“Seriously.”
“Why are you asking?” Ash evaded.
“Because I remembered the night you guys met. You couldn’t take your eyes off each other, and I never got the chance to ask about it.”
Ash paused before she said, “Something did happen between us, but I stopped it.”
“Why?”
“I needed a break from all that man stuff. My judgment’s been off. I wanted to clear my head.”
“I understand.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do,” I said.
“Thanks for not judging me.”
“You’re my best friend—and nothing is going to change that. Not on my end.”
She breathed a sigh and I could hear the relief. “Not on my end, either.”
“Thanks, Ash,” I said, meaning it. “You have no idea—these last few months, I’ve felt so…”
“Yeah, I can only imagine.”
“I’m disappearing,” I nearly whispered.
“You’re not,” she insisted. “The Barrett I know and love is in there. There’s just other parts of you now, too.”
“I’m not sleeping,” I admitted.
“You know what you need?”
“What?”
“A girls’ vacation. Somewhere tropical.”
“I wish,” I said mournfully. “Maybe when all this calms down.”
“It might never calm down.”
“Don’t say that. I can’t handle that idea.”
“But it’s a strong possibility, isn’t it?”
“Yes, unfortunately. For now, can we settle for eating a meal together?”
“Sure, I’d like that.”
“Soon,” I promised.
We hung up, and I got ready, slugging down more coffee. The caffeine just wasn’t doing it. I had a busy day of looking at apartments, so I fought through the tiredness. I left the hotel and took the town car to the first place, a luxury building that I didn’t even enter because I didn’t like the look of it from the outside.
Yeah, house hunting was going to be an involved process.
My phone rang.
