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“Bree!” I hear Tess just seconds after Ant and I step into the pub-style restaurant just five minutes till seven.
“Hey.” I spot her making her way toward us, Sebastian lounging on a long booth at the far end of the lobby.
“It’s gonna be a few more minutes,” she says, tucking her arm through mine before following Ant who heads toward Sebastian.
“What’s up, man?” Sebastian stands the moment Ant reaches him, and the two embrace in some weird handshake, back pat, man hug.
“Not much,” Ant replies casually before turning toward Tess and me. “Good to see you two out of the bedroom,” he jokes, winking at Tess.
“Ha. Ha. You’re so funny.” She sticks her tongue out at him, her cheeks blushing crimson.
Tess is so easy to embarrass when it comes to sex. It’s always been something she’s kept very private. When we were younger, Courtney and I would recount our experiences to each other in great detail, but we were lucky if Tess would even admit she had an orgasm. She’s not a kiss and tell kind of girl.
“We haven’t been in our bedroom in days,” Sebastian quickly chimes in.
“Trouble in paradise?” Ant teasingly questions.
“Not at all. We’ve been experimenting in other rooms of the house now that we don’t have your ass hanging around. Your bed squeaks less than mine, in case you were wondering,” he jabs at Ant, earning himself an evil glare from Tess.
“Dude, gross. You guys had sex in my bed!”
“Well, technically it’s my bed,” Sebastian laughs.
“Remind me to never crash at your place again.”
“Would you two please stop?” Tess swats at Ant, turning her attention to the hostess when she calls for our party. “Come on. If you two are going to insist on talking like you’re fourteen, at least let me get a drink in me first.” She huffs, taking off toward the hostess.
“After you.” Ant gestures for me to go first, he and Sebastian following directly behind me.
The hostess seats us in a booth along the far wall, Tess sliding in next to Sebastian which leaves me sitting next to Ant. Not that I mind, quite the opposite actually, though I keep that piece of information to myself.
Within ten minutes we have our drinks in hand, our orders placed, and the conversation is flowing freely around the table.
Tess tells us all about the company she interviewed for this week and how hopeful she is that she’ll land something soon. Ant and Sebastian talk briefly about Sebastian’s job as an athletic trainer for USC, while Tess and I listen in. Football conditioning has started so he’s swamped right now, but it’s clear to see he loves every second of it.
It’s the strangest feeling, sitting here with the three of them. In some weird way, I almost feel like we’re still just the same high school teenagers and no time has passed. I still see glimpses of those kids in each and every one of us, but I also see the changes—the maturity, the growth, the things that you can only gain with age.
“So you said you had something to tell us,” I remind Tess when there is a lull in the conversation.
She looks over at Sebastian, who smiles at her so adoringly it makes my chest ache, and then back to me.
“Well,” she pauses for a long moment. “We’re getting married,” she spits out so fast it takes me a moment to grasp her words.
“Well, that sure as shit didn’t take very long.” Ant is the first to speak as Tess holds out her left hand where a perfectly sized princess cut diamond sits on her ring finger.
I know for sure she wasn’t wearing it when we arrived—there’s no way I would have missed it—so she must have slipped it on sometime after we sat down.
“What can I say, when you know, you know.” Sebastian shrugs, dropping an arm around Tess’ shoulder and pulling her into him.
“Congratulations, you guys.” I finally manage to say, taking Tess’s hand in mine as I examine her ring. “And this ring.”
“It’s perfect, isn’t it?”
“You did good,” I agree, meeting Sebastian’s gaze before finally looking back at Tess.
I’m not surprised by this news, I’d have to be blind to have not seen this coming. But something about hearing it out loud, about seeing them so happy, has me a little choked up at the current moment. I’m happy for Tess, of course I am, but a part of me is also a little sad, and I’m not quite sure where that emotion is resonating from just yet.
“I was wondering how long it would take you guys. I gave you a month, so you did good by at least doubling it,” I joke. “Have you worked out any of the details yet; tell me everything?” I release Tess’ hand and bounce excitedly in my seat, pushing past the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach and allowing myself to show my friend how truly happy I am for her.
