“A friend?” Mark hit me with a look that telegraphed disbelief at my explanation. “Is this friend a woman?”
“Elena is doing some work for the developer. The owner mentioned the trouble they’d been having with their system, and she asked me to take a look at it.” As I explained it to Mark, I realized that wasn’t exactly the way it had worked. I’d told Elena to give my information to Essex. Their people were the ones who’d contacted me, but helping Elena was the only reason I’d considered doing the job.
“She’s your friends-with-benefits hookup, right? I didn’t realize you guys talked about that kind of thing. Or has your relationship changed?”
It hadn’t—not exactly—although something definitely shifted the last time we got together. There was something unbelievably seductive about having her trust me like that with her body. It went beyond just sex. And holding her after, while she snuggled on my lap, had been something else entirely. I didn’t want to explain any of that to my friend, but I didn’t want him labeling her as my hookup either.
“She asked me to help her with a problem; I’m helping.” It wasn’t the explanation he wanted, but it was the only one he was getting.
“Whatever you say, man.” He shrugged his shoulders, content for the moment to let things go. “It’s a good thing you’re better with a computer than a golf club.”
Mark climbed into his cart and headed for the next hole. I followed, grateful the course was walkable. Water bordered several of the holes, making a natural hazard. A few bald cypress trees stood beyond the rough around the edge of the fairway. The knees stuck up like fingers in the marshy water.
As I watched, a white ibis picked its way between the knobby projections, freezing with its pink leg bent when it spotted something. I froze, too, waiting until it thrust its long, curved bill into the water, emerging with a crawfish. I left the ibis to his breakfast and picked up my pace to the next tee box.
“I was thinking while I waited for you to finally join me.” Mark rolled his eyes, but there was no way I’d give up my walk and the unexpected things I got to see to ride in his motorized buggy. “Since you seem amenable to doing favors for friends.” He gave the last words extra emphasis, and I braced myself for something I was sure I wouldn’t like. “I was thinking you could help me set up my door cameras and smart home app thing so the refrigerator can talk to the dishwasher.”
“I can’t believe they actually let you operate on people. You know that’s not how it works, don’t you?” I set my bag next to the golf cart and dug around for my club.
“I don’t have to know how it works. I just have to get someone to set it up for me. I choose you,” he said, reaching for his own club. “Besides, it will give Julianna a chance to work on you about the Hope and Help benefit. She’s trying to fill a table.” He swung, sending his ball down the fairway to land on the green.
I shuddered at the idea of being at the mercy of Mark’s persuasive wife. “I’m not an IT guy.”
“That’s not what I hear.”
Ignoring him, I set my ball on the tee, pulled back, and swung. My ball hooked hard to the right, and I watched it clear the edge of the fairway to land with a splash in the water. A handful of startled birds took flight, and I hoped hard this wasn’t a precursor to the rest of my day.
8
“Being married suits you.”
It sounded weird hearing the words come out of Charlotte’s mouth, but she was right. Alex looked even more gorgeous than usual. Sunkissed from her honeymoon in Santorini, Greece with what seemed like a permanent smile on her face. I liked Erik. Aside from being good to and for my friend—the most important thing—he had his life together. Prestigious job, beautiful house, and now the perfect wife. He looked like exactly what he was—the cream of NOLA society. He also happened to be an exceptionally decent person. He invested his time, money, and energy into causes that reflected his values, most notably the local domestic violence organization.
“Maybe you should try it.” Alex winked at Charlotte, clearly baiting her. Of all of us she’d been the one least likely to wed. At least until she met Ford. With the way she spoke about the sexy restaurant mogul, I wouldn’t be surprised if she followed Alex to the altar before the end of the year.
“Maybe I will.”
Alex swiveled in her chair to look out the window, intent on something outside.
“What’s going on?” asked Meredith, following Alex’s line of sight.
“Charlotte considered the possibility of marriage. I’m looking for the flying pigs.”
“Very funny.” Charlotte leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her wine before reaching for the almost empty basket of bread.
I signaled the waiter. The bread at Tujague’s was legendary. Light as air with a crispy crust and a delicious, warm, yeasty taste. There was never enough of it.
“Are you seriously considering something permanent with Ford?” Kindra’s tone was gentle, but she used her therapist’s laser focus on Charlotte, waiting for the answer we all wanted now.
“Maybe.” Her forehead creased, and she wore an expression I wasn’t used to seeing on my unfailingly confident friend’s face. “No. I mean yes. Yes, I want to marry Ford.”
Meredith let out a sound halfway between a chirp and a restrained squeal. You could always count on her to get behind any plan that included romance and happily ever after.
“He hasn’t asked you, has he? Hinted at it?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about another of my friends heading toward ’til death do us part.
“No, but I’m not sure he ever will. I made such a big deal about the evils of becoming husband and wife, if I want it, I think I’m going to have to be the one to do the asking.” Charlotte finished her wine and glanced around for the server.
“I never thought I’d see the day,” said Alex, beaming at our friend. “Does this mean we get to be bridesmaids? Are you doing the big cupcake dress?”
