Me:Why do I get the feeling you guys are going to get into all the trouble.
Gavin:Because that usually happens when we’re together. But I’m going to be good ... I promise.
Me:Ben’s with Mom and Dad?
Gavin:He is, which means I’m going to be all alone at my place once I get home from whatever Jordan has planned.
Me:That sounds awful.
Gavin:Doesn’t it? Fucking brutal. Don’t let it happen, Emily.
Me:You’re saying you want me to find my way over to your place once Maya leaves girls’ night to go to Jordan’s to sleep?
Gavin:That’s exactly what I’m saying.
Me:I think I might be able to make that happen.
Gavin:See you later, baby.
As we sat in our living room, the TV silenced, our glasses constantly filled, love was showing across every inch of Maya’s face. She couldn’t hide it. But loving a man like Jordan Worthington, who was on the road far more than he was home, required some change in Maya’s life. That was the main reason I hadn’t invited anyone else to our girls’ night. I wanted to talk to Maya about Jordan’s schedule and convince her to go on the road with him. My girl could be so stubborn at times, fiercely independent and inflexible. Those were things I adored about her. But when it came to her man, if she wanted things to work out between them, she couldn’t continue working full-time at the rehab center while Jordan was gone. So I’d come up with a plan for her to switch to per diem. That would give her everything—the ability to travel with him and work while she was home.
Of course, that meant I’d be seeing even less of her, which gutted me, but her happiness was all that mattered to me. My bestie deserved to have everything, especially the vacation Jordan was about to take her on, a nugget she’d just dropped a few minutes ago.
A nugget that I needed to hear all about.
So I sipped my wine and said, “Now, let’s talk about that upcoming vacay Jordan is taking you on. Do you have any deets? I’m dying to know everything.”
“Um. That makes two of us.” She repositioned herself on our couch, sitting on her calves. “He won’t tell me anything. The only reason he even told me about the vacation was because I needed to take the time off work.”
I wagged my finger at her. “Another reason per diem is perfect for you.” Every opportunity I got, like this one, I would continue to drive home this point until she took my advice.
“Anywaaay,” she sang, “I know we leave in three days. That’s all the information he’s given me.”
“Oh God, how are you supposed to pack?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Is he going to tell you the night before so you can at least put together your suitcase?”
She put her hand out, palm-side up. “I have no idea.”
He would probably have his assistant get everything Maya would need, including clothes, accessories, makeup, and toiletries. But I wasn’t going to mention that. I didn’t want to come across as knowing Jordan’s capabilities, considering I still hadn’t told her about Gavin.
A bomb I needed to drop before Bettie or Melinda shared the news for us.
Something was stopping me. There was something so incredibly sexy and scandalous about sneaking around and not telling anyone, only those who had caught us in the act.
But is that normal?
Should I feel this way?
“I can’t handle this,” I replied, referring to her lack of knowledge about her trip, but maybe I was talking about me too.
“Same! He’s leaving tomorrow, and he won’t be coming back until our trip—I think. He won’t even confirm those details. I just know he needs to travel to New York. Whether he’s meeting me here or there—whereverthereis—I’m clueless.”
“That man is killing me.”
“You? What about me!”
