just hoped there was a way for all three of us to win.
7
Arianna
Cole helped me finish making the enchiladas. While they cooked, we went into the living room to watch an episode of Finding Your Soulmate--the reality TV show the girls at the salon had gotten me hooked on watching.
Cole and I were a little behind in watching the latest season, so we had some catching up to do before my friend Hannah threw her viewing party tomorrow night.
The timer on the oven started beeping just as the bachelorette, Michelle, and one of the guys vying for her heart named Cameron were bungee jumping off a bridge. Cole, who was always sweet, offered to dish up our plates so I wouldn’t have to pause the show.
“How do they taste?” I asked Cole after he’d joined me on the couch again and taken a few bites of his dinner. “I used a new recipe for the sauce.”
He took a sip of water to wash down his food then shrugged. “It’s a bit spicier than your other recipe, but not too bad.”
I took a bite of my food, savoring the flavor. “It is a little spicy,” I said. “Maybe I’ll add less chili powder next time.”
He took a long sip of water. “Maybe that would be a good idea.”
I enjoyed creating new recipes, tweaking and perfecting them—something Cole had helped me with a lot since we’d become friends.
We made a great pair. I loved to cook and Cole loved to eat, and when we found a good recipe, I always shared it on social media since good recipes deserved to be shared.
By the end of the episode, Cole had helped me finish off over half of the pan of enchiladas and then even helped me wash the dishes before he headed home for the evening.
“You should add to your online profile that you’re a good help in the kitchen,” I said to Cole when he started the dishwasher. “Girls can’t resist a guy who helps out in the kitchen.”
His whole face lit up as he smiled. “You don’t think listing all my amazing qualities might overwhelm the ladies, do you?”
And I couldn’t help but grin back. “Well, since you have so many amazing qualities to list, you might as well put them out there.”
“I guess I better take some new photos with this new haircut of mine and see what happens.” He winked.
“Just don’t agree to too many dates this week,” I said. “You already said you were going with me to Hannah’s party tomorrow, and then we have our practice run at the club on Tuesday.”
“Of course,” he said. “Even though your dating coach tips are bound to be worth their weight in gold, I’ll always have time for my best friend.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders to give me a squeeze, and I took that moment to breathe in his fresh clean scent. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow around six. Good luck with your live video tonight.” He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead—something he’d just started doing more recently—and then went out the door to where his red Land Rover was parked in the driveway.
As I watched him walk away, I allowed myself to take in the work I’d done this afternoon. His haircut really did do great things for him. With the way it showed off his strong jawline, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a girlfriend by the end of the week.
And as I watched him pull out of the driveway, I felt a pang in my chest when I realized that depending on what he decided at the end of the month, I might have to watch him drive away from Denver soon.
He waved one more time before disappearing down the road, and the pang hit me in the chest again.
I needed to find a way to convince him that Denver was better than San Francisco.
Obviously, losing our friendship wasn’t enough to keep him from leaving, but if I could just figure out something else to keep him here, I might not have to find a new best friend.
Would helping him find his own soulmate make him want to stay?
I didn’t know. But it was probably the only card I had left in my bag of tricks at the moment.
Which meant I needed to focus all my energy on finding him the perfect girlfriend who would make him never want to leave.
8
Arianna
I quickly freshened up my hair and makeup after Cole