Chapter 2
“You’re not coming to our house for Thanksgiving?” Ashley’s mouth dropped open, and the disappointment on her face filled Lina with guilt, while simultaneously making her feel loved.
Lina finished cleaning off the breakroom table with a damp paper towel and slid into a chair next to her coworker and friend. Ashley had always been beautiful, but pregnancy had added a glow to her tan skin and dark eyes.
“You’re going to have a full house, Ash. You won’t have time to miss me. I can’t believe you and Chase are hosting Thanksgiving. You’ve got to be out of your mind. Three kids, that adorable little bun in your oven, your parents, Paige and Shaun, Shaun’s mom and stepdad. Am I missing anyone?”
“A few,” Ashley admitted, “But I was kind of counting on you to keep me sane.”
“You’ll do great.” Lina cracked open her plastic tub of pasta salad and took a bite, studying Ashley. The last year and a half had been a whirlwind for her friend. Ashley’s husband, Chase, had never thought someone would want to step into parenting his younger siblings with him, but he and Ashley were making a go of it together. They’d gone from just friends, to dating, to heading a family of six, counting the baby on the way.
“Have you told Paige you’re not coming?” Ashley asked, flipping her long dark hair behind her so it didn’t get in her soup. “She was looking forward to your spinach dip.”
“Oh, I’ll still bring my food assignments over. I’m not leaving you in a lurch. Your sister will have her spinach dip.”
Ashley stopped blowing on her hot soup and turned to study Lina. “Where are you going if you’re not coming to my house?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Do tell, although if this has to do with a guy, I’m voicing my disapproval preemptively.”
“Of course you are.”
Kirby, one of the dentists, walked in and sat down, abruptly ending any chance she had of telling Ashley more. The last thing Lina needed was for Kirby to overhear her crazy Thanksgiving plans. She had never been quite at ease around him, and after he’d asked her out last week, that feeling increased tenfold. Maybe she should have lied and said she was dating someone. Instead, she told him it wasn’t a good idea for them to go out. He immediately backpedaled, trying to make it sound like he hadn’t meant it as a date thing at all, and then they’d both fled the scene. It was a rare thing for Lina to not know how to take charge of a situation, but Kirby had brought his A-game—A standing for Awkward.
Kirby unwrapped his submarine sandwich from a nearby restaurant and took his time rearranging the lettuce and tomato. “Any Black Friday shopping plans for you two?”
“Yep.” Ashley said. “Me in my pajamas sitting at my computer. I’m not braving any stores this year. What about you, Lina?”
“I’m sleeping in.”
Ashley scoffed. “I’ll believe that when I see it. Lina’s up at five every morning to exercise.”
Kirby nodded. “That’s our go-getter. I’ve started lifting weights and jump roping. It’s amazing how much better I feel.” He gave her a weird smile before taking a bite of his sub.
It was like he was determined to prove they could still be buddies despite her rejection, and that he wouldn’t treat her differently because of it. Lina admired that. She just wished he didn’t pick this particular moment.
Ashley was shooting her looks, obviously dying to know what was up with Thanksgiving, and Lina was dying to tell her, even with the ridicule she knew she’d get for it.
“That’s great, Kirby.” Lina glanced at the clock above his head. Twenty minutes until their lunch break ended and the office reopened.
“Do you have family coming for Thanksgiving?” Ashley asked him.
“Oh, yeah. My parents are flying in this year.” Kirby told them about his family’s Thanksgiving traditions for the next ten minutes.
Lina watched his lunch disappear, hoping he’d do the same. No such luck. He stayed after he finished eating. He chatted with Ashley about the weather and what a pain it was that the parking lot flooded every time it rained.
Lunch ended, and the three of them left the breakroom and separated to do their jobs, Ashley to the front desk, and Kirby and Lina to their patients. Thankfully, Kirby worked mainly with his favorite hygienist, and Lina had no problems with any of the other dentists in the office. She was kind of irritated that Kirby had broken her long streak of getting along with everyone, even the cranky x-ray tech who thought everyone hated her, and through her paranoia, guaranteed most people did.
Lina greeted her next patient with a friendly smile. The woman didn’t look nervous, but she didn’t look thrilled to be there either. A little chitchat sometimes helped. The trick was finding something to talk about that didn’t require patients to answer too often.
“Do you watch those Bachelor-type reality shows?” Lina asked as she lowered the adjustable chair and overhead light.
The woman nodded and slid on the sunglasses Lina offered her. “They’re my guilty pleasure,” she admitted.
Perfect. People tended to either love them or hate them, and either way, it gave them something to talk about.
“There’s this new one coming out calledLast Regret. Have you heard of it?”
