Page 85 of Take the Plunge

“Uh, no. They’re the same dimples I’ve always had. Rufus is super jealous because he doesn’t have dimples.”

“Jealous? Why?”

“He reckons I got away with more stuff than him as a kid because grown-ups couldn’t resist my dimples.”

“Is that true?”

Kian shrugs. “Probably not. I think the younger sibling always gets it a bit easier. The older one has to be the groundbreaker, you know? They have to push all the boundaries and convince overprotective parents to loosen the reins. It was less scary for them to let me do the same things a couple of years later.”

“You’re three years younger than Rufus.”

“Exactly!” He jerks his thumb towards the restaurant. “Are we going to go inside?”

I nod.

Kian looks me in the eye. “We don’t have to.”

“Do you want to?”

“Show off my gorgeous boyfriend to my big brother? Of course I do. But only if you feel comfortable going in there. I’ll understand if you don’t.”

I take a breath. “No. I’m fine. Nervous, yes, but I want to do this. He already knows I’m bringing a guy. It’s not like I’m coming out.”

“No, you did that yesterday.”

Over the phone, without any pomp or ceremony on my side or even a whiff of surprise on Rufus’s side.

I slide my fingers through Kian’s. “Let’s do this.”

We walk into the restaurant together.

Rectangular wooden tables and simple metal chairs in various colours give it a rustic vibe. A sign with a long list of ingredients hangs above the till, which leads me to believe it’s a create-your-own toppings kind of place. Rufus and Halle are waiting for us at a table in one corner. Halle’s hair is as red as Rufus’s, and she has dozens of freckles, which provide a stark contrast to her pale skin.

As we approach, still holding hands, Rufus folds his arms and arches an eyebrow. “Well, well, well, look who you brought.” He leans toward me as we sit. “You know you could have set me straight at the pub the other day when I kept referring to your ‘girlfriend’.”

My cheeks feel hot and my skin clammy. “I said I was bringing a guy. Besides, I never told you I was seeing a woman. I never even used those pronouns. You did that all by yourself.”

Rufus looks at the ceiling for a few seconds. “True, but you still could have set me straight. And you didn’t say the guy you were bringing was my brother.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Kian asks in a sweet-as-pie voice.

Rufus gestures to Halle. “Halle, this is my baby brother, Kian, and my best friend, Jett.”

“Nice to meet you.” Halle holds her hand out to Kian and then me. “You’re not a redhead,” she says to Kian.

He laughs. “Nope.”

Rufus presses his lips together. They tremble as though he’s trying hard not to say something.

“Rufus takes after our dad,” Kian says. “And I take after our mum. I sunburn as easily as a redhead, though.”

“Rufus said you work in the accounts department,” I say.

Halle nods. “What do you do?”

“I’m a software engineer.”

“I’m a student,” Kian says. “I’m doing an MSc in biodiversity and conservation.”