The Game Changer

Three

CHAPTER THREE

No words could describe how I felt as Georgie took a seat beside me, wearing one hell of a smirk on his face. I wasn't sure how much he'd heard - wait, I rewound to a few minutes ago when Emily was staring at something, no, someone over my shoulder. 

Right, so that would mean Georgie heard me mistaking his boyfriend for Emily's. Oh, good. Lovely. Fan-bloody-tastic.  

'So,' he drawled as if he could read my mind. 'What did I miss?' He sounded like a gleeful child. 

I wanted to melt into the floor but settled for shuffling gnocchi around my plate. I'd comment on how bloody good it was, or make some sort of joke... if my voice hadn't retreated to my anus.  

Henry cleared his throat. 'Well, Emily and Lincoln were just... catching up.' 

I chanced a glance at Emily who was staring at her plate. From the intensity of her gaze I could tell she was processing my humiliating outburst. I may as well have dropped to one knee again.  

'I see,' Georgie said, and reached for the glass of wine the waiter had just poured him. 'And how is that going?' 

As he waited for one of us to answer, he scanned the menu and then our table. Seemingly satisfied with the look of the seafood linguine Emily had all but finished, he ordered the same thing and sent the waiter on his way. 

'So...?' 

I stared into my lap and gripped my fork even tighter. 

'That well, huh?' He continued when neither of us said anything. 

Internally, I shouted at my last two brain cells to think of something to say. Anything. And yet all I could think of was excusing myself to go to the toilet and then legging it all the way home. 

No - don't be a dickhead, Lincoln. 

I cleared my throat and forced myself to look at Georgie. 'It's good to see you again,' I managed to say. 

Georgie snorted. 'You too, mate,' he said, and grasped my shoulder... a little too tightly. 'You should've told me you were back!' 

Although he was smiling, I didn't miss the look in his eyes - a mixture of disappointment, confusion, and something else. Concern? His eyes flickered to his sister's for just a moment before returning to mine. 

'How long have you been back for?' he asked so pointedly, it made me chuckle. 

'You never clock off, do you?' I retorted. I briefly toyed with the idea of pivoting the conversation to how he met Henry, even though I was sure I knew the answer. They were both journalists after all. A short conversation.  

'It's a fair question,' Emily added quietly. 

Her voice had the same effect as pouring cold water over myself. It temporarily disarmed me, emptying my head of all and any escape plans. I didn't even notice when Georgie released my shoulder from his iron grip. 

I seriously couldn't believe she still had this effect on me. 

'Well?' Georgie pushed, startling me from my thoughts. 

'Bout four years,' I answered. 'We launched Sunshine a year later.' 

'Four years ago.'  Georgie didn't bother to hide the disbelief in his voice. It almost sounded like he wanted to laugh. 'Right, I see.' He planted his elbows on the table and rested his chin on both hands. 

He and Emily made the same face when they were trying not to shout or yell in excitement - same scrunched nose, narrowed green eyes, and pursed lips. 

'And when did you interview his partner again?' This was directed at Henry, who suddenly looked like a poor deer in headlights.