My stomach tightens. I know he told them and he said they were all for it, but I still don’t trust this is real. “Have you?”
Jenna leans forward like she’s been waiting her whole life for this moment.
“Jenna,” I warn with a squeeze to her knee.
Too late. She’s already grinning.
“Let me just say,” she starts, lowering her voice like she’s about to divulge classified information. “His first visit? The tension could have started a war. It felt like a nuclear bomb had gone off.”
Birdie lets out a laugh. “I believe that. Those O’Ryan’s have a lot of pent-up energy.”
Heat crawls up my neck. I love when he uses that energy on me. In bed.
“I knew it from the beginning,” Jenna continues, pointing between us and having downed her first margarita. “You don’t argue like that unless there’s something underneath.”
“There’s nothing underneath.”
Sutton arches a brow. “Mm-hmm.”
“Parker said you hated him in college,” Noelle says, leaning in. “Are you still seeing him professionally?”
“Yes. I think we’ve kicked his anticipatory failure issue. At least if he keeps interrupting it.” I smile, thinking about my man.My boyfriend.“I just wish he wouldn’t compare himself to his brothers.”
“Sorry girl, it’s in our DNA,” Noelle adds. “He says you’re seeing him every day.”
“What?” I whisper-shout, which absolutely carries farther than I expect.
“And you’re staying at his place every night,” she says, proud of herself for getting the inside scoop. I get why he’s so close to her. She’s freeing. Says what she wants in the cutest of ways.
Jenna slaps my arm. “You didnottell me that part.”
“I…” I choke on my words. “He’s persuasive.”
Everyone dissolves into laughter. Even me. Because he’s persuasive with his words, his body, and in his actions. Maybe the O’Ryan men have that in common.
Birdie wipes tears from under her eye. “Okay, okay. New topic before Anna combusts. Who’s ready for karaoke?”
Noelle lifts her margarita. “Wait, Parker got your waitress hired by the Armadillos.”
Jenna’s head whips toward me. “Wait. The chocolate milk waitress?”
“The very one,” Sutton confirms with a laugh. “Becky called Marlon crying because she thought someone was pranking her.”
Birdie grins. “Parker sees one person mention a dream and suddenly he’s changing lives.”
Heat blooms across my cheeks.
Because that’s the thing about Parker. He acts like football is the only thing he knows, but underneath all the cocky athlete bravado is someone who listens. Someone who notices things most people miss.
Jenna points at me accusingly. “Okay, no. That’s boyfriend material. You left that part out too.”
“I didn’t leave it out,” I defend weakly. “It just… happened.”
Noelle snorts. “That’s how it starts with O’Ryan men. Next thing you know you’re emotionally attached and attending Sunday dinner against your will.”
“That’s not true,” Sutton argues.
Birdie raises a brow. “Says the woman married to her employee.”