Sage senses this and says, “Don’t worry. I will work for getting your trust back.” She unlatches Oak, who is now peacefullyasleep, milk-drunk as can be. And then she stands and places him in my arms.
“Oh,” I breathe, watching the rise and fall of his belly, full of milk. His mouth is still pursed as though he is breastfeeding, and he even sucks a little bit at nothing. His eyelashes are so long, they lie neatly against his cheeks like pine needles. I know he gets those from Tenn. Boys always get the good eyelashes. “What a beautiful baby,” I coo at him.
“Okay,” Sage says, waving me off. “What is going on with you and Adam?”
“Let me get some flan first!” Teal says, jumping up.
She returns with enormous pieces of coconut flan balanced on three plates, one for each of us. “Gracias,” Sage says, and I echo her thanks when Teal serves me. Though Sage offers to put Oak back in the carrier, I instead put the plate on the tray she was using, holding the fork with my free hand.
“That poor kid is covered with crumbs by the end of the day,” Sage says, laughing when I almost drop flan on him. “It’s his own fault, though. He’s a freaking milk beast. I have to constantly eat or else I wanna faint.”
“Yeah, yeah, the baby likes milk,” Teal says, turning to me. “So, you’re dating Adam now? How did that come about?”
I shake my head. “We’re not dating. But there is someone who I might be sorta…involved with? Maybe? Maybe not anymore, though?”
“What doesthatmean?” Sage asks through a mouthful of flan.
I take a big breath and try my best to explain everything that’s happened within the last couple of weeks, between Adam and our agreement, as well as how the chats were going with @tryingsomethingnew. I leave out the erotic details of our last…ah, encounter. But they get the gist of it.
“Anyway. Yeah. That’s basically it.”
“It’s not basically it,” Teal says. “Why did you conveniently leave out the part where he punched that asshole Grayson Baker last night? Tell him thanks for that, by the way, because it saves me the trouble of having to beat his ass for what he did to you.” She frowns thoughtfully. “But I might do it anyway.”
Teal really could kick anyone’s ass. She spends at least seventy-five percent of her time working out and lifting weights the size of me. “You shouldn’t waste your time and energy.”
“But Adam put a lot of time and energy into punching that guy out,” Sage said. “In front of half the damn town, too! Don’t tell me that man doesn’t have feelings for you.”
I look down. “He doesn’t. I mean, he’s said some sweet things to me, but I think he really only sees me as a friend.” Yes, he’s given me some smoldering glances lately, but I can’t rely on facial expressions alone to figure out how someone feels about me. I’d rather just hear it direct right from their mouth.
“Well, there’s one way to find out,” Teal says. “You gotta test him.”
Sage wrinkles her nose. “Test him how? Because playing games is usually immature crap.”
Teal shrugs. “Why don’t you tell him that Amá Sonya’s setting you up on a blind date this Friday? It’s not a lie.”
“Amá Sonya’swhat?” I ask. “She told me she’s picking me up for breakfast!”
“Of course she did, the nasty old bat,” Teal says, rolling her eyes. “When I had brunch with her on Sunday, she was going on about how she’d found you a ‘nice, young, loaded man,’ emphasis on theloaded, to take you out to breakfast on Friday.”
It feels like someone’s hit a bunch of pool balls into mystomach, scattering them every which way. “But…why? What if I don’t want to have a meal with a man I’ve never met?”
“You don’t have to go,” Sage says gently.
“But if you did, you could let it slip to Adam that you’re going on a date. If he wants you like the way I think…he’s not going to be happy about it. Not one little bit.” Teal smiles triumphantly, like she knows she’s already right.
“I mean…” I ponder this. “I could just tell him, because we’re friends. Or at least, I’m pretty sure we’re friends by now.” Surely punching Grayson Baker puts him firmly in some kind offriendscategory. “If it comes up, I mean.”
“But are you okay with going on this date?” Sage asks. “Because we can put a stop to it right now. I will literally call up Amá Sonya and tell her it’s not happening.”
I shrug. “I mean…sure. I can always leave him if he gets creepy, or rude, or something.”
“Or you could call Adam to come get you if any of that happens,” Teal says.
I glare at her. “Have you been colluding with Nadia? Since when have you been a matchmaker?”
Sage perks up at this. “Oh? Has Nadia mentionedknowingsomething between you and Adam?”
“Just like sheknewabout me and Carter,” Teal says in a singsong voice.
