“No.” She shook her head. “I can’t invite you in. I’m taking care of Seanan.”
She showed me a baby monitor in her pocket. I knew she was a nanny. I guessed it was serendipity that I happened to arrive when the child or children were asleep. She led me down a step, and then sat on the cold brick. I wasn’t sure I wanted to follow. I was wearing expensive pants, and the weather was turning foul.
She didn’t seem to realize the problem, gazing up at me expectantly. Finally I sat, giving in to her gentle direction. I put a hand on her knee. Possibly she had something on her chest that she wanted to get off. I’d meant it when I said I was interested in more than a one-night stand. It looked like I might get that wish. I knew that friendship was an important component of any romantic relationship, no matter whether it was monogamous or polyamorous.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I just don’t have anyone else to talk to,” she began.
“You can talk to me.”
“That’s not entirely true,” she corrected herself. “I have Millie, and she was very helpful when I came home last Sunday.”
“You told her about me?” I guessed.
“I did,” Bre admitted. “It’s just something girls do.”
“I’m aware,” I said. “I have no problem with that. Maybe Millie wants to join us?”
Bre frowned, looking at me as if I had suggested making love to a sheep.
I shrugged. It was worth a shot. I wasn’t above having two women in my bed, nor was I above a threesome with Bre and Dex. Either way, it would be more fun for me. But I had a sense that wasn’t what she was asking.
“It’s about Flynn.”
“Ahh.” I leaned back, putting my elbows on the front porch. So it was the boss, the man that Bre had been running away from when she met me in the club. I wondered what he had done now. I could tell he hadn’t proposed to her. If that was the case, she wouldn’t have agreed to a lunch date with me and my best friend.
“He kissed me,” Bre said, looking into my eyes. I could see she wanted me to tell her that it was all right. As far as I could tell, the kiss had been important, but not so important as to mess with my goals.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes,” she responded quickly. A little too quickly.
“And has anything changed?”
“That’s just it. Nothing has changed. He’s still as brusque as ever. I haven’t seen him very much since last weekend, and when I do see him, it’s like it never happened.”
“I can see how that would be confusing.”
“He said he would fight for me,” she continued. “I told him about you and about how I might like to see you again.”
“Naturally.” I was pleased that I had featured in their conversation.
“I think he still doesn’t want to take advantage of me.” She sighed.
“Have you told him that you want him too?” I assumed that was the case.
“Yes.”
“Then what is his problem?”
“I don’t know!” she laughed, pointing at me as if I had hit the nail on the head. “I don’t want to close the door on what we have going, but I’m perfectly okay opening another door.”
“As you should be,” I encouraged her. “He’s not your husband or even your lover yet. But that doesn’t mean that you have to shut him out.”
“I wish he felt the same way you do.”
“Not everyone is so enlightened,” I teased.