I sigh, thinking about last night. I hung out with the Kingston clan for hours, listening to good, old-fashioned American standards, and eating fried chicken until almost ten o’clock.
“Super hot and an amazing dad.”
“An amazing dad, huh? And how do you know that if all you’re doing is fucking him?”
“I may have run into his family at a town concert last night.”
“Ah-ha. The plot thickens. You met his kids.”
“It was no big deal. Their aunt—Luke’s sister—was there too,” I say, trying to downplay things.
“You met his kids,” Leigh repeats. She pauses for a second, the asks, “Do you think that was a good idea?”
“I didn’t plan it, Leigh. It just…happened. We ran into each other. This town is the size of a large apartment building. Everyone knows everyone.”
“You don’t think it’ll confuse things? Now that the kids are involved?”
“They’re not involved!” I say, rolling my eyes. “We ate fried chicken and listened to a local band. Big deal.”
“Okay. But back to cheap, meaningless sex today?” she asks.
I grimace at this question. It doesn’t feel good and I don’t like it, even though Leigh is using the same words I used to describe my agreement with Luke.
“Manda?”
I exhale loudly, anticipating push-back on what I’m about to say: “Actually, his sister asked me to join them for dinner tomorrow night and part of the reason I’m calling is to get your Mom’s pecan pie recipe.”
“Manda! Are you crazy? Dinner with the fam? Come on, girl.”
“What?”
“Honey, I get it that Bryce hurt you, and I think a little rebound sex in a faraway land with an anonymous hottie is a great way to move on. But concerts in the park and dinners with his kids? That’s…I don’t know. Feels like you’re crossing a line. It worries me.”
I think about meeting Luke last week in the rain, and at the hotel. At my apartment twice now, and last night at the concert. “I think we’re becoming friends.”
“You and the kids?”
“No. Me and the dad.”
“You’re fuckbuddies, Amanda. Not besties.”
“I didn’t say we’re besties. I said we’re becoming friends. Yes, we’re sleeping together, but we’re getting to know each other too. He went to Evergreen, just like me. He’s an instructor at the Trooper Academy and—”
“Fine,” says Leigh. “Be friends with the single dad you’re boning. Just don’t come crying to me if the kids get attached to you and the dad wants more than fucking and you start imagining yourself as their stand-in mommy.”
She’s crazy. I have no intention of becoming that attached to the Kingstons, and zero interest in moving to Alaska.
“Will you stop? Not gonna happen. It’s casual. Uber-casual. I promise.”
“If you’re wrong, I’ma make you eat a huge, hot, steamy pile of I-Told-You-So pie.”
“Deal,” I say, “as long as you’ll share the recipe for pecan too.”
“Kids hate nuts,” she informs me. “I’ll give you the recipe for chocolate cream pie instead.”
After she tells me what to do, we talk about the Save The Bears fundraiser: it’s going to be held in late-June at one of the bigger Seattle high school parking lots, have a bear theme, feature craft beers and specialty food trucks, and introduce the mission of Fortress of the Bear to the good people of Seattle. Apparently, Steve is delighted with the plan and singing Leigh’s and my “outside of the box thinking” all over the office.
“So…you’re saying Norm is hating on us more than usual?” I say.