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"Okay, spill it." I took a sip of my water and leaned back in my chair.
"What?"
"Don't give me that innocent look. You've been moody all morning, and now you've turned down your favorite cheesecake to eat something else."
"What are you, the dessert police?"
"Oh, that would be a dream job, huh?"
A corner of her mouth tipped up, and she relaxed slightly in her chair.
"Seriously, Jade, are you okay? You've been checking your phone all morning, been as prickly as a pincushion, and now you're choosing chocolate, which you usually only do when a guy you like pissed you off." If I hadn't been watching her so closely, I might have missed the grimace that came and went. "Oh." I leaned forward and grabbed her hand that was playing with her straw wrapper. "He didn't hurt you or anything, did he?"
"No, nothing like that." She was quick to reassure me. "Let's say the evening didn't live up to my expectations."
"Oh." Oh! I held up my pinky finger. "You mean he was..."
Jade snorted. "No, that definitely wasn't the problem."
I was confused. "So, he just didn't know what he was doing then?"
She sighed. "I wouldn't know. He turned me down."
"Oh," I repeated, too surprised to come up with more profound words.
"I thought we were getting along so well. He walked me back to my place. He kissed me, and I know he wanted more. I could feel it, you know? Literally and emotionally. But then he pulled back, told me "good night," and left me hanging. What kind of guy does that?"
I had to bite back my smile. "You're right. What a jerk. How dare he be respectful?"
Her green eyes pierced mine. "You don't get it. It's like going to the theater and seeing the first half that ends on a cliffhanger, and then the show closes without the second half."
"Maybe because he sees you as more than just a show."
"I'm not interested in a relationship," she muttered. "Maybe I should send him your way."
"Oh, yay. That would be wonderful," I answered, rolling my eyes and my head. "Please, send your leftovers to me."
"Oh, honey, I didn't mean it that way! You know that! I meant you're not a whore d'oeuvre. You're looking for more. I'm not."
I choked on the water I'd just sipped. "I'm not a what?"
The familiar gleam came back into Jade's eyes. "A whore d'oeuvre. W-h-o-r-e. You know, someone who—"
I held up my hand. "Yeah, yeah, I think I got its meaning, and you're right, I'm not. But I've also known you for a while, and I don't think I've ever seen you bent out of shape over a guy before. He really got to you, didn't he?"
"No, that would be the problem. He didn't get to me." She winked. "I was looking forward to a fulfilling experience."
I sat back in my chair and played with one of the straws Charlotte had left on the table. "Are you mad because he didn't sleep with you, or because he wanted something more with you first?"
She wrinkled her nose. "I'm not interested in anything serious. You know that."
Yeah, I'd heard that from the time I'd first met her, but I couldn't understand why. Sure, not everyone wanted to get married and have babies, but Jade seemed determined to make that her destiny. She might think she had others fooled, maybe even herself, that she was happy this way, but I didn't believe her. I'd watched her look at couples with a bit of wistfulness when she thought no one was looking. And she was ecstatic for Maggie when she got engaged.
"Jade," I started, but was interrupted when Charlotte came with our treat. Both of us shoveled in the first forkful with enthusiasm.
"Oh, yum. Mmm." Jade made a show of closing her eyes and licking her lips. "Oh, wow. Yes, this mouthgasm might seriously be as good as the other kind."
Mouthgasm? Jade's vocabulary was entertaining, to say the least. Fortunately, she let any further comments go as we focused on our desserts.
