Tristan was practically glowing with pride, which only made Tanner feel worse. He gritted his teeth. “Alright, I get it. Emily Blair is your girlfriend. You don't have to remind me every five seconds. Can we please get through today without you saying 'my girlfriend' even once?"

Tristan tried to look sympathetic, though it was clear he was enjoying himself. "I'll try, but honestly, it's not easy."

Tanner couldn't take the smugness any longer. He shot Tristan a look. "Do you remember who you're meeting later?"

That wiped the grin right off Tristan's face.

Sensing his advantage, Tanner went for the kill. "Maybe you should stop thinking about Emily for a second and start worrying about Andrew Lane. Rumor has it he's been spending a lot of time with her lately. You might want to keep an eye out.”

Tristan glanced over. “At least I'm not just a friend. I have an actual title."

Tanner was speechless. For a split second, he seriously considered pulling over and punching Tristan, hoping no one would ever find out.

He just sighed and shot Tristan a tired look. "Fine. You win. I give up."

Tristan straightened his collar and patted Tanner on the shoulder. "Come on, cheer up. And watch the road."

Next to Tristan, who looked like he was walking on sunshine, Tanner felt completely defeated. “Honestly, I should have made you drive."

He stared out the windshield, feeling sorry for himself. What kind of person was he? Still heartbroken from his own breakup, and the second his friend called, he dropped everything to play chauffeur. Not only did he have to drive, he had to listen to Tristan brag about his love life the whole way, then watch as he went off to meet someone else. And he was supposed to just swallow his own heartbreak and make sure Tristan got there safe and sound.

He really was too nice for his own good.

Tristan and Andrew had agreed to meet at a restaurant that was all about privacy It was members only, no

of dining area, just private

rooms for everyone.

Tristan hopped out of the car while Tanner slouched over the steering wheel. “If you

need anything, just call. I'll be right outside, ready to come in."

Tristan nodded, looking completely relaxed. "Yeah, got it."

Inside, a waiter came over right away. "Do you have a reservation, sir?”

Tristan gave his name. The waiter smiled. “Your guest is already waiting in a private room. Please follow me."

They made their way down a quiet hallway until they reached a door. The waiter opened it. "After you, sir..."

Andrew Lane was already inside, sitting on the right. He looked sharp in a tailored suit, with no trace of looking sick, even though he'd just gotten out of the hospital. He moved with this calm, elegant air, pouring tea for himself and for the seat across from him.

Every movement looked practiced and smooth.

Tristan kept his gaze down, walking in slowly and sitting across from Andrew, eyes lingering on the cup of tea poured just for him.

The waiter seemed to pick up on the tension in the room and lowered his voice.

"Your food will be out shortly, gentlemen. Please wait a moment."

Just as the waiter turned to leave, Tristan spoke up. His tone was casual. "You guys have a dessert that's really popular, don't you?"

Andrew's eyes flicked over at Tristan, but Tristan didn't look back.

The waiter nodded. "Yes, the Vanilla Bean Cloud. Almost everyone orders It's not too sweet very delicate flavor. We'll bring it out for you both soon."