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“A guy did ask me out,” Sofi said as she toyed with her own meal, no longer hungry.
Leia pasted a smile onto her face, neither of them willing to point out that it was fake. But Leia would pretend to be happy for Sofi that she was “moving on” from Austin. It was a tale as old as time for the two of them. Sofi would date some new guy in the hopes she’d forget about her feelings for her best friend even as they both knew it would never really work.
“I’m sure Austin is ready to spy on him . . . and you,” Leia said, her voice making it clear that Austin must feel something more for Sofi since he insisted on being so protective of her. But that was just Austin. He was protective over the women he loved. Like Sofi and his sisters. Because although he would never love Sofi in the way she wished he would, he loved her dearly in that other, platonic way. The way Sofi loved her brothers and Austin loved his sisters. It tied Sofi’s stomach in knots even as it lifted her heart.
“Wait, did you ever find out why he was at the karaoke bar?” Leia asked. When Sofi had shared the events of Rachael’s bachelorette party she still hadn’t known how Austin had happened to show up right at her time of need. Sofi didn’t like to think about how the night would have gone if Austin hadn’t been there. She would have liked to think she could have put that Goliath in his place, but she couldn’t be sure. And she was grateful she’d never had to find out. Because Austin had been there. The way he always was when Sofi needed him.
“He said it was best friend ESP, but I’m pretty sure he was just coming to spy on Rachael’s bachelorette. You know they used to have a thing back in the day,” Sofi said as she timidly took a bite of rice. Her stomach still wasn’t feeling great after the roller coaster of emotions she’d ridden talking about Austin.
“Austin used to have a thing with just about everybody back in the day,” Leia pointed out.
Sofi almost spit her rice back out because of the way her mouth soured at Leia’s words. Yes, Austin had dated nearly every eligible girl to young woman as they’d grown up. Everyone except Sofi. And Leia. But Leia was one of Sofi’s few friends who hadn’t crushed on the gorgeous honey brown curls, blue eyes, and lean, muscled form that was Austin Ashford. Not to mention his giving heart, wicked sense of humor, and the way he made a woman feel she was the center of his whole world.
“Well, whatever the case, I’m glad he was there,” Leia said with a nod before she started on her beans. Leia had a quirk, insisting on finishing one thing before moving onto the next. She almost always started with greens and then moved around her plate to finish with the carne asada.
“Me too.” Sofi was glad Leia had spoken, moving her thoughts along from what it was like for the women who got to date Austin.
“So what’s this new guy like?” Leia asked the way a good roommate should, crossing her legs as she got more comfortable on the couch.
“He’s from just outside of Boise,” Sofi explained, a smile touching her lips. As much as she was still hung up on Austin, she really was excited for this date.
“Meridian?” Leia asked about one of Boise’s larger suburbs.
“Fruitland,” Sofi replied.
“Small town guy,” Leia observed.
Sofi nodded. It was something that had attracted her to him. Blue Falls made her appreciate a quieter, simpler pace in life and she realized she really wanted a guy who felt the same way.
“He’s in finance,” Sofi went on.
“Ugh,” was Leia’s reply.
“You’re an accountant,” Sofi accused.
“But I’m not in finance,” Leia shrugged.
Sofi set down her plate because her stomach was done with dinner even if her plate was half full, and then raised an eyebrow at Leia. What did that even mean?
“People who say they are in finance are a special breed,” Leia continued.
“Special breed?” Sofi replied skeptically, feeling Leia was being all too dramatic.
“It’s the same thing as a chef claiming to be a ‘culinary artist.’”
Sofi laughed. She could see what Leia was getting at, but then again Leia was probably determined to find something wrong with this new guy so that Sofi would finally just open up to Austin.
“I’m sure that was just an easy way for him to cover what he does without getting into the gritty details,” Sofi defended her date.
Leia eventually nodded, giving in to Sofi’s explanation. “So does this dreamboat finance guy have a name?”
“Rob.”
“Hmph,” was Leia’s reply.
What could she have possibly found wrong with his name?
“Did you date a Rob already?” Leia asked.
