“Come here, girl.” He envelopes me in a friendly enough hug, patting my back a few times. “I’ve missed you guys. How’s Chaser doing locked up with Mark?”
“Good, I think.” I pull away and hold up my hand between us, flashing my ring. “He proposed when we were home visiting his family.”
He rolls his lip and stares at the ring for a second. “I heard about that. That’s great. Congratulations,” he says with all the enthusiasm of someone just given a week to live.
Huh. Maybe his breakup soured him on all relationships.
He lights up a cigarette. My eyes water and my nose twitches. I step away and run my hand over the back of the new couch. “This looks nice.”
He snorts a stream of smoke through his nose and casts a sad glance at the new furniture. “It’s been hell without her.”
My heart twitches but I can’t muster up any sympathy after what he did. So, I say nothing.
“Do you want something to drink?” He bangs his palm against the side of his head. “Fuck, I should’ve asked you sooner. Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” He seems so forlorn or anxious. As much as I’m dying to leave, I can be polite and stay for a simple glass of water, right? “Water would be good.”
“Have a seat.” He sweeps his arm in the general direction of the couch.
I set my purse on the coffee table—noting the absence of the giant cocaine-filled Tupperware containers—and perch on the edge of one stiff couch cushion.
A few seconds later, something instrumental that I strongly suspect is Andrew playing the piano drifts from the speakers. “This is pretty,” I call out. “Is that you?”
“Pretty.” He returns to the living room with two wineglasses and a green glass bottle. The cigarette in his mouth bounces. “It’s something I was fucking around with since I have all this time on my hands.”
He sets the wine and glasses on the coffee table in front of me. “I’m all out of water.”
“Seriously?” The last thing I need to do is get tipsy when I’m alone with Andrew. “I’m not a fancy girl. Tap water is fine.”
He drops down next to me, so close his body heat simmers over my skin. I shift away but he follows.
“I can’t believe you two are engaged.” He takes my hand and stares at my ring. “Where’d Chaser get this from? A gumball machine? It’s not even a diamond.”
Stunned by the bitterness in his voice, I yank my hand out of his grasp. “It’s a sapphire. Like Lady Di’s ring.”
“I expected him to be more original than that.” Andrew shrugs.
“Well, I love it and he knew I’d love it.”
He turns his big puppy eyes my way. “How’d he do it?”
“In Niagara Falls.” My heart flutters at the memory and I can almost feel the mist from the falls over my skin.
“What a sap,” he grouches, wiping the smile off my face.
Maybe he’s just being a jerk because he’s upset about his own breakup. Had he planned to propose to Pamela eventually? “I’m sorry about you and Pamela.”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “It’s my own fault.”
“Can’t argue with you there.”
He twists, tucking his leg under him so he’s facing me. “So, what’s next? Going to settle down and pop out some babies?”
“Sheesh. Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“It’s a natural question” His gaze drops to my left hand. “Why bother getting married otherwise?”
“Because we love each other.”
He reaches over and brushes his knuckle over my cheek, pushing a few strands of hair off my face. “You’re so pretty. I only watch Shallow End to see you every week. Did I ever tell you that?”
“Uh, no.” I scoot back a few inches. Nervous laughter bubbles out of me as I try to subtly shake off his touch. “Why wouldn’t you watch for Pamela? She has way more lines.”
“That’s only ’cause her tits are bigger. You’re a better actress.”
I blink, and stare down at my chest, unsure of what to say. An icky sensation rolls over me from talking about Pamela this way with him.
As I’m trying to come up with something to break the silence, Andrew cups the back of my head and drags me toward him.
“Whoa. Stop.” I slap my hand on his chest and shake out of his hold. “What are you doing?”
His gaze drops to my lips. “Kissing you.”
“Hold up. What?” My eyes bug out. “No. No way. You and I are friends, Andrew. That’s it. I’m