“Come on in!”
“Thank you.”
With one final check in the mirror, I apply a setting mist to my face and join my two favorite women in the living room. “Hey, babe,” I announce.
“Hey, you,” Nikki purrs, striding over to plant a kiss on my cheek. She’s in cozy black sweatpants and an asymmetrical off-the-shoulder T-shirt, yet somehow still stunning. She looks like she’s about to head into a loungewear photoshoot.
“I’m so glad that you’re joining us tonight!” Celeste interjects. “Max is going to be thrilled.”
“Oliver, too,” I add. “He’s been excited to meet you finally.”
Nikki smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Well, I hope I can measure up to the hype.” She motions to a grocery bag on the counter. “I also brought some chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t bake them or anything—they’re from Publix—but I didn’t want to come empty-handed.”
“That’s so sweet!” I say, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“Y’all ready to head down?” Celeste asks, retrieving her handbag from the barstool.
Nikki nods, and I beam. “Ready. Let’s go!”
The three of us make our way to room 319, and I try to contain my excitement. Finally, all my favorite people will be in the same room at the same time. Maybe Oliver and Nikki will really hit it off, or maybe it’ll slip out that Oliver is ace and has no intention of pursuing me, giving Nikki the same peace of mind I have around him. At the very least, I just hope they don’t hate each other.
Max doesn’t even let us knock. He eagerly greets us at the door. “Hiii!” he sings to us. “Nikki, I’m so glad you’re here! Can we hug?”
Nikki hesitates, but it’s hardly noticeable. “Okay!”
Max immediately wraps her in a hug—his chin only barely passing her shoulder. While they hug, Max gives me a thumbs-up, and I playfully flick him off.
As they separate, Max reaches for Celeste and me for a group hug. “Welcome to movie night!” he declares as he releases us. “Come on in, meet the other boys.”
I try to make eye contact with Nikki to ensure she’s okay, but her eyes are looking past Max into the room.
Oliver approaches first in all his golden retriever glory. “Hey, Nikki! I’m Oliver. I’ve heard so much about you!”
Nikki looks him up and down, then extends her hand out. “Likewise. Good to finally put a face to the name.”
Oliver shakes her hand eagerly, then he looks at me. His big brown eyes are practically twinkling. “You weren’t joking, Jude, she does look like a model!”
Nikki’s smile falters, but she looks back at me. “Jude said I looked like a model, huh?”
I laugh nervously. “I mean, yeah, you’re drop-dead gorgeous. Like, stunningly beautiful.”
Nikki’s brows raise, but she accepts it. “Oh, stop,” she teases. “You’re going to give me a bigger head than I already have.”
From behind Oliver, Theo bashfully steps forward. “Hi, Nikki. I’m Theo. It’s nice to meet you!”
Nikki shakes his hand, keeping her polite smile. “Nice to meet you, too. Remind me, are you the one who joined Max at the EQA meet a few weeks back?”
Theo blinks. “Oh, well, that was Oliver and me,” he explains. “Oliver and I are old friends, and he tagged along for support.”
“How sweet,” Nikki says, her eyes on Oliver again. “We love an ally.”
Oliver’s expression wavers, but he recovers quickly. “That’s me.”
Max claps his hands together. “Okay, now, with introductions out of the way–”
“Wait, where’s Vimlesh?” Celeste asks.
“Oh, he’s got a project due tomorrow, so he went to the library to finish it,” Max explains. “He told me he would be with us in spirit.”
