Jill nodded agreeably. “Sounds good!”
“Awesome.” My face reddened as he kissed me on my cheek in front of Jill. “See you ladies later.”
When he was gone, I was dying to hear Jill’s news. I couldn’t wait one more second. “What is it you have to tell me?”
Her cheeks flushed crimson as she looked down again. “I’ve been seeing someone.”
“Omigod! Who? That’s fantastic!” My excitement boiled over any worry I had. My BFF had a boyfriend!
She cringed. “Roger.”
Clasping a hand to my open mouth, I cried, “Roger!”
She smiled bashfully. “We were together one night late at the lab, and can you believe it, he asked me for help. From there, we just started hanging out.”
I squealed. “That’s great!” I paused suddenly remember Roger’s cockiness. “He’s nice to you, right?”
She laughed. “He is! He’s pretty sweet if you get to know him.” She pointed at her shirt. “Look what he got me.” Her magenta colored shirt said, Turn it off. Then, turn it on again.
I laughed at the reference to the BBC show we both loved. “I was going to ask you about that shirt
. I thought it was new!”
She nodded. “We’ve been binge watching The I.T. Crowd. So, yeah. I understand that you’ve been gone so much because you know, I get it,” she offered.
I was so happy for Jill. “I think it’s absolutely fab. I just hope Roger is treating you right.”
She took my hand. “He is. My worry is if Theo’s treating you right.” She giggled. “He is so much hotter in person!”
I grinned, remembering the first time I saw him. “That’s what I thought, too!” Looking at my friend, I said sincerely, “He is honestly a great guy.”
Mia’s face was etched with worried. “I want to believe you, but all the news stories about him…”
I shook my head thinking about how the media talked about him. “That was the old Theo. Theo isn’t like that anymore.”
Jill bit her lip. “Are you sure? Some of the stuff that I read. And the photos! I mean…” Her eyes popped open wide. “The photos!”
“He really isn’t like that anymore,” I insisted wanting my friend to not worry about Theo and me.
Jill put a hand on my shoulder. “Okay. I hope so. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that you care.”
“Just be careful,” Jill warned me again.
“Okay. I will. But don’t worry. Theo would never do anything to hurt me,” I answered, trying to reassure my friend that Theo was no threat to my happiness.
But maybe I was also trying to convince myself.
There was no reason for me to think that Theo was cheating on me or that there was another woman in the picture. We spent so much time together, but still, Jill’s concern planted a seed of doubt in my mind.
What if Theo couldn’t change? What if he went back to his old ways? What if he got tired of me and traded me in for another woman like he’d done with all the women before me?
Could I truly believe that he was a changed man and only cared for me?
Jill hugged me. “You look so upset now. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
I faked a smile. “No, I understand that you’re just looking out for me.” Jill was a tender hearted person. Her concerns were coming from a good place.