Spectrum

15

"Does he work with you?" Sofia asks, breaking me away from my own thoughts.

"Oh, yeah." I reply quickly. "He's one of my friends." I say with a smile.

"He's also an engineer. He's also one of the finalists in the app design contest at work." Grayson adds.

"His app is really good." I say quickly, earning a small nod from Grayson.

"Natalia, are you coming over tonight for dinner?" Shane asks, taking a drink from his green smoothie. I'm sure it's filled with kale and tastes like dirt. I can only imagine so, at least.

"Coming over?" I ask, looking confused I'm sure.

"Yeah. Did Grayson not invite you over yet?" He asks, giving Grayson a look of surprise.

"I was going to." He says quickly, turning to me with his assuring words. "Shane wanted to have all of us over to his place tonight for dinner." He explains quickly.

"Natalia! You have to come!" Sofia says with excitement. "I can't be the only girl there." She adds with a little pout.

"I would really like for you to come, too." Grayson says. "You know...if you aren't doing anything? It could be fun." He says. His words remind me of what Brian had told me to say to him when 'asking him out' on a date.

"I would love to. That actually sounds really fun." I tell him with a small smile. He smiles in return and I see his cheeks begin to flush slightly. Unlike me, he doesn't try and hide it.

"Shane said he would make some lasagna. Cheese, of course. Gray hates beef." Sofia says. "But honestly, it's fine because Shane makes the best food."

Shane smiles a cocky smile at us, and I know he is absolutely loving the compliment from Sofia.

"You know, you could have it a lot more if you wanted." He tells her.

"Your cooking?" She asks with a small smile of amusement.

"Yeah. You know, when you finally agree to marry me I will make you whatever you want for the rest of your life." He smirks.

"God, he's been going on about this for months now." She tells me, rolling her eyes with a laugh. "You lost your chance. I was trying to marry you when I was like eighteen, remember?" She remarks.

"I was twenty five at the time." He replies quickly.

"So?" She shrugs.

"You were a teenager!" He says as though it was obvious.

"And you're twenty eight now." She counters.

"Okay, but it's different now and you know that."

"Oh well. You still had your chance and lost it." She shrugs.

"We'll see about that." He remarks.

As she tries playing it off, I can see that his comment has pleased her. She likes the attention and I don't blame her. "Anyways, you'll come tonight, right?" She asks me.

"I mean...if it's okay with Grayson, I would love to join." I say nervously glancing over at Grayson.

"Hear that, Gray. She would love to join us." Shane says.

"If you want to go, then I would like for you to join us as well." Grayson tells me with a small smile.

"I guess we'll see how good your food actually is, Shane." I say playfully.

Shane laughs and flashes that bright smile that i'm sure has every girl falling for him.

As we continue to talk and finish our smoothies, I can't help but have my mind drift to what Brian had said. I know he didn't mean it the way that it came out, but I can't help but wonder if he actually thinks this way or now. I mean, isn't he pretty entitled to his opinion about Grayson and I?