AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Finn also asked me for jerseys for two kids he recently met so I’ve got those in the car. Would you mind giving them to him the next time you see him?”
“I’m happy to. Let me say goodbye and I’ll walk out with you.” I spin around, letting out a relieved breath.
Andonce again Finn is at the forefront of my mind, his unexpected compliment to Rena docking deep in my bones. He thought about me more than once this morning. And thinks enough about my work ethic to warrant praise. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of person to give false flattery, even with our hot-as-hell kiss to fall back on, so I’m more confused than ever about what to do with him. Finn falls under my Anti-Man campaign. (Not to be confused withAnt Man, the movie, which I loved.) He’s not to be trusted. Not now. Not ever. No matter how easy it is for him to slip past my defenses.
*
“Happy friendsgiving!” Isay to Jillian an hour later.
“Happy friendsgiving!” she reciprocates, greeting me outside the pop-up taco stand on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. “I am so happy you chose this place for our annual turkey outing.”
“Me too. Spicy turkey tacos and an ocean view? What could be better?”
We link arms, do a little Laverne & Shirley bounce up and down (her mom introduced us to the late-seventies/early-eighties television show) and step to the counter. We place identical orders then carry our food to a bench on the grass, sitting side by side. I zip up my down vest to stave off the chill in the air, while puffy white clouds play peekaboo with the sun.
Our tacos are loaded with ground turkey, garlic, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, mozzarella, cilantro, and salsa. A dollop of sour cream completes the combination. Before we dive in, I take a picture and post it to Insta with the hashtags #friendsgiving #bff #turkeyvibes. We eat the first few bites in easy silence as we stare at the placid sea. We started this tradition five years ago at Jillian’s request. I cried when she suggested it. She has a sister. A dadanda mom. Extended family nearby. And she requested my presence, and mine alone, for giving thanks to friendship.
“I think I just had a tacorgasm,” Jilly says. “Please don’t tell Robert.”
I laugh. “I think the correct term is tacogasm, no ‘r.’”
“Tah-may-toe, tah-mah-toe. This is seriously our best friendsgiving meal yet.”
“Definitely.” I bite into my second crunchy shell, which for the record is way better than a soft shell, and I have my own tacogasm.
All thisgasmtalk makes me think about you-know-who again, damn it. Between leaving work and meeting Jillian, I’d successfully made a mental grocery store list, sang to the radio, debated on apple pie versus pumpkin and decided on both, and talked my dad through using the new coffee machine I picked up yesterday as a surprise for him. He’s been sleeping in, and our normal coffee pot is cold by the time he’s ready to drink it, so I bought a single-serve coffee maker and different flavored coffees for him to enjoy. He never buys anything for himself, and wasn’t exactly thrilled when I gave it to him—save your money, he always says—but too bad. It’s a small thing given all he does for me. I pay very little rent. (I insisted on something.) We share the utilities and shopping duties. And weirdly, my dad likes to clean so besides being asked to keep things neat, I’m off the hook there.
“You’re still staying with me and Michelle at the hotel the night before the wedding, right?”
“Of course.” The wedding is less than two weeks away. Less than fourteen days for Finn to make good on his promise about my dress. I’m trying really hard not to freak out about it, but if Jilly wants to talk about the wedding, she may notice my nervousness, and the very last thing I want is her worried, too. Finn apologized for the delay and assured me my dress would be “good as new,” which makes me wonder, is he buying me a new one? I lock my jaw in irritation. I can take care of my own problems, I don’t need him to do it.
“We thought we’d order room service and watchThe Proposal.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“What’s not so perfect is I’m late.”
I drop my taco and turn to my best friend. “Late as inlate?” She nods. “How late?”
“Late enough.”
“Should we go get a pregnancy test?” I try to decipher if Jilly is happy about this, but it’s hard to tell. I know she wants kids. Eventually.
“Did one this morning.”
“And?” She’s killing me here, her face giving nothing away. It’s not like she and Robert don’t love each other like crazy. This is a good thing, just ahead of schedule.
“You’re going to be a godmother.”
“Oh my God! Jilly. Congratulations.” I hug her so tight her “thanks” is muffled in my vest. When I release her, she’s got a huge grin on her face.
“So much for best laid plans, huh?” she says. “Wedding at twenty-five. First baby at twenty-eight…”
I glance down at her stomach. “You’ve got a baby in there right now.”
She rubs her belly. “I do. It’s crazy. I haven’t told Robert yet. I was hoping you could help me come up with a fun way to tell him tonight.”
“I’d love to.” I wipe the corner of my eye.
