends.”
“Which means someone pulled it out too early.”
“No!” I chuckled. “No, he hasn’t even tried anything!”
Mary raised a brow at me. “Then he’s either the dumbest straight man alive, or he’s just not into you.”
“Oh, no, he likes me.” I waved a finger at her.
“Sure, he does, honey.”
Maybe it was all the brown bottles I downed this evening, but a normally nonexistent sense of courage felt restored in me. Either that or the other Ezra was trying to rear his head again. Who knew what made me march across the room to where Kai stood clustered with Eric and Scott, but once beside Kai, I pawed at his arm to get his attention.
Kai stopped mid-sentence when he noticed me at his side. I smiled and held my free hand out to him. He smiled right back and took my hand without missing a beat, which had been exactly what I expected of him. But then he lifted my knuckles to his mouth for a kiss and said, “Yes?”
“Nothing,” I said, holding back a giggle. “As you were.”
Kai chuckled before he released my hand and went back to whatever the hell he was saying about mackerel.
I walked back to Mary with a triumphant grin etched on my face and raised a brow in favor of bragging, then downed the rest of my bottle.
“Oh.” Mary’s mouth hung open while she dragged the sound out, reacting as if watching a video of a baby animal sneezing. “That was the cutest... oh, the sweetest... You hold on to this man with both hands, and you never let him go, Ezra! Do you hear me?”
I chuckled at her reaction, my smile sticking on my face. Even while I watched that charming, sexy man right across the room from me, I felt myself grinning like an idiot. I might have fallen for him already.
Ezra’s friends were quite good fellows, despite being fishermen, and Eric proved himself to be a cordial host to boot. After escorting me around his brewery, Eric introduced me to his younger brother. Both of them spent the better part of the evening keeping me company—which I considered exceptionally kind. Once we found yet another common ground while chatting, they even extended an invitation for me to join them the next time they went saltwater fishing (after assuring me they only practiced catch-and-release). Needless to say, I had been thoroughly enjoying myself at this gathering—right until I noticed Ezra’s expression change.
I wouldn’t say I watched Ezra obsessively the entire time. Since I wasn’t well acquainted with anyone else here, I preferred knowing where he was in relation to me while we socialized separately. I didn’t need him glued to my side, and last I checked, he appeared to be enjoying a private conversation with his friend, Mary. Until I glanced in Ezra’s approximate direction again and watched him long enough to see his demeanor shift while he looked elsewhere. Ezra’s smile vanished and his shoulders slumped forward when he shrunk away from the man leaning into him while they spoke.
“Shit,” Eric said when he turned his head to look over, too. “You better get over there, Kai.”
I nodded before stepping away and weaving around groups of people clustered in the room until I stood beside Ezra again. “Hello,” I said to both of them.