The crazy thing was he did in a way, but not the type she was worried about.
“He does work a lot. I bet it’s just that. He doesn’t seem like the type to string you along,” I offered. The others were quiet, knowing it was a hard line to walk with how much we told Stacy. She was the only one still on the outside. I knew she suspected something, but probably like me initially, it was easier not to guess the truth.
Deniability and all that.
“Yeah? I guess that’s good to hear then. Maybe I’ll just ask him. It can’t hurt anything.”
We all fell quiet, and I wanted to kick myself for ruining the good mood. Searching for a safe topic, I decided to pull Lark and Cami under my bus of desperation. “So, Lark and Cami, how is your wedding planning going?”
“Funny you should ask that,” Lark said, her voice strained. “It’s temporarily on hold. There’s been a few adjustments we’re all trying to figure out.”
“Does that adjustment happen to go by the name of Malek and have the cutest little girl?” I asked.
“Ugh,” Cami groaned. Apparently, I’d hit another sore subject among my friends.
“Okay, okay. Forget I asked.”
“No, it’s not that. You’re right; it’s just… it’s complicated,” Cami said, offering no more.
“Well, I’m here if you need to talk about it.”
“Thanks, Loren,” they both said, and I heard the love between them.
“Okay, Nat, Pixel, anything interesting in your life where I won’t stick my foot in my mouth?” I asked, chuckling.
The assistant moved over, peeling the mask off, wiping my face down as she did, and we all quieted for a moment as we gained control of our facial muscles again. Once our pores had been opened and purged, we were sat up, and the little baths at the bottom began to be filled. It made it easier to talk, and I could see my friends' faces this way.
Glancing over, I raised my eyebrows, waiting for them to answer. Nat sighed, shaking her head. “I’m good. Lily keeps bugging me to come to see Levi, so maybe we can set something up for the summer?”
Nodding, I smiled, liking that I got to plan playdates. “Of course. I’m thinking of only working a few days during the week over the summer so I can have more time to do things with the kids, and we’re even planning a vacation.”
“Ah, that sounds like fun,” the girls said, some of the fun coming back into the party. I guess I just needed to talk about myself more. But I couldn’t let her get away with not answering what I really wanted to know.
“Byron and Beau? How’s the double B life treating you?”
“Not going to let it go, are you?” she asked, smiling.
“Absolutely not. You once told me to ‘spill the deets for my peeps’ if I remember correctly. Well, we’re all your peeps, so dish!”
The girls chuckled, all eagerly looking at her to share. Her cheeks blushed a little, and I realized it wasn’t that things were going bad for my friend but good, and that scared her.
“They’re both good. We’re still figuring out how to be a threesome, but I think they respect one another despite their bickering. The job we had to do,” she said, clearing her throat, “was good for them. Lily adores them both, and my mom keeps telling me to stop being an idiot and move in together. I’m just not sure I’m ready to lose that independence yet.”
And there it was.
“Oh, Nat. It’s okay to be scared, but I don’t think you have to be. I’ve seen both men around you, and they worship the ground you walk on. They’ve both waited years for you to be ready, taking whatever morsel of yourself you would give them. They’re not going to run away, and they’ve shown they’re not Mason. Trust your heart. It’s a good one.”
Her eyes were watering a little as she nodded at me, accepting what I had to say. “Despite you going all therapist on me, I appreciate what you said. Thanks, Lor. I’ll definitely think about it more.”
Smiling, I reached over, clasping her hand. “Love you, girl.”
“Ah, you’re going to make me cry,” Stacy said, shooing away the tears around her eyes.
“Well, good. Because I love you all.” They all beamed at me, and I held onto this feeling of true friendship, knowing that it was a rare commodity I didn’t want to ever take for granted.
“Pixel, anyone you got your eyes on?” I asked, bringing the conversation back around. She shrugged, a coy look on her face.
“Too early to tell.” She didn’t elaborate, and I realized I still needed to hang out with her more. Pixel had been quiet since she’d returned, and I wondered what that was all about.
“Oh, Lor,” Nat started, but was interrupted when the women all stood, declaring us done. I blinked, not realizing they’d been working that long on our hands and feet for me to space out.
“Ladies, if you’ll follow us, we have the last area for you.”
I raised my eyebrow at Nat, who shrugged. “I thought it was over.”
Some apprehension began to build, and I worried we were being led into a trap. I reached for my bracelet but realized I’d taken it off when we’d gotten undressed. Reaching into my pocket, I searched for my phone, but it was also missing. Shit. Were we about to be ambushed?
Shrieks filled the space as the girls entered before me, and I tensed, wondering what danger lay behind the door. Walking through, I took a deep breath, remembering I wasn’t a coward, nor would I let my friends deal with the shit alone. Pushing my shoulders back, I stepped into the room, preparing to take down whatever threat lay ahead.
Which turned out not to be the threat I’d imagined, but a scary sight all the same.