Andrea grinned. “What will you tell him?”
“Nothing.” Shelley raised her glass to her friends. “I’m here to enjoy your company. John will bounce back from his disappointment.”
“Richard will console him. He hasn’t won anything, either.”
“What is it with men?” Jackie asked. “When everything’s going well, you never hear from them. As soon as something goes wrong, they want all the sympathy they can get.”
“That sounds like it’s coming from a woman who’s had her heart broken once too often.”
“Do I sound that bad?”
Paris nodded and smiled. “You’re in good company. Before I met Richard, I dated a few men who were like that. Richard’s different. He didn’t send me a text to get my sympathy, he sent it to make me laugh. I joked about losing his life savings to his friends, one dollar at a time.”
“Some men, like my husband, want to tell you every little thing that’s happening in their lives,” Shelley added. “I love that John is so open with me. But I’ve developed incredibly selective hearing and choose when I look at my phone. If he wants my undivided attention straightaway, he has to bring me a bag of chocolate fudge.”
“I like that idea.” Andrea lifted a slice of pizza off the plate in the middle of the table. “Talking about men, how’s your budding romance going, Paris?”
A blush skimmed her cheeks when her friends turned to her. “It’s great.”
“That’s it?” Jackie asked.
“What else do you want to know?”
“Anything and everything,” Andrea replied. “I’m thirty-three, single, and have two boys. My social life revolves around sports practices, after-school programs, and food.”
Paris grinned. “You love your boys and you don’t mind being their personal taxi service and chef.”
“I know, but it’s nice knowing other people have a more balanced life.”
“I’m not sure my life is balanced, but I’m enjoying myself. Richard is amazing. Jack makes me laugh, and Louie is adorable.”
Jackie helped herself to a slice of pizza. “It sounds like someone has been bitten by the love bug.”
Shelley sighed. “I think it’s wonderful you’re so happy.”
“I do, too,” Paris said softly. “I can’t imagine my life without Richard beside me.”
“That’s so lovely,” Jackie said.
Andrea picked up her wine glass. “I’d like to propose another toast. To Paris. For finding the courage to open her heart and find true love.”
A man banged into the back of Andrea’s chair. Her drink flew out of her hands, landing in the middle of the table. In the pizza.
“I’m so sorry.” The man grabbed their spare napkins and mopped up the wine. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’ll buy you another drink and replace the pizza.”
Andrea took the napkin Jackie gave her and wiped the front of her sweater. “Don’t worry. We’d eaten most of the pizza.” She lifted her face to the stranger and her smile disappeared. She looked as though she’d been struck by lightning and the man didn’t seem much better.
“Can I buy you something else instead?” he asked.
“We’ll be okay. But thanks, anyway.”
He nodded and collected the wet napkins. “I’ll get rid of these.”
Paris grabbed the plate holding the soggy pizza. “Put them on here. I’ll take everything across to the bar.”
The man dropped them onto the plate and sent an apologetic look to everyone. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Andrea cleared her throat. “We will.”
