Amber tried not to smile.
Lovey narrowed her eyes first at her boyfriend, then her brother. “I’m still not sure I believe you.”
“I think it’s true,” Amber said. “Who could forget that name?” She grinned at Duncan.
“I like to travel in the off-season,” Duncan said. “That would be an interesting place to go. Last year I went to Egypt for three weeks.”
Well, he was just full of surprises tonight. “Really?”
“Yeah. Lots of history there, obviously, one of the longest histories of any modern country. Cradle of civilization, right? Where writing, agriculture, urbanization, religion, and central government developed.”
Amber felt her jaw go slack. “You like history?”
“Sure. It’s kind of cool.” Duncan looked at the others. “Amber studies cities. Urban studies, right?”
“That’s right.” She glanced at him. He’d been drunk last night but apparently had been listening to her. Maybe not that drunk, after all. “And like I said last night, don’t get me started talking about my thesis or I’ll never shut up.” She smiled.
“That’s really interesting,” Lovey said. “So you’re going to college?”
“Yeah. I started a bit late. I’m graduating soon, though. Where did you go to school?”
“Madison Tech.”
“Right, you’re from Wisconsin. The dairy farm.” She again flicked an amused glance at Duncan. His smile back at her made her knees wobble.
“Yep, that’s right,” Lovey confirmed.
As conversation moved on, Amber surprisingly found herself enjoying talking to this group. Clementine was obviously arm candy for Jared, but Jared was smart and charming, Marc was interesting with his French background and faint accent, and Lovey was adorable. As was Duncan. He might be a farm boy hockey player and he didn’t say much, but he’d surprised her tonight. He obviously had brains. She enjoyed the sibling banter between him and Lovey, and Marc and Lovey were clearly newly in love, with lots of hot glances and touching that made Amber feel a faint tug of…longing.
“You guys don’t talk about hockey all the time?” she asked a while later, finishing off her third meatball slider.
Duncan looked at Marc who looked at Jared. “No.”
“That’s talking shop,” Marc said. “Sometimes you have to leave work at work.”
“True enough.” She nodded and wiped her fingers on a blue paper napkin. “Do you two like hockey?” She looked at Clementine and Lovey.
“I love hockey!” Clementine said. “It’s so fast and exciting!”
She caught the twitch of Jared’s lips and the careful, polite smiles of Marc and Duncan.
“I don’t have much choice,” Lovey said wryly. “I grew up around hockey. Dragged out to games and tournaments my whole life. How did I end up in love with a damn hockey player, anyway?” She tipped her head and gave Marc a mock glare.
He grinned at her, and the affection in his smile made Amber’s heart tighten. He pulled Lovey in close and kissed her cheek. “You know you love the game.”
“Eh. I can watch it.”
Amber smiled. Lovey may not have had a choice, but Amber could tell she liked hockey. And she really liked Marc.
These people were actually…nice. Nice and smart and funny.
“I have to go,” she said, with a little twinge of regret. “I need to mingle with more guests. Part of the job. Thanks for letting me hang out here for a while.”
“Wait! Your picture.” Lovey held up her camera.
“Right.” Amber reluctantly reached for her small purse and pulled out a lip gloss. “Do I have food in my teeth?” She gave Lovey a toothy smile.
Lovey smiled too. “Nope.”
Duncan reached out and touched Amber’s chin, turning her face toward him. “You don’t have any bruising from that punch last night?”
Amber went still at his touch. “Um, no. It’s fine.”
“Good.”
Amber struck a pose and let Lovey take a couple of pictures. “Okay, now I better go.”
“Good to get to know you a bit better,” Jared said. “And I just want to say again how sorry I am about what happened in the bar last night. I know Elliott talked to you, and he said you’re okay, but I want you to know that kind of shit doesn’t happen in my restaurant.”
“Oh. Um. Thanks.” She hesitated. “Nice to meet you all.” She divided a smile among everyone, carefully avoiding Duncan’s eyes, then hastened away from the table to the ladies’ room.
Once she was done there, she headed back to the ballroom and the party. She began to mingle, chatting with people, using the work that CCP was doing as an icebreaker. It wasn’t difficult for her to talk about that, since it was one of her passions. Eventually she circled back around to the table where Duncan and his friends had been, but they’d abandoned it. Probably mingling themselves. Or maybe they’d left. Ah well.