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“That and your resiliency will help you deal with what’s in the house.”
Charmed, simply charmed, she shook her head. “You’re not even the tiniest bit, we’ll say cynical, about the manor.”
“I grew up with it, and to some extent in it. You’ve had about a month.”
He glanced over as a woman with short, boldly red hair arrowed toward their table. The white chef’s coat gave her away.
“Interrupting. Mind?” She snugged into the booth beside Sonya. “Bree Marshall.”
“Sonya MacTavish. Trey told me you were a wonderful chef. He didn’t say you were a goddess in the kitchen.”
“I like you. I like her,” she said to Trey.
Ian brought the coffee and dessert.
“Can I get you something, Chef?”
“No, I’m only on a short break. We’re winding down, thank Christ and all his followers. I just need Trey for one quick minute. It’s not private. Eat,” she added, and waved at the dessert plates. “Manny,” she said to Trey.
“Manny? What about him? I had a beer with him a week or so ago. He’s fine, right?”
“Sure. Right. Manny and me.”
“Manny and you what? Oh.” Now Trey sat back. “When did this happen?”
“It hasn’t yet. Completely. Just around the edges. You know me, you know him.” She turned to Sonya. “We all go back. High school. Trey and I had a thing in high school. Don’t worry about that.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Good. Confident. Like her even more. We—Trey and I—had not even what you’d call a thing a few years later. Not to worry there either.”
“I won’t.”
“Bree.” Trey managed to infuse the single syllable with deep frustration, mild embarrassment, and endless affection.
“Right. Back to it. Manny and me. A friend—you know Marlie—talked me into going over to Ogunquit a couple weeks ago. Rock Hard had a gig. Rock Hard’s Manny’s band. He’s a drummer. I don’t know if the name’s a reference to the Maine coast, the music, or woodies, since they’re an all-male band.”
“Jesus, Bree.”
“Sorry.” As Trey rubbed his face, Bree turned to Sonya again. “Was that offensive?”
“Not in the least. Sounds to me like it could be all three.”
Bree jabbed a finger at her. “Bet you’re right. Anyway, Manny used to drum for Trey’s band back in the day. Head Case.”
“Head Case?” On a rolling laugh, Sonya picked up her cappuccino. “I love it.”
“They weren’t bad. So I went to Manny’s gig—they’re solid, Trey,you’ve heard them. And Manny and I hung out some, and things clicked. Not that way. What do you take me for?”
“I said nothing.”
“You thought it. Then he came in the other night, hung around until closing, and more clicked. Still not that way. But. So, what do you think? Yes or no.”
“If I say yes and things go bad, you’ll be pissed. If I say no and it’s what you want, you’ll be pissed. So I’m going to say you’re both friends of mine, both all grown up, and don’t need anyone’s permission to… click.”
“I screwed up before.”
“Bree, no, you didn’t. You got out of a bad relationship because you’re not an idiot.”
