Not If I Date You First

Chapter 14

"Fine." Elodie huffs, setting her phone down. She starts singing "It's My Party" under her breath, but she's changed the lyrics to 'I'll take pics if I want to.'

I snort. "Yeah, I don't think that's going to catch on."

Elodie hides her cell beneath her napkin as the waiter reappears at our table with our drinks. We end up ordering the stuffed mushrooms. I also get the lobster risotto while Elodie asks for the spicy olive tapenade.

"So how's the fake boyfriend?" Elodie takes a sip of her sparkling water. Her nose wrinkles as she grimaces.

"Ugh." I cover my eyes with my fingertips. With the constant speculation about us online, the last thing I want to think about is Liam Anders. "Can we talk about literally anything else? I need a Liam-free night."

"Fine." Elodie frowns. "But you're filling me in later. This is my only chance to vicariously date a celebrity. My fantasies need fuel." She waggles her eyebrows.

"You're ridiculous." I glance over at the table next to us before bunching up my linen napkin and tossing it at her.

Elodie giggles, catching it.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow," I say, "but tonight's about you. It's your birthday."

"You're so right. Which one of my many fabulous qualities did you want to discuss?"

I snort. "How about you tell me how the competition prep is going?"

The regional qualifying round for the World Barista Championships is coming up, and Elodie's been stressing hard over which drinks she's going to make.

She sighs dramatically. "Everything I make is too amazing. I can't choose."

"You really need to work on your confidence. It's a problem."

"Seriously though," Elodie laughs. "I need help choosing. You've got to come to the coffee shop this week, so we can narrow it down."

"Only if you promise not to make me drink anything that's previously passed through another creature's digestive tract."

"Spoilsport."

The waiter sets a steaming platter between us with a flourish. "Your appetizer." The mushrooms are covered in hot, gooey cheese and look like something straight out of Bon Appétit. I scrutinize the row of forks sitting in front of me. I can't remember if I'm supposed to start with the one nearest my plate and work my way out or vice versa.

Shrugging, I grab the outside fork and go to spear a mushroom. Elodie swats my hand away. "I need documentation of this culinary perfection before you stuff your face."

I watch her fiddle with different filters as she snaps a photo.

"Permission to stuff my face now?"

"Permission granted." Her fingers tap away at her phone, probably posting her photos. I pop a mushroom into my mouth. It's hot and buttery and oozes with spices. "Oh, my God!" I say around my mouthful of food. It comes out sounding more like "Mmm-ahh-odd."

"That good, huh?" Elodie laughs.

I swallow. "So good! I swear I will eat this whole plate if you don't put that phone away."

"So bossy." She sets her cell down and reaches for a fork, but before she can go for a mushroom, her phone beeps. Assuming it's someone commenting on the barrage of pictures she posted, I take another bite.

Elodie gasps. "No way!" She swivels in her chair, scanning the tables around us.

"What?"

She glances from me to the screen. "I don't think you're going to love this."