Her eyes cleared. “Thanks. I’ll e-mail the file to you, Ray, and cc Ian. This project has been a pleasure. My roommate and I are excited to be helping with the art as well.”
Ray stood and shook her hand. “We appreciate all you’re doing. Thanks.” He looked at Ian. “I need to head back to the gym. Will you take care of what we discussed last night?” He raised a brow.
Last night? What was he talking about?
Ray clapped him on the shoulder. “Movies.”
“Oh. Right. Got it.” His buddy could read him like a book. As Ray left, Ian turned toward Brandi. “Ray and I have a movie club, and we wanted to know if you and Katie would like to join us.”
“I’ve never heard of a movie club. What’s involved?”
“We all go out to dinner then a movie. We meet once a month.”
She shrugged. “How many people are we talking about?”
“I don’t know exactly. I’m guessing no more than eight. We won’t go to rated R movies in case you were worried about that.”
“Who chooses the movie?”
“I suppose Ray and I do. But no one is ever obligated to see a movie they don’t want to see.”
She shrugged. “It sounds like fun, but I’ll have to ask Katie. She’s working today at the coffee shop downstairs. Want to get coffee with me, and I’ll ask her?”
“Sure.” Pleasure shot through him. This was going better than he’d expected. They walked out together then rode the elevator to the ground floor. “Joy to the World” played through the lobby speakers. “That’s my favorite Christmas song.”
“You’re kidding? Mine, too.” Her face lit. “The melody makes me happy, and the words make me feel grateful, even if it is too soon to be playing it.” She walked beside him to the coffee shop and walked up to the counter. “Hi, Katie. This is Ian, the man who soaked me on Saturday. Ian, this is Katie, my roommate and best friend.”
“Oh, hi!” Katie said. “I’m looking forward to helping at the fundraiser. Have the tickets sold out yet?”
“Not that I know of.”
“They will soon. It’s going to be the hottest ticket in town.” The petite blonde’s light-blue eyes sparkled.
“You think so?” He couldn’t imagine why people would clamber to attend a fundraiser.
“I know so.”
“I hope you’re right.” He grinned at Brandi’s friend. “Speaking of hot tickets. My buddy and I have a movie club, and you and Brandi are invited to join us.”
Katie’s brow puckered, and her eyes sent a silent message to Brandi he couldn’t decipher. “Thanks for the invite. But Brandi isn’t dating, and I don’t do blind dates.”
“I think you misunderstood. That wasn’t a ploy to get a date. This is a club with several people, not just my buddy and me. We’re a group of friends who’re getting together for a meal and a movie. We aren’t paired off in couples.”
“Oh. You’re right. I did misunderstand. Do either of you want to place an order or were you just saying hi?”
Brandi frowned. “I’d like a medium peppermint mocha, please.”
That was the third different drink he’d heard her order. “You really like to change it up, don’t you?”
“Yes.” She looked to Katie. “Ian would like one too.” She winked at him and plopped a ten-dollar bill onto the counter. “I’ll get yours.”
“Thanks. How’d you know what I wanted?” He stuffed a couple dollars into the tip jar, hoping to score some points with her friend. For some reason, she seemed to be less than happy about the movie club invite even after his explanation, and he really wanted her to say yes.
“It’s your drink.” Brandi smiled sweetly at him as she moved toward the pickup counter.
Whoa—waiting until Christmas to ask her out was going to be difficult at best.
Brandi lowered her voice, “Don’t mind Katie. She can be protective of me even though I’m an adult. We’ve been friends since high school. She thinks I’m naïve and watches my back, even when it’s not necessary.”
He nodded. “So you admit to needing someone to watch your back from time to time?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth.” Her teasing tone made him chuckle.
“Peppermint mocha for Brandi,” a guy said. He slid a second cup their way. “I think this one is yours, too.”
“Thanks,” they said in unison.
“Do you have time to sit, or do you need to get back to work?” Brandi asked.
“I have a few minutes, but traffic is ridiculous today, so I need to watch the clock.”
“No problem. I have to get back to work soon, too.” She sat at the same table as last time and took a long drink from the cup. “Mm, I forget how good these are since I only get them for special occasions.”
“Oh? What’s the occasion?”
“I’m celebrating another happy client. I was nervous going into that meeting, and it’s a relief you both liked my work.”
He brought the cup to his lips and drank but barely tasted the sweet brew, so strong was the distraction of Brandi’s happiness. The first two times they’d met she’d been reserved. He had a feeling this was a side she didn’t show often.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” She brought a hand to her cheek.
“No. You’re perfect. I was thinking about how happy you are and how much I’m enjoying your company.”
“Thanks.” Her faced pinked. “You’re embarrassing me.”
He glanced at his phone to check the time. Disappointment filled him. “I need to go. The movie club is meeting Saturday night. I’ll text you the address of the restaurant and theater. I hope you and Katie can join us.”
Brandi stood. “Me, too.” She walked him to the lobby door. “See you.”
He gave her arm a light squeeze and left. Ray’s plan for this movie club had better work because he couldn’t wait until December to see Brandi again, even if it was only weeks away.
Brandi strolled back inside the coffee shop then over to the counter where Katie stood. “What do you think about the movie club?”
“It sounds like fun, but it also sounds like a date no matter what he said. I’m concerned you’re going to fall for him and not follow through with your commitment.”
Brandi’s heart sank. Could her friend be right? She had no intention of pursuing Ian, but the heart did what it wanted. She wanted to keep her pledge more than anything, if only to prove she could. The leader of her small group at church had challenged her to spend this time focusing on God and getting to know herself as a single woman and not as the other half of a couple. She was right. That was exactly what Brandi needed to hear.
Not falling back into the habit of letting her life revolve around someone else was important. Ian had been coming on a little strong, even if most of his invites were for volunteer work. “I see why you’re concerned. I need to do some thinking. We can talk tonight. I should head back upstairs.”
Katie nodded. “Sounds like a good idea. I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”
“Okay. See you later.”
The remainder of the day flew by. At five o’clock she packed up her stuff and headed for home. Unfortunately, she was no closer to knowing what to do about Ian and his invite. Though technically there was nothing wrong with hanging out with a group of friends. She waited for Katie in the lobby since they had the same schedule today.
Katie strolled out of the coffee shop wearing a grin. “You ready?”
“Yep. Why are you so happy?” She lowered her voice. “I thought you hated working at the coffee shop.”
“I do, and now I’m off work, so I’m happy.”
Brandi chuckled as they headed outside but quickly sobered. The darkness of this time of year was tough to deal with. At least the city lights lit things. Were it not for the holidays, she wasn’t sure how she’d survive the short daylight hours. They walked to the intersection and waited. The light changed, and she stepped forward. Katie grabbed her arm and jerked h
er back.
“Watch it!” Katie said as a car sped through the red light.
“Whoa. Thanks.” Her pulse thrummed in her ears. If it wasn’t for her friend, she might be a statistic. They crossed the street then headed toward the parking garage.
“I know I said it was your decision about this movie club, but I’ve been giving it a lot of thought today, and I’d like to do it at least once to try it out.”
“What gives?” Not that Katie was anti-social, but she rarely changed her mind once she made a decision.
“I think it would be good for us to get out and meet new people.”
“But what about your concerns?”
Katie shrugged. “I overreacted.”
This was a first. What had come over her friend? Brandi looped her arm through Katie’s and veered into the parking garage. She waved to the attendant as they strolled past him and on up the ramp to the second level.
“I’m waiting.” Katie pulled the car door open.
“For what?”
“Your thoughts on the movie club. You’ve been too quiet.”
“I haven’t had time to consider it one way or the other, but if you want to go then we’ll check it out. It’s not like it’s a lifelong commitment.” Katie was acting so weird today. She’d get to the bottom of it one way or another.
“Exactly.”
Regardless of what was up with her friend, excitement simmered in Brandi and she suspected it had to do with a certain man and his surprising entrance into her life.
Chapter Five
Saturday night, Ian breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted Brandi and her friend entering the fish house. Ray had reserved a table for eight and everyone else had already arrived. Ian had been surprised by the size of the group since he hadn’t expected everyone to show, but Ray thought it was better to invite too many people than too few. Now there were three women and an additional man. Ian stood and waved to get the ladies’ attention.
Brandi’s face lit when she spotted him. His stomach flip-flopped. She looked good in dark wash jeans, boots that went up to her knees, a red sweater, and a white winter jacket. She headed their way with Katie on her heels.
“Hi. Sorry we’re late. I had a hard time finding the place.” She slipped off her jacket and took the vacant seat beside his. Her friend sat in the next seat over.
“No problem. We haven’t ordered yet.” He took a minute to introduce them to the group.
“It’s nice to meet all of you. Thanks for including us.” Brandi picked up the menu. “What’s good here?”
“I like the fish and chips.”
“Mm. That sounds delicious.” Brandi studied the menu for a few minutes then spoke softly to Katie.
Their waiter came and took their order. To his surprise Brandi ordered seafood fettuccini. He’d thought she’d order the fish and chips based on her response.
Ray sat to his left at the head of the table, and Ray’s gym buddy sat beside him. The other ladies filled in the rest of the seats. He spoke softly to Brandi. “How was your week?”
“One of the best I’ve had. It started off rocky, but it’s hard to believe how fast things changed for me there. To think I’d thought I’d be job hunting.” She shook her head.
“Why’s that?”
“It all seems silly now. Remember the short version of the story about how I came to be working on the ad campaign for the Clay Ball?”
“Yes.”
“Well, what I left out was that there was an incident on Monday. I thought for sure I would get fired, but instead, my dream since starting at Knott’s Advertising has come true.”
“That’s great. I’m happy for you.” He sincerely meant it, too, which surprised him. Not that he was in the habit of spewing platitudes, but he truly cared about Brandi.
“Thanks. How was your week?”
“Same as always, except for meeting you and working on the charity stuff.”
“I’m really looking forward to helping with that. It sounds like fun.”
“Will you and Katie be attending the main event?”
“I don’t think so. We considered it, but it’s out of our price range. Plus, we wouldn’t want to take seats from someone who might purchase art. Will you be there?”
“Yes.” He never considered not going, but he could see how an assistant and a barista wouldn’t be able to afford a ticket. He should have known without asking that something like that was out of their means. But maybe he could talk to Ray about comping Brandi and Katie tickets. He especially wanted Brandi there. He’d have to talk to Ray about it for sure.
Dinner went off without a hitch, and then they all left together for the movie at a nearby theater. Brandi and Katie walked side by side and kept to themselves while the other ladies did the same. He’d heard Brandi talking with the other women over dinner, but it seemed they didn’t have much in common. Her roommate sat quietly and kept to herself the entire meal. She had to be the quietest woman he’d ever met—not that a dinner in a busy restaurant was a good place to judge, but he had a feeling that was normal behavior for her.
He sidled up to Ray. “How do you think it’s going?”
“Great. Everyone seems to be having a good time.”
“I’m not sure about Katie.”
Ray’s brow furrowed. “She’s kind of quiet, but she might need time to warm up to people. How’re things with Brandi?”
“Really good.”
“I’m glad. I’ll try to finagle it so the two of you sit beside each other at the theater.”
Ian had no idea Ray was such a schemer. “Don’t worry about it. If it works out then great, but if not, I don’t want to cause a scene.”
“Whatever you say.”
Ian would like nothing more than to spend the evening beside Brandi, but he also wanted this night to feel like a group thing and not a couple’s thing. Maybe it would work out naturally—here was to hoping.
Brandi thrust her apartment door open and entered as if floating on a cloud. Ian’s movie club surpassed her expectations. “Did you have fun tonight?” She dropped her keys and purse on the kitchen counter then slid off her boots.
“It was fine,” Katie said.
Brandi stilled. “I’m sorry we got separated at the theater. I saw you were sitting between Ray and another man. Were you uncomfortable?”
She shrugged. “Ray’s a nice guy. I didn’t care much for his friend though.”
Brandi sat on the sofa. “Was it me, or did you get the impression this was the first time any of them had done this before? It seemed none of them knew one another as well as I expected.”
“I think you’re right. You should ask Ian.”
“I might.” Had he orchestrated the entire night to be with her? She shook her head at the crazy thought—talk about being full of herself. She yawned and stood. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She padded to her room and closed the door.
Curiosity ate at her. She pulled her phone from her back pocket and looked up Ian’s number. Her finger hovered over the connect button. Did she really want to know the answer to her suspicion? Or was she looking for an excuse to talk to him?
Her phone rang, and Ian’s name popped up. “Hi there.”
“Hi, yourself. Thanks for coming tonight. Did you and Katie have fun?”
“Mostly. I don’t think Katie will want to do it again. Speaking of which, there’s something that’s bothering me.”
“What’s that?” Concern filled his voice.
Her heart pounded. “How many times has your movie club met? I only ask because the group didn’t feel very connected.”
“You’re observant. This was our first meeting.”
She caught her breath. “Why didn’t you say so?”
Silence met her question.
“Ian? Are you there?”
“I’m here, but I’m embarrassed. Ray thought it would be a good way for me to get to know you better without going on a real date. Since you’re not dating.”
>
“I see.” She wasn’t sure how she felt about this. The setup was a sneaky thing to do, yet it was also sweet. But could she trust him not to pull something deceitful again? “Well, that answers that. Why did you call?”
“To see if you had fun and if you girls wanted to do it again next month.”
“Hmm. Like I said, Katie is out for sure, but I’ll think about it. I need to decide how I feel about what you did.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks for being honest. I’m sorry for being deceitful. I guess I figured as long as it wasn’t an official date it was fine, but I can see why you’d be upset with me.” He sighed. “I really messed up. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me and not hold it against me. You’re still going to help with checking in the art?”
“Of course. One has nothing to with the other.”
“Right. Good night, Brandi.” The call disconnected before she could respond.
Had she been too hard on him? He was, after all, only trying to create a way to get to know her without compromising her wishes. She found it hard to fault him for that, but at the same time, she felt deceived. Yet looking at it from his point of view, she could see that he was trying to keep her boundaries intact while still getting to know her as a friend.
“Stop overthinking,” she mumbled. From everything she’d witnessed, Ian was a good man with a heart for the Lord. So he wasn’t perfect. No one was. She’d enjoyed the movie club overall, but mostly because Katie and Ian were there. The other ladies weren’t overly friendly, and they had nothing in common other than the desire to see a movie. If Ian and Ray followed through with the movie club next month, she’d give it one more go and then make a decision. After all, this wasn’t really about Ian, but about her wish to meet new people with whom she had a common interest. She giggled softly. “Yeah, right.” Ian had caught her attention pure and simple. But if she did go, she’d be sure to hang out with the women and not Ian.
Ian rubbed the back of his neck as he gazed out his condo window into the darkness. He’d blown it with Brandi. Everything had gone so well tonight, and he’d thought for certain that Brandi felt the connection between them, too. Maybe she had, but she’d also seen through their scheme. He never should have gone along with Ray’s suggestion without telling Brandi it was the new club’s inaugural meeting. It probably wouldn’t have mattered to her, and she’d have come anyway.
Until I Met You Page 4
