Thank you.”
“How did she take the news?”
I looked over my shoulder to see Madison walking toward our table, wearing the same pink shirt she’d left at our apartment while she was holding Jo’s hoodie hostage.
“She took it so well your girlfriend is speechless,” I answered.
“I knew you would. Jo was so nervous to tell you. She’s intimidated by you, you know.” Madison took a seat next to Jo, squeezing her arm playfully.
“Madison,” Jo hissed, her face reddening.
“Intimidated? Really?” I laughed. “Damn, if I would have known you thought I was such a badass, I would have upped your rent months ago.”
“Don’t go getting a big head. I never said you were a badass, only that I respect you.”
“Same difference.”
“But it’s not.”
“I think Mena’s right,” Madison agreed with me.
Jo narrowed her eyes at Madison. “I liked it better when you weren’t at the table.”
“Seriously, I’m happy for you two. If someone would have told me six months ago that Jo would not only be in a committed relationship but also moving in with her significant other, I would have thought they were on something. You’ve made great strides, Jo. Madison must be something special.”
Jo and Madison shared a smile. “She’s okay,” Jo said, which was answered with a gentle punch in the arm by Madison in return.
Madison turned to me. “We have you to thank for this.”
“Nah, all I did was stick my nose in Jo’s personal life and gave her my two cents, almost destroying our friendship in the process.”
“And I’m so happy you did.”
I checked my phone, noticing it was later in the evening than I had originally thought.
“Listen, Jo, I’m sorry, but I have to get going. Phineas is waiting for me.”
“Oh, that’s right. You’re leaving for Virginia tomorrow for the wedding, right?”
“It’s for the pre-rehearsal rehearsal dinner, the rehearsal, and then the wedding. Scheduling conflicts have made Luke and Elle’s wedding a three-day event.”
Jo glanced over at Madison. “Don’t get any ideas.”
“Ugh, no way.” She scrunched her face up as though catching a whiff of something displeasing. “Marriage is an archaic ritual that I want no part of.”
“My God, you’re perfect,” Jo said, her shoulders relaxing even more than they had after I’d given her my blessing to move.
“And that’s my cue to leave. I’ll see you when I get back.” Noticing that neither Jo nor Madison were paying the least bit of attention to me, I patted the table, leaving when even that failed to tear their attention away from each other.
*****
Phineas gently stroked my arm with his fingertips, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. He chuckled softly as I shuddered in his arms, holding me tighter against his body.
“You know, usually I would be offended by a woman shuddering from my touch, but it’s kind of cute when you do it.”
“When did you turn from suave to super cheesy?”
He nuzzled my neck with his nose, making me squirm even more. His touch did a real number on my nerve endings. All my senses became inexplicably heightened just by being in his presence—or so it felt.
“Since about two months ago.”
“Hmm.”
“Just hmm? No scintillating retort? Are you ill?”
I rolled over on my back to face him. With the way he was positioned—on his side, head leaning on his elbow—we were essentially nose to nose. “Just a lot on my mind. A lot of stress with the wedding and the half-dozen phone calls I received from Elle today alone.”
“And I’m sure the fact that I have a client emergency preventing me from traveling with you isn’t really helping your stress level.”
“Nah, whether you arrive with me or the day after me, Elle will be Elle.”
“She is the bride, and it is her wedding.”
“Your logic never ceases to amaze me.”
“There’s my Mena.” His lips found mine in the dark, leaving a soft, all-too-brief kiss. “If all goes well, I should be flying into Roanoke Friday evening.”
Reaching up, I caressed his cheek. His stubble scratched the back of my hand like sandpaper. “Okay.”
“Are you sure you’re all right? The brevity in your responses lately has been unlike you.”
“I’m okay. I promise.”
“All right, if you say so.” His lips traveled up to my forehead, where they lingered longer than they had on my lips, perhaps waiting for me to expand upon my answer. Sensing that this exposition wasn’t going to be forthcoming, he rolled over. The warmth of his lips leaving my skin brought about an internal groan I was relieved he couldn’t hear.
“Goodnight, Mena.”
“Goodnight, Phin.”
I was thankful for