Del?”
“Nothing!” I cried vehemently. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You’re gorgeous and funny and loyal and sweet. There isn’t another person on the planet I’d rather have as my best friend than you. And you’re going to meet a man one day that appreciates all of that, one who actually has a backbone and isn’t intimidated by a strong woman. You just haven’t met him yet, that’s all.”
“Ugh!” she groaned, brushing tangled hair away from her pretty face. “I’m starting to think guys like that don’t exist. Maybe men like Richard really are unicorns, and you got the last one.”
“No I didn’t,” I whispered, rubbing a soothing hand along her hair. I wanted desperately to talk to her about Richard, tell her how I was still so unsure of what was going on, but tonight wasn’t about me. It was about her, and what she needed right then was an epic BJ dance party with a side of tequila shooters. “You’ll get a unicorn too, I promise. In the meantime,” I moved to the cabinet where we kept our alcohol and pulled out the bottle of tequila, “you set up the music and I’m going to warn our next door neighbor that things may be a little loud for a few hours. I figure if I explain the situation, he’ll be less inclined to call the cops.”
That finally got a genuine smile out of her. “Don’t lie, Delilah. You just want to go over there and play kissy face for a few minutes.”
“Pfft. Whatever.” I rolled my eyes to try and hide the fact that she’d hit the nail right on the head. “Just pick some tunes. I’ll be right back.”
Trying to calm my frazzled nerves at the thought of seeing Richard again, I blew out a breath and shook my hands out before reaching up to knock on his door.
“Hey, cutie,” he answered with a beaming grin the moment he saw me on the other side of the threshold. Warmth flooded my belly and heated my cheeks when he leaned in a placed a soft kiss on my lips.
“Hi,” I said quietly, a smile on my lips. Then I looked over his shoulder into his apartment. “Hey, you got furniture! It’s about time.”
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “It’s Collin’s stuff, but it’s still nice. He brought it all with him from Boston, and my brother and cousin helped us move it in today.”
Collin picked that moment to walk past the doorway and raised his hand in a wave. “Hey, Delilah.”
I wouldn’t ever admit it in front of Richard, but I kind of dug Collin’s Boston accent.
“Hey Collin.” I smiled at him as he continued past, followed by two more men who looked freakishly similar. That caught my full attention. Stepping past Richard, I scanned the living room full of people. “Sweet Muppet’s Christmas Carol. There are four of you?”
The two men I didn’t recognize — although one of them was the spitting image of Richard — burst into laughter just as I heard a familiar feminine voice shout, “Delilah!”
I spun around to find Navie and a stunning redheaded woman walking down the hallway from the bedrooms. “Oh my God, what are you doing here?” she asked, pulling me down to her level for an excited hug. I wasn’t tall by any stretch of the imagination, but Navie Collins was practically fun-sized.
“I live next door,” I answered as the redhead took me in with a top to bottom sweep of her eyes. I suddenly felt extremely inferior.
That was, until she spoke. “You’re absolutely adorable. Has anyone ever told you that?” Cue the furious blush once more.
“Uh…”
“I tell her all the time,” Richard chimed in, coming up behind me to wrap his arms around my waist and brush a lingering kiss along my neck.
“No way!” Navie shouted, her face nearly splitting with the size of her smile. “You two, really? That’s so awesome!”
Richard just all but peed on my leg in front of his friends and family. What is that supposed to mean? Are we a couple? He wouldn’t do that if it was just a casual fling, right? Ohmygod, my brain really needed to just shut the hell up, already!
“Honey, come here,” Navie waved at the man who looked exactly like Richard. “Delilah, this is my fiancé Rowan, Richard’s brother,” she introduced with a blissful smile as she looked up at him. He stared at her with just as much adoration. “Baby, this is the florist for our wedding.”
“Nice to