Read Online Every Breath You Take by Bianca Sloane - Free Book Online

tough.”
    He turned the car off and they got out. “Well, see, what I didn’t tell you was, ever since you told me about us all getting together, I started training.”
    “Let me guess,” she said, laughing. “You ran up the steps of the Art Institute and did your best Rocky imitation.”
    “Nah, not enough stairs,” he said as he threw out mock jabs, bobbing and weaving around her. “You liked
Rocky
didn’t you? Tell the truth.”
    “I told you, I loved it. Way more than I thought I would.”
    “See? I know what I’m talking about,” he said, ducking around her again.
    She grabbed at his waist and pulled him to her. “You’re crazy,” she breathed, holding tight to him.
    “True. So remind me again. Christine is the Latina?” he said, giving her a quick kiss before digging into his pocket for his wallet and a credit card to feed the parking meter.
    “Right. From Little Village by way of Mexico when she was, like, five. Who now lives in a phat Old Town condo and wears so much Armani she probably has stock.”
    “Damn. Maybe I should have gone into hedge funds after all.”
    Natalie laughed. “Yeah, but as she’ll tell you, she’s just a girl from the neighborhood.”
    “And Brandy’s the blonde? Kinda cranky you said.”
    “Yeah. That’s an understatement. Brandy and I interned together, and she and Christine used to be in the same summer volleyball league a million years ago, which, if you know Christine, is kind of funny. Anyway, a big group of us met up for drinks one night and we turned out to be the last girls standing, and we just kind of clicked.”
    “What, you didn’t go running up and down the beach in the summer chasing after a ball?”
    “Hi, have we met?”
    He laughed and gave her a quick peck on the cheek as they hurried down the sidewalk to deposit the ticket inside the car before heading to Duffy’s a half block away, where Natalie would be introducing Jason to her girlfriends for the first time. He held the door open for her as she searched the typically crowded bar for her friends. Christine shot her hand up in the air and waved them over. Natalie tried to breathe her jitters away as she walked toward the table where Christine, her fiancé, Brian, Brandy, and her latest fling were wedged around sweaty glasses of beer, wine, and cocktails.
    “Hey, chica.” Christine smiled and gave Natalie a hug while Brandy did the same.
    “Hey, everyone, this is Jason—Jason, everyone.”
    As she expected, Jason was quick with handshakes and smiles as introductions went around the table. They all settled in for drinks and dinner and as the alcohol and conversation flowed, Natalie felt her shoulders loosen and her breath slow. Jason would give her knee a few reassuring squeezes and sideways smiles when no one was looking. He smoothly fielded the interminable, probing questions lobbed his way, displaying the charm, authenticity, and good humor that had woven around her from the minute they finished their cheesecake at Tavern at the Park. She could see from the impressed glances that passed between Brandy and Christine, he had their seal of approval as well. Eventually, the three guys got into a spirited conversation about some football game, while Natalie and her girlfriends engaged in innocuous gossip about work and mutual friends. She was unable to take her eyes off of Jason, though—pride, happiness, and relief coursed through her at the sight of her friends and the man she was completely out of her head for getting along so well. The few guys she’d brought around the girls had either elicited lukewarm observation (“He’s okay . . . doesn’t seem like your type, though,”) or vehement disapproval (“Seriously? Well . . . at least you’re not sleeping with him. Are you?”).
    Brandy tapped her on the shoulder. “Let me out so I can go to the bathroom.”
    “Actually, sweetie, I’ll go with you,” Christine said, already standing and grabbing Natalie’s hand. “Come on, ‘