"Girl, a year will fly by," she says. "There’s so much to plan—venue, guest list, food, dress. Oh my gosh! A dress! You’re getting married! You are going to marry Cal! I can’t believe it! Do you believe it? I can't. My best friend is getting married!"
After we’re done laughing, hugging, and crying, Tina finishes eating and stands at the sink, washing her plate, fork, and cup before drying them and putting them away.
I’ve looked out the window a couple more times, and Tina quickly senses my unease.
"Exes fight," she says simply. "Especially when there’s a kid involved. Trust me, I know. My parents used to have shouting matches right in front of me and my sisters. We were all too young to fully grasp what was happening, but it was scary and exhausting."
"That's why you don't date men with children," I say.
"You got that right," she murmurs. "Mom might have been dumb enough to marry the wrong man, but she was smart enough to warn us not to make the same mistake."
"Vince has a kid," I say, instantly regretting it as Tina’s eyes widen before furrowing into a scowl.
"I'm sure Meghan will have plenty of names to call me, but I can assure you, 'Mommy' won't be one of them."
"Are things with Vincent that serious?" I ask, genuinely interested.
"We're getting to know each other," she begins. "Neither of us is in any hurry. He’s busy. I’m busy. Honestly, I speak to Claire, his assistant, more often than I do him. She in her mid thirties, has a business degree from Cornell, and is smart enough to handle the demands of the job. And she's the only one Vincent listens to. He thinks she manages his office, but half the time, she's managing him. He just doesn't realize it."
I smile. "Smart woman," I say. "From what Cal has told me, Vincent has a pretty big ego. Any woman who's able to handle him has to be a genius."
Tina laughs out loud. "You got that right! Anyway, Claire's the one who brought Vince into the ER the night we met."
I meet her gaze, debating for a moment. "Tina, he's twice your age."
"Only in years," she counters. "The man is hot, rich, romantic, charming, and has the stamina of a man half his age. I have no complaints."
"What about Nate?" I ask.
"What about Nate?" she repeats.
"Tina," I begin, "You know there's something there. I see it, Cal sees it."
"It was just a kiss," she says, her tone dismissive. "Yes, it was an intense, mind-blowing, toe-curling, heart-racing, delicious kiss. I won't deny it."
"Ooh, please continue," I say, egging her on.
She closes her eyes, as if recalling every second of it, unwilling to miss a single detail.
"His lips were sweet," she says, touching her lips lightly with her fingertips. "Taste was pure heat. He kissed me slow and deep. I forgot everything, including my name. And his cologne—"
She breathes in deeply. "I swear, it was hard to concentrate on anything else. A rich, masculine scent that lingered on me long after. His touch? Electric. The way his arm circled around my waist and pulled me into him took my breath away. The sound of his breath against my ear when he asked me if I was still going on my date. It made me go weak at the knees."
"Alrighty then," I say, fanning myself with my hand.
"You asked!" she exclaims. "But as good as it was, I can't stand him. He's obnoxious, disrespectful, short-tempered, and annoying."
"Is he a better kisser than Vincent?" I ask, doubting she’ll tell me. "Because, if I remember correctly, you described Vincent’s kiss as 'heavenly.'"
She looks around, as if expecting someone to eavesdrop. "Let me just say this," she says, her tone low and conspiratorial. "When Nate kissed me, the earth stopped spinning."
"You both looked like you were enjoying it," I say. "I almost yelled out, 'Get a room!'"
"I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t wish we’d had one. A room. So we could have finished what we started."
"Wow," I whisper. "If it was that good, how can you continue seeing Vincent?"
She meets my gaze. "Did you see the smug look on Nate's face after we kissed? He totally ruined the moment. Plus, I like Vincent, and he likes me. We enjoy being together, and he makes me feel special—not on edge like Nate does. End of story."
