Chapter Thirteen

I run right into Matt—literally, like a sleepwalker into a doorframe—as I walk out of the bathroom. I almost fall, but he catches me, his warm hands wrapping around my arms.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. He definitely did not go to the men’s room, because he was just standing there like a rock before I collided with him.

“Waiting for you to come out.”

Oh. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He tilts his head. “Are you upset because of Emma?”

“No,” I say quickly. I don’t think he heard my conversation with Olivia, but then you never know how thin the walls are, right?

Besides, admitting I wasn’t thrilled… Well. That seems sort of absurd. It’s like being jealous of who my favorite celeb hottie is dating.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Matt says.

I cross my arms. “Do you need the ego boost of hearing I was jealous?”

“No. Mainly because you have nothing to be jealous about.”

“So if we run into one of my clingy exes, you won’t mind?” Even as I ask, I cringe inwardly at how inane I’m being. People can imagine any scenario they want and believe they’d never do X or Y, but until they actually star in said scenario, they’ll never know for sure. Not to mention, it only makes sense that a guy as charming and hot as Matt would have an ex. Plural exes. I’m the only idiot who’s still intact at my age, not because I want to maintain my hymen for personal or moral reasons, but because I keep chickening out. A total coward.

My mood plunges, hitting rock bottom. It ought to break out a shovel.

The muscles in Matt’s jaw flex. “Actually, I’ll be annoyed as hell…and might even consider breaking his fingers if he touches you while you’re with me.”

I blink at the rough, territorial tone. Even he seems a bit taken aback, from the tight lines that form between his eyebrows.

“But regardless of how we feel, there’s nothing we can do to change our history,” he adds. “We can only affect our present—and future.”

That is so mature. So adult. I’ve been impossible since Emma popped up. “Okay.”

“Wanna get going?”

“What about Emma? And your sister?”

“They know how to feed themselves. No need for us to wipe the drool off their chins or read them the menu.”

I giggle. “Do you have a lot of experience with that sort of thing?”

“I babysat once or twice.”

“So did I.”

He puts a hand at the small of my back. It feels possessive and protective at the same time. Almost unconsciously, I lean into him, absorbing his warmth and scent. If I were a cat, I’d be purring.

Emma spots us and gives me a narrow-eyed look. Recalling what Olivia said—I’m the one he brought here—I want to laugh and stick my tongue out at her, just because. The impulse brings me up short, because it’s totally out of character for me to be so…confrontational. But she really seems to bring out my worst.

We stop by the hostess’s station and Matt says good-bye to Lin. Then he hands her a few crisp bills. “My sister and her friend are taking care of our bill, but can you give this to our waitress? I was hoping to run into her, but didn’t see her.”

“No problem. Hope you enjoyed the meal.”

“We did. The dim sum was great as usual.”

She beams. “Have a great day!”

When we’re in his car, I watch him curiously. “If Olivia’s paying, why are you tipping the waitress?”

“Because it’s actually Emma who’s paying. She said she would.”

Oh yeah…she did. And I like it that he’s not letting her just say whatever she wants without holding her to it.

“But she’s a terrible tipper, even though she works the waitstaff hard.”

That doesn’t exactly shock me. She probably gets a generous helping of saliva in all her food and drinks whenever she goes back to a restaurant.

“Our server did a great job, so there’s no reason to let her get screwed over.”

Oh my God. If this were a cartoon, I’d be a puddle with bright red hearts fluttering in the air above me. More than the flowers, dinners and drinks, this is what gets to me—a simple act of kindness and generosity because it’s the right thing to do.

“And just to be clear, this is a date,” Matt adds.

“Oh.” I blush. “Why didn’t you say something when Emma…you know.” I shrug, while squirming.

He sighs. “Because I thought you knew. And I thought you’d set her straight.”

“Did you want me to?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” I clear my throat. “I was waiting for you to say something.” Even though she was really addressing me.

“It’s okay to tell people off occasionally.”

“And I did.”

A small grin tugs at his mouth. “So you did. And I’m proud of you.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline. I thought he’d be annoyed. Don’t people hate confrontations? I certainly do.

“And now we’re going to continue with our date,” he says. “Hopefully, without any more interruptions.”

I smile. “Okay.”