Page 54

Tealey

Lately, Rad’s favorite thing to do is to introduce me as his girlfriend . . . to anyone who will listen.

Strangers at the coffee shop.

The poor souls stuck sitting next to us at restaurants.

Don’t even get me started on the sweet elderly couple at the movie theater the other night. The memory causes me to blush on command.

I’m not complaining. I always get a compliment or two. He gets a “lucky guy,” so I figure we both win. It’s just fun to tease him because seeing the former most eligible bachelor brag about how lucky he is for being my boyfriend makes me pretty damn lucky, too.

We walk in, holding hands, and weave through the busy diner until we see our friends in the back. I wave. I know Cammie and Cade were only gone two weeks, but I’ve missed them. And now they’re officially a married couple.

A round of mimosas awaits us, and we hug. “Was it the best?” I ask her about their honeymoon in the Bahamas.

“It’s the bluest water I’ve ever seen. We all need to go sometime.” She leans in as the guys shake hands. “And you need to fill me in on everything asap. I’ve been dying for this to come out.”

“You knew?”

She glances to Rad nervously. “Um, someone let it slip in the Hamptons.” Just as I give Rad the evil eye, she says, “I was sworn to secrecy and it was nice to see thing evolve naturally. You didn’t need all of us in your relationship.”

“I appreciate that.” Giving Rad a look again, I say, “You owe me a new mug.” It’s my favorite way to justify my addiction, get him to buy them for me.

He squeezes my hand. “I know other ways to repay you.”

“Oh, that sounds interesting.”

Kissing the top of my head, he says, “I’ll tell you all about it later in bed.”

My body heats and I wipe my brow. “Can’t wait.”

Cade leans in to give me a hug, and then I turn to sit next to Rad right before Jackson and Marlow walk in. Or maybe I should say, arriving at the same time. She looks at him behind her in surprise. “Oh, I didn’t see you there.” She acts all awkward. “Hey.”

He nods . . . awkwardly . “Hey.”

I notice a few people around our table staring. We never much cared if we made a scene. We’re loud. We’re a family.

With Rad holding my hand on one side of me, Marlow says, “We should hang out soon.”

“We should.” We’ve communicated through text several times and had a call after Rad and I made up, but it’s been relatively quiet after that. I ask, “Are you doing okay?”

“I am.”

Getting a good look at her, I start to see the subtle changes in her hair—less styled and more natural. Her makeup is lighter, and her clothes are casual. Casual for Marlow anyhow. “You look pretty.”

She smiles sheepishly. “Thanks. You always look pretty, Teals, but you look especially happy.”

“I am.” I hug her. She’s my best friend. I know she would never hurt me, not on purpose. I think we’ve all learned a hard lesson that’s made us take inventory of ourselves. “Thanks.”

When we pull back, we exchange smiles, and then she hands me a present. I ask, “What is this?”

“I thought it was time for a change. Seems to be the season.”

I discard the tissue and pull a T-shirt from the bag. Holding it in front of me, I read, “I’m a Rachel.” The Friends tee makes me smile and feels a lot like I just got a promotion. “You didn’t have to do this. I’m happy to be Phoebe to your Rachel.”

She squeezes my hand. “I love you, Teals.”

I embrace her again, rubbing her back. “Thank you.”

Cammie asks me, “Have the calls stopped?”

The only downside to dating the Big Apple’s most eligible bachelor—for three years running, he likes to add—is our relationship became public very fast. The news that Radcliffe Wellington was “taken” hit hard and fast, and then we were old news.

I ask, “From the gossip columnists or Rad’s lady friends?

Yes, to the former. No, to the latter. I guess the news of us dating hasn’t landed in Europe yet.

” I nudge Rad with my elbow and laugh. He rolls his eyes. Why is it so cute when he does that?

After we catch up on the past few weeks in each of my friends’ lives, we eat, and then Cammie says, “Now for the business at hand.”

Cammie, Cade, Rad, and I turn to the guilty parties—Marlow and Jackson. It helped that we were all in cahoots to figure out exactly what was going on with those two.

Marlow’s gaze dashes from one to the next until she’s staring at Jackson. He shrugs, so she looks at Cammie, and asks, “What?”

Always direct, Cade asks, “Are you two friends with benefits or the real thing?” He grabs a bagel from the basket in the center of the table and starts smearing cream cheese on it like this is everyday conversation. Gotta love him.

While Marlow sputters the mimosa she just drank, Jackson says, “Huh?”

Rad says, “Playing dumb isn’t a defense. For the record, too many things don’t add up.”

Marlow dabs the corners of her mouth, eyeing the door like she’s about to make a break for it. Jackson mutters under his breath, “Let’s just tell them.”

She does the most minute shake of her head. I say, “Just in case you weren’t aware, we can hear and see you.”

“Fine,” she replies, her palms hitting the Formica table and causing the flatware to jump and then clang against our plates. “We had sex.”

Jackson sits back with a wry smirk, and adds, “We have sex.”

Marlow gasps, blinking rapidly. With her mouth hanging open, she scans our faces, but I’m sure we don’t look much different.

Jackson’s arm wings out, nudging her. When she looks at him, he winks.

I’m not sure if it was the wink or nudge that sets her off when she blurts, “Fine!” She crosses her arms over her chest. “We have sex. Sometimes. When we’re lonely.

I’m busy with my career, and he’s busy, and I guess it’s easy. He’s easy.”

“Geez, thanks, Marlow,” he replies sarcastically.

Reaching for her leg, he rests his hand there like any of this is normal.

She glances at it and then calms. “Comforting. I meant comforting with the familiarity.” She faces us, and the steadiness of her expression makes me believe her.

Her chin rises in the air, and she says, “I’m sure a lot like how you and Rad were. ”

Rad laughs. “Don’t drag us into this. This is all about the two of you.”

This is too amusing. I sit back in my chair and watch Marlow squirm. “Do you go on dates?”

Like an old married couple, Jackson takes this one. “We hang out, but we don’t go on official dates. It’s not like that with us. Though we do order pizza sometimes. She makes me order cauliflower crust, so that doesn’t really count as pizza.”

“I’m watching my carb intake. You know that. Anyway, there aren’t complications with him,” she says, joining in. I almost expect him to say tag, you’re it. “We already decided that if we meet someone we want to get to know better, then we’ll stop doing whatever this is.”

Jackson’s nodding, and the way they’re looking at each other, I guess they’re on the same page.

Cade says, “All right. With that out of the way, who’s coming over to watch the game?”

Rad stands. “Sorry, Tealey and I already have plans.” Tossing money on the table, he says, “Brunch is on me.”

Everyone gets up and files out of the restaurant. Just outside the door on the sidewalk, Marlow asks, “So next Sunday?”

“We’re in,” Cammie replies.

I glance at Rad, but I already know the answer.

He takes my hand, and says, “We’ll be here.

” I’ve never felt so right about my decision to let him back into my life.

Hearing the man I can rely on to always be there privately and publicly sound so happy to be one-half of a couple makes my heart melt.

Jackson nudges Marlow. “Since I’ll be rolling out of your bed?—”

“Ew. You’re so crude, Jackson.”

“That’s why you love me.”

“I don’t love you,” she snaps. “I’m still not sure if I even like you, if I’m telling the truth.”

“Well, something keeps you sniffing around my door.”

Marlow whacks him on the arm.

Rad chuckles. “Okay, guys. I think it’s time to go. Have a good week.” Taking my hand, he leads me in the opposite direction as the four of them.

We start down the sidewalk, the warm afternoon air caressing my skin. Birds chirp happily overhead. “What do you plan on doing the rest of the day, Miss Bell?”

“Doing?” I smirk, giving him the grin I usually save for when we’re alone. “Nothing but you, Counselor.”

His arm flies into the air. “Taxi!”