Winning my Best Friend's Girl - Piper Rayne Page 0,34
where you should start, if you want my opinion.”
Cleo walks into the room with Sedona and slides onto the couch. Denver wraps his arm around her, pulling her close. Sedona sits on the other free chair, and I think we’re both staring at them with envy.
Maybe Denver’s right. Maybe if I really want Stella, I need to calm all this down and get to know the new Stella. The one she’s grown into over the past eight years.
“Cleo, do you know you’re engaged to a brilliant man?” I say before tipping back my beer.
Sedona narrows her eyes as Cleo laughs. “What advice did he give you? I might have to rebuke it.”
Sedona laughs and Denver mocks offense, so Cleo kisses his cheek.
“I told King he should just concentrate on being Stella’s friend right now.” Denver points the neck of his beer at me.
“Isn’t that what you were already doing?” Sedona asks, adjusting on the chair to try to get comfortable, which with the size of her belly, seems like an impossible feat.
“Yeah, but for real this time,” I say. “Put the past behind us and just get to know one another as adults.”
“Well, well. Sounds like Denver gave you some good advice. You really have matured, haven’t you, babe?” Cleo kisses him again.
“So can he go on the Alaska Adventure Race then?” I ask.
Cleo whips around so fast, her blonde hair sticks to her lips. “Ugh. That race. I’m getting a glass of wine.” She stands. “Are you hungry, Sedona?”
Both women head into the kitchen and Denver switches the channel to a football game. “She’s breaking slowly. I’m in if you want to register,” he whispers.
I shake my head and chuckle quietly. Is this really the guy I should take advice from?
The next day, Lou and I wheel an elderly man exhibiting flu-like symptoms into Memorial Hospital. Allie takes the particulars and walks in with us, getting the man set up in a room. She’s adjusting the oxygen mask on his face, but her eyes are on me.
“What?” I finally ask.
“Nothing.” She smirks.
I drop the clipboard on the bed and stare at her.
The man removes his oxygen mask. “Did someone tell my girlfriend I went to the hospital? She’ll be looking for me tonight.”
Allie’s eyebrows rise.
“What’s her name? I can call Healthbridge Nursing Home,” I say.
He leans in closer. “It’s a secret. She’s kind of a shy girl and doesn’t want anyone to know we’re… you know.” He waggles his eyebrows.
“Awesome,” Lou says behind me, getting the stretcher ready to go back out to the ambulance. “Never too old for some reverse cowgirl action.”
“Lou!” Allie rolls her eyes.
He holds up his hands. “How am I in the wrong here?”
“Her name is Marge, and she’s on the fourth floor,” the man says.
“Okay, I’ll say that you two are friends and you don’t want to worry her.” I pat his shoulder.
Stella walks in a second later and the room suddenly feels crowded. Our eyes meet and it’s clear, at least to me, that she’s uncomfortable with the two of us here.
“Hey, Stella,” Lou says, way too cheerful and way too familiar.
I haven’t asked him if they’re still seeing one another for a reason—I’m concentrating on building a friendship with Stella.
“Mr. Glassman, you were just in last week. Are you still not feeling well?” She pulls her stethoscope from around her neck. “Let’s listen to your lungs.”
Allie helps Mr. Glassman sit up, and Stella glances our way before placing the stethoscope on Mr. Glassman’s back. “Thank you, Lou and Kingston. We’ve got it from here.”
We nod and leave the room. Once we’re in the hallway, we sanitize the stretcher and I get the sense that he’s stalling, waiting for Stella to come out, the same way I am.
“You missed your shot at the house?” Lou says, pointing at the flyer on the wall by the nurses’ station.
“Guess so.” Though I want to ask him who else is going, I don’t.
“Samantha’s in. I heard Allie took a spot. Tank and Stump are both going. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
I nod, continuing to wipe down the metal on the stretcher, willing myself to keep my mouth shut. Oh, who the hell cares at this point? Lou knows my history with her. “Is Stella going?”
He dodges eye contact. “No. She said she couldn’t this year.”
I nod. Now that I’ve asked and I know Stella isn’t going, I’m envious of the ones who took the spots.