at everything.”
I could correct her on that, but that was what love did to a person; it made them biased. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
She crossed her arms. “No, you won’t. You’re not going to talk to him about it at all, are you?”
“I never said there was something to talk about. You just assumed there was,” I lied.
“That doesn’t mean I’m wrong. Seriously, Jack, if you’re having problems, let Carlos help. I’m not saying this for you. I’m saying it for Deidre. She’s my best friend. Her happiness means everything to me. And whether you know it or not, you make her happy,” she said.
It appeared that the conversation I didn’t want to have with Allison was happening anyway. And worse than that, it was taking place where Deidre could potentially overhear.
I leaned closer to Allison and said softly, “I’ll call Carlos. I promise.”
She looked at me for a long moment, as though she wasn’t sure she should trust me. Eventually she said, “I’ll let him know. And by the way, if you don’t, he’ll be calling you.”
I knew she was serious, too. But just because I called Carlos didn’t mean I was going to bare my soul to the guy. We were friends, but I never shared things like this with anyone. Not even the woman I love. Dee.
As I feared, Deidre joined us in the storage room. “Is there a party going on here and I wasn’t invited?” she joked.
Allison said, “Nope. Just getting to know your fella better. I was telling him that the four of us should go out again. Not for drinks, of course,” she said, placing a hand on her abdomen.
“Sounds good to me,” Deidre said. “That is, if you want to, Jack.”
“I’m good with it,” I said. Depends on when.
Allison smiled and said, “Perfect. I’ll let Carlos know and we’ll text you the details. And don’t worry, I promise not to talk about wedding plans or the baby all night long.”
Deidre chuckled. “Jack, that’s her way of letting us know she’ll be talking about both at least half the time.”
Allison huffed. “I’m not that bad.” A second later she added, “Okay, yeah, that sounds just like me. But hey, you’ve got to cut me some slack. I’m pregnant, after all.”
Deidre rolled her eyes and said, “This is going to be a long nine months.”
“Are you saying you’re pregnant, too?” Allison asked.
“No. And if you don’t quit asking me, I’m not going to talk to you until you have the baby. Understood?” Deidre said sternly.
Allison didn’t seem fazed, and turned to me, asking, “Do you believe her?”
“Don’t put me in the middle,” I responded. I knew who I was going to defend.
“Fine. No more baby talk. So Jack, are you going to marry my BFF or not?” Allison asked me.
Deidre interjected. “Don’t answer her. It will only make more questions.”
Allison sighed. “You guys are no fun. I need something else to focus on besides my stuff.”
Deidre grabbed me by the hand and said, “I have the perfection solution. You can finish the inventory while Jack and I go grab lunch.”
“Really? All by myself?” she sighed.
Deidre grinned. “Welcome to being a partner. And besides, you loved Jack’s idea for the website, now you get to be involved in the prep.”
“By counting dildo’s?” Allison asked.
Deidre nodded. “Can’t sell what we don’t have.”
“Oh, The Love Vixen has no idea how lucky she is that you said no,” Allison said before turning and opening one of the boxes still on the table.
Although I wanted to know what The Love Vixen had offered Deidre, asking would only prolong our departure. Some things aren’t worth knowing.
Deidre must’ve agreed and tugged my hand urging me to follow her out of the storage room. Once alone, I pulled her into my arms and said, “Thank you.” Not that I needed saving, but it beat the hell out of my being rude to Allison. Eventually I would’ve had to strongly hint to ‘go away’.
“You’re welcome. Allison is persistent, but I’m used to dealing with her.”
I shook my head, “I have no idea how Carlos does it.”
“Simple. Love. Now, about that lunch,” she said. “Burgers and fries?”
“You’re really hungry?” I asked.
Deidre shrugged. “What else are you offering?” she winked.
“How cluttered is your desk?” I teased. Deidre blushed, and I added, “Burgers and fries sound good to me.” Pulling her close I added, “For now.”
Although I wanted to spend the entire day with Deidre, this was not going to solve my issue.