Ryan let go with a grunt. I noticed that pretty much everyone in the diner had stopped what they were doing to stare.
“We’re all good here. Everyone back to chewing,” I announced.
Planting both hands on the table, Ry leaned across it, pushing his face into camera girl’s. “Give me some sugar.”
She giggled softly, and I groaned.
“Please,” I whispered loudly. “We’re in public.”
They ignored me and kissed. Rude as hell.
“Keep rubbing it in that you’re getting some and I’m not,” I muttered.
Ryan pulled back and smirked. “Keep your hands to yourself.”
I rolled my eyes. “She isn’t my type.” And even if she was, I’d never. Bros before hos and all that.
Rory made a sound.
I glanced at her. “No offense, bro. You’re so small I’d break you.”
“Ryan is as big as you are,” she deadpanned.
“Not quite,” I quipped, flexing my upper body.
“Madison isn’t much bigger than I am.”
I didn’t even blink at the fact that she was bringing Mads into this. Mads was mine. We all knew it.
Except for Mads.
“Madison has at least a few inches on you, shrimp.”
“Watch your mouth,” Ryan said, slipping into the booth across from us. Guess he finally realized I wasn’t getting up.
I rolled my eyes. “Please, you call her that too.”
“She’s mine.”
Rory ignored us, turning sideways in the booth to look at me. I wasn’t lying when I said she wasn’t my type, but she was pretty. I could see how she brought down my bro.
Amusement shone in her wide gray eyes. “Madison always wears heels.”
I blinked. “So?”
“So she’s shorter than you think.”
I frowned. That couldn’t be right. I mean, our time around each other had def been limited, but I mean, she slept in my bed. She wasn’t wearing heels then.
She’d been lying down, though.
Fuck. Just how small was this girl? She couldn’t possibly be as short as camera girl. I thought back to the way she felt tucked against my chest. How I had to lean down to put my chin on her shoulder. She’d been wearing heels then? Fuck.
Ryan laughed under his breath, making me look up. “Welcome to the club, bro. You won’t ever get a moment’s peace.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rory demanded, offended.
Ryan moved out of the booth, kicking at my foot as he unfolded. Sighing, I stood, moving away so he could glide across the bench. Without hesitation, he lifted her, depositing her in his lap, belting his arms around her waist.
“Now, baby, don’t go getting all feisty on me. You know I’m overprotective of you.”
“What’s that have to do with Jamie?”
“Now he’s got a shrimp of his own to worry about.”
I grunted, taking the seat Ryan had been in before.
“So she told you why she’s avoiding you?” Rory asked me.
I perked up. “Nope, but obviously you know.” I knocked on the table in front of her. “Which is why I need to talk to you.”
Ryan made a sound. “I told you. No putting Carrot in the middle.”
Did I mention he calls his girl Carrot ‘cause she has orange hair? She swears it’s auburn, but my bro says it’s orange. I mean, he ain’t wrong.
I leaned over the table. “So what’d she say about me?”
“That you smell.”
My mouth fell open.
Ryan laughed.
“I do not,” I said, horrified. I made a point to take a whiff of myself, then glanced back. “See? Fresh as a daisy,” I told her.
Besides, I didn’t pay too much money for cologne imported from Thailand for nothing. Most scents mixed with the chlorine I lived in and never quite washed away, making it turn into some weird funk. But not this one. This one had notes of sandalwood, grapefruit, gourmand, and some other stuff that chlorine seemed to enhance instead of ruin. The point? I smelled damn good.
“I’m not telling you what she said.”
“C’mon, camera girl,” I begged. “Help a bro out.”
She shook her head once, definitive. “What me and Madison talk about stays between us. She’s my friend.”
“But you have talked about me.” I needled.
She pursed her lips and said nothing.
I sighed. “Loyalty. I can respect that.”
After a moment, Rory sighed. “I don’t think you should give up, though.”
Behind her, Ryan grinned big.
A smile of equal measure filled out the lower part of my face. “Bro, did you just help a bro out?” I asked her.
“I just gave my opinion. I think you two would be good together.”
My heart skipped, and anticipation buzzed in my stomach. My stomach that was empty by the way. I glanced around for Shirley, catching the server’s eye.
“Where is she right now?” I asked Rory.
Leaning away from Ryan’s chest, she lifted her cell to glance at the time. “Probably rehearsal.”
“She rehearses a lot, huh?”
“Just as much as Elite,” she replied. “She seemed kinda tired last night.”
Shirley stepped up to the table. “Sorry for the wait, guys. We’re short-staffed tonight. But when I saw you come in, I put in your usual orders. Is that okay?”
“Perfect, thanks,” Ryan answered.
“Drinks?” she asked.
“Actually, can you pack mine to go? And I want to add something else,” I said.
Shirley, who was the waitress Wes was allowed to call Veronica, nodded. The two buns her hair was in bounced a little. A few hairs had escaped at the back of her neck and around her ears. “Sure, what do you want to add?”
I glanced at Rory. “Burger?”
She shook her head. “Caesar salad.”
I pointed at Rory but looked at Shirley. “That,” I told her. “With chicken.” Quickly, I glanced back at my bro. “Coffee?”
“Latte.”
“One of them too. Actually, make it two. And put some of those sugar packets in the bag.”
“Anything else?”
“No. I’ll be right up to pay.”
“Sure thing, Jamie.” Shirley hesitated before turning to leave.
“You need something?” Ryan asked.
“Where’s Wes?” she asked, her voice a little shy.
Ahh, shit. She totally had the hots for our bro. He should tell her he didn’t swing that way and put her out of her misery. But that was against bro code. His sexuality, his business.
“He had some classwork to catch up on, so he went home after practice,” Ryan explained.
“Cool,” she quipped, then went off to put in the rest of my order.
It didn’t take long for my order to hit the counter in a large brown bag with handles. Beside it was a drink holder with two lattes in white paper cups with black lids. At the same time, Ryan’s burger and extra fries slid across the table, accompanied by Rory’s chicken sandwich.
“I’ll see you two lovebirds later,” I said, sliding out of the booth while helping myself to some of Ryan’s fries.