Page 35 of Just Another Meet Cute

“Thanks again for driving us home,” Ryan said as he leaned against the back seat. His hand was so close to mine that we were practically holding hands. Although our pinkies and ring fingers were touching, so maybe that counts. I wasn’t exactly an expert at hand-holding etiquette.

Linh wiggled her fingers in the air over her shoulder. “It’s no problem. We couldn’t let you guys waste your money on an Uber when you’re treating us to dinner next week.”

“We’re going out to dinner?”

Instead of answering me, she just shot us a big grin in the rearview mirror as Ian snorted loudly from the front seat. “I guess we have to now. And let me guess, we’re going somewhere fancy?”

“Well, I haven’t had steak in a while, but I’m partial to lobster, too.”

“Stop teasing them.” I leaned forward and patted Ian’s shoulder with my other hand. “You can take us out for Korean BBQ instead. Maybe the karaoke one on Lemon Street? I’ve been dying to try that place.”

Turning his head to glance back, he smirked at me. “Oh, we can take you out? That’s sweet of you.” I hope you won’t let us pay, too, ’cause then that would be way too generous.

Ian started to reach up like he was going to touch me, but his eyes drifted down to Ryan’s hand and mine. It felt like time in the car froze as the laughter faded from his face for a split second.

And then it was suddenly gone like it was a trick of the sunlight in his face. Ian gave me a quick grin and jerked forward to fiddle with the radio buttons. My hand fell away from his shoulder like a heavy weight.

Ryan laughed. “So you girls get to hang out and sing while we do all the grilling? I don’t know if this ride is worth all that .”

Linh turned her head and winked. “Hey, you can get out here if you don’t like the deal. We’re pretty close to your house anyway.”

“Nah, I’m already looking forward to showing off my cooking skills. Gotta get some more points in.” Ryan glanced over at me like he expected me to say something, but my mind was suddenly blank, wiped clean like the blackboard on the last day of school.

Instead, I gave him a half smile that felt entirely too forced and not at all convincing. His brow wrinkled in confusion. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just a little tired,” I lied.

He leaned closer and patted his shoulder. “This pillow is available whenever you need it.”

Normally I would take up his offer, but it just didn’t feel right. Blinking rapidly, I glanced again in Ian’s direction, but he was busy talking to Linh. “I’m good, thanks.”

Still looking uncertain, he nodded and sat back in his seat. His finger tapped a steady beat on the car door. “By the way, did I tell you that I talked to my mom about taking a year off to travel before starting college?”

“You did? What did she say?”

“Oh, she almost fainted,” he said with a chuckle.

“You know how moms are. Plus, no one ever just delays college in my family. Or anyone we know actually. To be honest, she kind of freaked out. I almost backed down, but then I remembered what you said about doing what I want, and I just went for it.”

Both of my hands gripped his arm when he didn’t continue. “And …?”

“And we’re going to keep talking about it.” His lips flashed into a quick grin. “I don’t know if I will take a year off, but at least the idea’s out there. It’s actually just really nice to have my voice heard for once.”

Unable to help myself, I gave him a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you. And whatever you decide to do, just remember that I’m always on your side.”

His breath rustled the hair by my ear as he laughed and hugged me back. “So does that mean that you’ll help me teach Kathy how to mow the lawn?”

I grimaced. “Uh …”

Just then Ian got everyone’s attention. “Hey, what is B á doing?”

We all turned to look out the window as Linh pulled up to their house.

Their grandma was standing by one of the cars—only two were in the driveway today—with nearly a dozen grocery bags at her feet.

She bent over and looped several of them over her arms and straightened up. Or at least she tried to.

Without waiting for Linh to put the car into park, Ian and Ryan leaped out and were at her side within seconds.

They each held on to her arms and pulled her upright before taking the bags away.

With a stern look on his face, Ian looked like he was giving her a lecture while Ryan nodded every few seconds.

Rolling her eyes, B á smacked their arms and tried to take the bags back, but the brothers just brushed her away.

The concerned looks on their faces actually made my heart swell a bit. It was so cute to watch. Forget about the grilling skills, grandma love was getting both of the guys a ton of points.

Linh gave me a knowing smile like she knew what I was thinking. “Come on, let’s go help them.”

“Okay.”

Between the four of us, we were able to get all the bags inside in one trip. I didn’t know what their B á had bought, but some of the bags were actually pretty heavy. Even Ryan struggled with them. I had no idea how she expected to bring all this inside herself.

“This is a lot of ground pork,” Linh commented as she dropped the bags on the kitchen table with a loud thud. She stretched her arms up over her head, and they made a popping noise.

“Thank you. I’m making giò for the family this afternoon.”

At her words, Ryan and Ian froze with horror etched across their handsome faces.

They shot each other worried looks and practically stumbled over themselves to escape the kitchen.

Or at least they tried to. Their grandma was already blocking the doorway with her arm as she smiled expectantly.

“If you’re not doing anything today, then you can all help me. ”

“Oh, we would love to, but we—”

“—there was this place we needed to go—”

“—to pick up before it closes—”

Unable to help myself, I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. “That’s funny. You both told us earlier that you didn’t have anything to do.”

Linh was right there alongside me with an identical grin. “Isn’t that why you lent Ollie your car?”

“That’s … right. I forgot. Thanks for reminding us,” Ian said dryly with an annoyed look on his face.

“You’re welcome.” I had to swallow my laughter as Ryan just looked resigned and started to unpack the bags on the table.

The more stuff he took out though, the more I was starting to understand why they were trying to escape.

There were at least thirty pounds of ground pork on the table with bottles of fish sauce, bags of sugar, and a bunch of small pink bags that I couldn’t read. “How many pounds is this?”

B á pulled out several different spoons from the drawer by the stove. “About thirty-five pounds.”

Ah, my guess was pretty close.

Across the table, Ryan groaned under his breath while Ian groaned out loud and flopped onto the chair next to his brother. “This is going to take hours. Why do we have to do this again?”

“B á c Noah’s parents are visiting this weekend, and I can’t let them leave empty-handed.” B á shook her head and pulled out a gigantic tub from the pantry in the corner like a magician. “Plus, we need some more giò for banh mì this weekend anyway. Unless you don’t want any.”

“I do want some banh mì,” Ryan admitted. Ian shot him a look of betrayal, and he held both hands up in surrender. “What? You know you want some, too. It’s one of your favorites.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean we have to admit it.”

To be honest, I was starting to feel overwhelmed, too, as B á piled the meat into the tub. It was like a never-ending pink gooey glob.

Linh, on the other hand, was so excited that she started rocking back and forth on her heels. Her fingers wiggled like she was itching to get started. “How many giò would this make?”

“About twenty-five large ones. And then a few smaller ones. Oh, and we have to save some uncooked aside to make bún m?c.”

“Oh, that’s it?” I couldn’t keep the thread of sarcasm out of my voice.

Luckily, B á just laughed. “It takes a lot of work to feed this family, but I love them. Ian, why won’t you set up the two food processors with your girlfriend?” She gestured toward the other table with a wave of her hand.

At first, I thought she meant Linh, but she was looking right at me.

Ian started coughing like he was choking on something. “B á , Nina’s not—she’s not my girlfriend.”

Her startled glance bounced between the both of us. “Oh, sorry, I thought she was your girlfriend because I saw her name pop up on your phone a few times last week.”

Now it was my turn to choke. I don’t even know what I was choking on. Air, spit, embarrassment. Either way, my cheeks burst with heat as everyone turned to stare at both of us. Me in particular, since I sounded like I was almost dying.

Ryan looked confused as he got up. “Do you need some water?”

“No, I’m—actually, yes. Water would be nice.” At least drinking water would give me something to do.

Chewing on her lower lip, Linh studied the three of us with a suspicious glint in her eyes. I could practically imagine all the thought bubbles around her head like in an anime. And none of them were good.

Avoiding her gaze, I gave Ryan a grateful smile when he handed me a glass of water.

Thank God, he didn’t seem too bothered by B á ’s comment.

Ian, on the other hand, was studying the wall next to his elbow like the tiny cracks had the answer to all life’s questions.

The tips of his ears were pink though, so I know he was paying attention to us.

I had just taken a big gulp when B á spoke up again.

“If you’re not Ian’s girlfriend, are you Ryan’s girlfriend?”

Jeez, she was really on a roll today.

I spat the water out on the table, and both Ian and Ryan had to jump out of the way to avoid getting splattered.

Horrified, I wanted to apologize, but this time I was actually dying for real as water went down the wrong pipe.

My throat and cheeks were all on fire as I gasped for air.

Both Ian and Ryan moved over to my side.

Ian lightly patted my back, while Ryan grasped my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Dying of embarrassment, but fine.”

Not deterred by my near-death experience, B á still wasn’t going to let her question go. “So, whose girlfriend, are you?”

“I’m not—” I glanced back and forth between the two brothers.

Both were standing so close to me that I could feel their heat from either side.

Ryan’s hand was still grasping my shoulder, while Ian’s hand was just rubbing my upper back now.

It was still hard to catch my breath, but now it was for an entirely different reason.

Being in this cute-boy sandwich wasn’t turning out to be as much fun as I imagined.

From across the room, Linh’s eyes met mine and she smirked at me.

So annoying.

Finally, Ryan seemed to notice something was wrong as he glanced back and forth between his brother and me.

Or maybe the tension in the room was suffocating him like it was doing to me.

I doubt that he could even imagine that there was actually something going on between Ian and me though.

That there was so much more to the story then anyone could ever know.

And Ian …

Still silent, he practically jumped across the table to get away from us.

His cheeks were burning red now as he turned back to the wall.

His Adam’s apple bounced up and down. I had a feeling that he was struggling to not look at me.

Or maybe I just wished that he would. Even a tiny glance.

Everyone else in the room was looking at me except him.

I answered B á the only way I could honestly. “We’re just all … we’re all friends, Ba. Ian, Ryan, and me.”

With her brows furrowed together like Ryan, B á opened her mouth again, and I braced myself for the interrogation just as Linh jumped in. “And me! I know I’m your cousin, but I’m everyone’s friend, too. Most of the time, as long as you don’t bother me before breakfast.”

B á finally turned to Linh. “What’s your name, con?”

“Linh.” She looped her arm through B á ’s like they were the best of friends and picked up a spoon. “So how much fish sauce do you need for all this? And where do you even buy a bucket of fish sauce that big?”

Once she steered their grandma out of the way, I concentrated on wiping down and scrubbing all the water I had spat out on the table until it was sparkling clean.

With a tight smile, Ryan waved me away. “This part is pretty nasty. Ian and I can handle the food processors since we already know how. Why don’t you go help B á and Linh with the measuring and mixing?”

“Oh. Okay.”

As much as I liked their grandma, I was reluctant to help her after she kept putting me in the spotlight.

Thankfully, once everything was prepped and ready, the food processors were so loud that B á couldn’t ask me any more questions even if she wanted to.

None of us could talk at all. Although that didn’t stop the twins from giving each other looks like they were having their own silent conversation.

Wishing I could know what they were saying, I turned to Linh and leaned in close. “Took you long enough to save me, but thanks.”

“Yeah, just wait until we get home.” She gave me a slow smile that made goose bumps tingle up and down my arms. Especially when she squeezed my hand. “You won’t be thanking me then.”

Oh no. I was in trouble now.