put a glass of white wine in front of me with a wink. “Thank you,” I called after him as he went back to the bar.
“Well,” Harrison’s smile widened as he pulled out his phone. “We know how hard you’ve been working—studying, waitressing, tutoring—all that.”
“And,” Reagan cut in, “we wanted to get you something.”
I opened my mouth, ready to object, when Reagan held up a hand. “Don’t fucking fight us on this, Shelby. Your birthday is coming up, and you need it.”
From his back pocket, Harrison pulled an envelope and set it down in front of me. A deep breath expanded in my lungs, and I let it out slowly. “Guys—I don’t like charity.”
“I know,” Harrison began quietly, “but with graduation this year, you’re going to be interviewing for jobs soon.”
Reagan nudged the envelope closer to me. “And your only ‘business’ clothes are covered in stains and have a permanent smell of soul food.” She glanced around the restaurant. “High end soul food, but still.” Her face twisted. “It’s not exactly the impression you want to give to the head of the international division of Hilton.”
“Hilton?” I snorted, rolling my eyes. “As if I’ll even get a job interview there.” I opened the envelope to find a Macy’s gift card. I swallowed, warmth rising in my throat and prickling behind my eyes. “Thank you, but I can’t take this. I have money…I can go buy a new suit.”
“It’s a birthday gift.” Harrison looked to Reagan as though they knew this would be my reaction. “You can’t turn down a birthday gift.”
I nodded as the tears caught at the back of my throat. “Thank you,” I managed to choke. “My birthday isn’t for a month, though.”
“Trust me,” Reagan said from over her glass of wine. “You’ll need a business suit sooner more than later. You’ll be surprised how quickly meetings and networking events will pop up.”
“You know”—Harrison grinned, leaning back in his chair and taking a gulp of beer—“our test scores will probably be posted on Ceele’s forum when we get home.” He jerked his head toward the envelope. “We could see if that’s just a big fat waste of money.”
Crumpling the napkin in my hand, I threw it at his face as he laughed. It bounced off his cheek and landed right in his beer, sending molasses-colored liquid spilling down the sides of the glass. “Why are you even in Ceele’s class?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I needed an extra elective credit, and it might be fun to travel.” Harrison shrugged, picking the saturated napkin from his beer and placing it on the other side of the table. “Get the hell out from under my dad’s thumb. No one over there will care that he’s a police commissioner in Podunk, South Carolina.”
My gut clenched at the mention of his father and my limbs went numb. I needed to be a friend. Harrison had been there for me all through high school, whenever I needed him. And if he needed to talk about his dad, then goddammit, I had to listen. But that didn’t mean I had to be sober in doing so.
I turned in my chair, signaling for Dave to get me another wine, then I tipped back, slamming the remaining liquid in my current glass. Reagan wooted from beside me, laughing, but her giggles sounded far away.
“So…” I looked once more to Harrison, blinking my eyes open. “Going to France to get the hell out of here, huh?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
TATE
Saturday night usually meant one thing. Poker night with me and the guys. I sighed, looking at my cards, which really gave me a big, fat nothing of a hand. I couldn’t keep my mind on the game. Shelby said she had to work, but was the tutoring center even open on Saturdays? And now she was with her friends at Magnolia’s clear on the other side of town? It didn’t make any sense. I gulped. Was she lying to me? Even just the thought of that made me grip my cards so tight, I damn near bent the corners. Maybe she was really grabbing a drink with her creepy boss, Ryan.
No. She wasn’t Katie. This was Shelby. Sweet, honest, sexy Shelby.
I tossed another chip into the center of the table, not even sure why I wasn’t just folding, and glanced up to find Logan studying my face carefully. I cleared my throat and draped my arm over the back of my chair. “Was that Katie I saw you with the