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“Fine.”
“It’s killing you, isn’t it? Are you hoping it’s your fiancée?”
“Too funny,” he said sarcastically.
“Stay still before you fall off the table and cause even more damage.” Sighing, she slid off her gloves, tossed them into the nearby trash can and retrieved the phone from the pocket of his jeans. Before handing it over, she said, “There is a price. You must tell me all the details and don’t leave anything out.”
“I’m afraid the details aren’t as juicy as you’re hoping.” He clicked on his messages feeling a little disappointed that Gianna hadn’t reached out to him yet. Maybe he should send her something, but what would he say?
Damn, he was in a pickle.
“All humor aside, I’m a pretty good listener, as you already know.” She pulled on new gloves and snapped them into place.
What did he have to lose? It appeared his business wasn’t private anyway. What’s one more person in the loop?
“Back when we were kids, Gi and I made a promise. A pact. If neither one of us were married by the time we both hit thirty we’d marry each other. I texted her last night and reminded her by proposing.” He felt like a dick saying the words aloud. Who made a promise like that at sixteen? “Yeah, I know, crazy.”
“Not crazy,” Maya said. “It’s romantic, except for the teensy-weensy part of you texting and asking.”
“I wasn’t serious. I had a little too much brave juice and I was making an attempt at a joke. I failed…miserably as it seems.”
She paused. “Hmm.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, from where I’m sitting, you don’t sound too confident that it was a joke. Maybe the alcohol made you braver in asking a question to see where it got you.” Maya finished up cleaning the wounds. “Now I’m starting the stitches.”
“We were kids when we made the pact,” he reminded Maya.
“Yes, and was there a part of you that meant them back in the day? I know you, and you’re not ever one to say something that you don’t mean.” She paused. “Maybe she realizes you were only kidding.”
“No. She announced the engagement on some show last night.” He clicked a few buttons on his phone and turned the screen for Maya to see. He’d done some research on his way to the clinic and sure enough, Gianna had publicized the news.
Her mouth fell open. “Holy crap. So, the bigger issue is, she definitely thinks you two are engaged.”
Laying his phone aside, he buried his face in his arms as she sewed him up. Carter had been serious when they’d made the pact. After all, they’d been best friends. She’d been the coolest, funniest girl he’d ever known. They had tons in common from their love of horses, baseball, and even putt putt golf. She’d always kept him on his toes, challenging him to be better. Do better. Maybe a part of him did truly believe that one day, when they grew up, they’d be together.
“What are you going to do?”
“Like I said, never drink again,” he muttered.
“Yeah, good idea, but in the meantime, what are you going to do about Gianna?”
Carter conjured an image of her. Sparkling, chestnut eyes hidden behind big reading glasses. A wide smile that showed off a crooked front tooth that she hated, and why she eventually got braces. And tons of freckles that she also disliked but he thought were cute.
He’d always looked at her as a buddy.
So, what the hell had he been thinking by sending the text in the first place? “No clue.”
“You better figure it out fast. Probably most of her following knows by now.”
“Herfollowing? Sounds like a cult.”
Maya snickered. “No, don’t be silly. She’s not in a cult. She’s an influencer and each of her podcast episodes are downloaded by over nine-thousand viewers.”
“Let’s go over that in layman terms.”
“Okay. She has four-hundred-thousand followers, at least she did the last I checked. If she wears an outfit, a piece of jewelry, a pretty shade of lipstick, you name it, it’s sure to sell and that’s why she gets tons of free stuff from designers and beauty companies. I’m jealous.”
