Gemma tilts her head in question. “Did you?”
Scout turns sideways in her chair, resting her feet on the armrest. She barks out a laugh. “Yes. We could totally hear you from the front porch. Gus knocked and yelled for you to go ahead and finish.”
“He did not?” Lola questions through a throaty giggle.
Scout looks at her and shakes her head like she still can’t believe it. “Oh, he absolutely did. I was mortified. When Franco finally opened the door, poor Gem had her tank top on backward, and her hair looked like she’d been wrestling a bear.”
“It is kind of like wrestling a bear.” Gemma’s devilish laugh bubbles up. “I forgot all about that.”
“I don’t know how,” Scout says with a chuckle.
“Probably because I met my bestie that day,” Gemma says sweetly.
Scout smiles. “We did.”
Gemma looks around the table. “Long story short, tonight’s kinda felt like that, don’t you think? The boys are getting on, but I feel like us girls have a connection.”
“I think so. I also think you should have another margarita,” Scout says.
“Defo.” Gemma picks up her almost-empty glass and hands it to Scout. “Go on, then.”
Scout tips her chair back to grab the pitcher on the table behind her and tops Gemma off. “You’re right, Gem.” She looks at us while Gemma takes the glass that’s filled to the top withtwo hands and brings it directly to her mouth, so she doesn’t spill any. “We need to all stay in touch when you go home.”
“Agreed,” Audrey says. She raises her glass. “To new friendships.”
We all repeat after her and clink glasses.
“So, how long have you all known each other?” I ask Scout, Gemma, and Audrey.
“I met Audrey about nine years ago. She hired me as her assistant at her advertising firm and gave me a place to live when I moved from New York. And Gemma and I met about six months later when she and Franco started dating. As you can imagine, I fell in love with them both instantly.”
“Were you already dating Gus when you started working for Audrey?” Lola asks.
She grabs a peanut butter cookie from the plate in the middle of the table and breaks it in half before taking a bite. “God no, we couldn’t stand each other back then.”
Lola rubs her hands together. “Enemies to lovers, my favorite trope.”
“Really?” I ask. “You guys are perfect for each other. Watching you tonight, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a couple more in tune. Seriously, the man looks at you like you hung the moon. It’s cute.”
“He does, doesn’t he?” Audrey agrees, and it’s obvious she adores Scout.
Gemma takes a cookie too and says slyly, “Speaking of in tune and hung the moon, how long have you and Ever been together? Because the way he looks at you? That boy is smitten.” She overenunciates smitten like it’s two separate words.
“It’s the eye contact, isn’t it?” Lola asks, nodding.
Gemma’s already big, blue eyes widen in agreement. “Yes. I’ve never seen anything like it. Swear to God, watching the two of you have a conversation tonight, the eye contact was sointense I felt myself blushing. And possibly getting pregnant, which is a miracle because I don’t even have a uterus anymore.” She fans herself with her free hand.
Lola claps conspiratorially.
I cover my face with my hand.
Gemma reaches over and grabs my wrist to lower it. “Don’t hide. Own it. Christ, it was hot. You’re two attractive people who are properly into each other. Not to mention the age gap. As the older woman in my own relationship, I fucking love it.” She finally takes a bite of the cookie and asks, “How’d you meet?”
When I go to cover my face again, Gemma’s deep chuckle rumbles. “Oh, there’s a good story behind this one. Let’s hear it. Scout’s already told you all she heard me shagging the first time we met; it can’t be more embarrassing than that.”
“You want me to tell it?” Lola asks.
“Go on,” I say, because I know this version will be entertaining.
