Chapter 17 #3
Needless to say, it was not for us, but we forever bonded over the experience and kept the friendship without the book club.
Since then, we’ve weathered the deaths of two spouses; children growing up, marrying, and starting to have children (I’m still waiting on that); and three of Emily’s four marriages.
Unlike Jacks, Emily has no qualms about trying again.
And again. For someone so brilliant, she has not made great choices in the love department.
On the surface, you’d think it would be the opposite, that cool, clinical Emily would swear off love and Jacks would throw herself into it again and again. But here we are, with Jacks alone and happy, Emily on Tinder, and me, with a new relationship that they seem to think is headed toward love.
“So, are you two, like, official?” Jacks asks.
“And exclusive?” Emily adds.
“The closest we got to a DTR type of talk was my dumb reading glasses analogy. But I think yes to both.”
“Your reading glasses analogy made total sense to me,” says Emily.
“Thank you. And could I also just say that it sounds stupid to say I have a boyfriend? Or that I’m dating? We need new terms.”
“How about romantically inclined?” Emily suggests.
“Or just in a relationship,” says Jacks.
“We could always bring back going steady,” I say. “I think that’s what my parents called it.”
Jacks laughs. “Or going out. My mom never got tired of asking where we were actually going. Which was nowhere. Or just to the mall.”
We spend the next few minutes coming up with worse and worse terms.
“Intentional coupling,” Emily says.
I make a face. “That sounds oddly dirty.”
“Fine,” Emily says. “Testing the waters.”
Jacks laughs. “Kicking the tires.”
“Taking him for a test drive,” I suggest, immediately regretting it.
“Now, that sounds dirty,” Emily says.
“Stirring the soup?” Jacks suggests.
“Sounds too much like stirring the pot,” I say. “Also, I don’t really understand how that relates to dating.”
“Sounds messy. And gross,” says Emily.
Jacks laughs. “I think I’m just hungry.”
“Me too,” says Emily. “Starved.”
“Do y’all need to get back? Or do you have time for dinner?”
“You can’t get rid of us so soon.” Jacks grins. “We planned to be here at least for tonight. Maybe tomorrow night too.”
“You’re staying?” I ask, feeling immediately and immensely grateful. I hadn’t realized just how much I’ve missed my best friends. “Where?”
Emily makes a face. “Some hotel closer to the highway. It’s … passable.”
“Why don’t you stay here?” The words are out of my mouth before I think them through fully.
Both of them stare, and slowly, Emily arches a brow.
“You’re comfortable inviting us to stay in Tank’s loft without even asking him?
That’s beyond stirring the soup and has shifted right into buttering the bread.
” She makes a face. “Wow—okay. I’m really done with trying to come up with a new name now. You’re stuck with dating.”
“It’s not about how serious we are,” I explain. “I just don’t think he’d mind. But I should ask. I mean, if you’d want to stay here instead of in a hotel.”
“Yes,” they both say at once, which tells me the hotel is definitely not passable.
Pulling out my phone, I realize over the past hour I’ve missed texts from Chelsea as well as Tank. Quickly, I scan through the messages.
Chelsea, whom I still haven’t told about my date with Tank, has picked up on my silence with alarming accuracy. Her last message reads, I know something is up because you aren’t checking in like you normally do. Message me ASAP or Mason and I will head that way to check on you!
I groan.
“What?” Emily asks. “Did he say no?”
“Chelsea.” I shake my head. “I haven’t given her updates in a few days and she’s threatening to come here.”
“So, you haven’t just been avoiding us?” asks Jacks.
“I’m not trying to avoid anyone,” I say, which isn’t entirely true. “But I’ve been busy, going back and forth to my place to get clothes, baking in someone else’s kitchen … ”
Spending time with Tank’s family. Going on a date. Making out on this very couch …
I clear my throat. “Give me just a second. I need to answer her so she doesn’t come pounding on the door.”
I text Chelsea back that I’m fine and that the Emilys are here, so she and I can catch up later.
Sooner rather than later, considering it feels wrong to be dating someone without talking to her about it.
Chelsea and I are close. Normally, I would have talked to her about a date before going on it.
But it’s true this week has been a whirlwind.
Next, I open the thread with Tank to skim through his text asking what my dinner plans are. Another message comes through before I can respond: I’ve got stage one of the Wolf plan set up. You’re brilliant, by the way. Have I told you that today?
“Look at her grin,” Emily says, clucking her tongue. “Let me guess—you’re not still reading texts from your daughter.”
“Will you two give me a break for two seconds?” I ask with a laugh. “Otherwise, I’m going to rescind my offer to ask Tank if you can stay here.”
Of course, Tank says yes, and then asks if he can bring us all dinner so we don’t have to go out.
Are you sure you want to meet my friends? I ask. Warning: they can be a lot.
Says the woman who let half my family descend upon her this morning. Just let me know. I’ll bring food, meet them, and then head out so you can have time with your friends.
I bite my lip and set down my phone. “He said of course. And he wants to bring us dinner so he can meet you both. Any objections?”
They’re delighted by the prospect, which makes me happy and also stupidly nervous. I’m not sure about what, though. It’s not like they won’t like him. I mean, how could anyone not like Tank?
But meeting my best friends just seems like one more official step leading me somewhere I can only hope, with all the optimism I have, isn’t going to turn into some kind of disappointing dead end.