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Her mum just laughed. “It’ll be fine. If you’re not there, if you’re away working some mysterious job that you won’t even tell me about, then I’ll be fine by myself. I can go on one of those dating sites.”
“Mum! You can’t do that. I don’t want you staying here, in a city you don’t even know, all by yourself, and dating men from the Internet. It’s not safe.”
“Well then, you’ll just have to stick around and supervise me, won’t you? But let’s not argue about it right now, Lizzie. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you again soon, bye,”
Alyssa ended the call and sat there, shaking her head. She was going to have to find a way to put her off. No way did she want her coming and staying here – whether Alyssa was here or not.
~ ~ ~
“Cognac with me?” asked Jacob.
“You know me better than that.”
Jacob laughed. “Bourbon it is, then.” Jacob fixed his drink and brought it to him. “There you go.”
“Thanks. It’s been a long time since we did this.”
“Too long,” agreed Jacob.
They were sitting in Jacob’s office. Becca was out for the evening with Cameron’s wife, Piper. Apparently, the two of them had gotten close since Jacob and Becca got together.
Bentley raised his glass to his friend with a half-smile. “Thanks for inviting me over. Are you going to tell me what it’s about now that I’m here?”
Jacob laughed. “Why does it have to be about anything?”
Bentley smiled through pursed lips. “It doesn’t have to be, but I get the impression that it is. Are you going to tell me that I’m wrong?”
“No. I’m not.” Jacob made a face at him. “You don’t need to put me on the spot, though.”
“Whoa. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was me putting you on the spot. I was expecting you to do that to me.”
“Aren’t we a pair? It looks like working our asses off for the last decade hasn’t done either of us any good in the social skills department.”
Bentley had to laugh. “You might have a point there. But go on, since you’re on the spot; don’t try to talk your way out of it. Why did you ask me over?”
“Because I enjoy your company? Because I value your opinion and want to seek your counsel?”
Bentley laughed again. “That may be true, but it’s not reason that you asked me here tonight, is it?”
Jacob went to stand in front of the window. It was only by the way he stood there for so long, taking in the view, that Bentleyfinally understood that his friend had asked him here to talk about something serious.
Instead of trying to reassure him, or to explain that he would stop joking now, he simply waited.
“Will you be my best man?” Jacob asked without turning back from the window.
Bentley froze for a beat. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t that. “Yes.”
Jacob laughed as he turned around. “I’d love to think that we could just leave it at that. But I know we can’t. Do you want to start with the questions, or should I start with the explanations?”
“You lead, I’ll follow you.”
“See, that’s why you’re my best friend. You know when to push me, and you know when what I really need you to do is to sit back and listen.”
“We’ve known each other all our lives.”
“Yes. We have. But that’s not why I’m asking you to be my best man. I know that the first question you’ll have is why not Xander; and I would ask him. But you know what he’s like. If I ask him, then he’ll think that he has to ask me when his turn comes.”
Bentley cocked an eyebrow. He didn’t think that Jacob would have a problem with that, but there was some reason that he didn’t want to do it.
