Page 3 of The Friend

He nodded. “We’ve both travelled the world and love doing it, we both hate being tied down to one place, and we share a passion for icecream sundaes.”

How sweet. Not.

“You’re kidding, right? Paula the Pretzel eats icecream?”

His eyes narrowed. “It’s not like you to be bitchy. What’s up?”

Abby shook her head, wondering if the heat on the island had melted her brain. Judd was her best friend, she hadn’t seen him in eight years, and here she was giving him grief over a favour for a friend.

“Nothing. Just tired, I guess.”

His expression softened as he placed a finger under her chin and tipped it up. “Sounds to me like you’re jealous.”

“In that case, you need your hearing checked.”

His touch confused her and it shouldn’t. She’d been there, done that, and had the T-shirt to prove it—before she’d folded it up and stored it along with her giant crush when he’d left town never to return.

More than a little disconcerted by the erratic beat of her pulse, she tried not to react as he leaned towards her, glimpsing tenderness in his eyes before he planted a brief peck on the end of her nose.

“I’ve missed you, Weiss.”

His aftershave wafted over her, an expensive musk blend that suited him. He’d never worn the stuff in high school yet had smelled as good. She should know. She hadn’t washed the rugby jersey he’d given her the day after the dance for almost a month, preferring to wear it to bed every night and dream of him.

Sadly, she still had it folded neatly in the back of her underwear drawer, a memento of the one time she’d thought they might have a chance at more than friendship.

She jerked away, annoyed by flashbacks to a time best forgotten, and saw surprise flicker across his face.

“We talk all the time,” she said. “How could you miss me?”

“Talking over the phone isn’t the same as this.”

He reached for her hand, the warmth of his fingers enclosing hers more than welcome despite the hyper reaction of her body in response to seeing him after all this time. She missed their physical contact: the playful pinches, the casual hand-holding, the bear hugs.

They’d been inseparable in high school, probably the main reason she still harboured a tiny smidgeon of the same crazy crush she’d had back then.

Judd was right. Regular phone contact had nothing on this, the shared affection of two close friends chatting like they’d never been apart.

“It has been awhile.”

“Hey, what’s eight years between friends?”

“True,” she said, twirling the lime wedge in her glass with the straw, wondering why she felt so edgy around him.

This was Judd.

Her best buddy.

Why the strange feeling something had changed between them? She’d handled her crush, delegated it to the past, enjoyed their long distance friendship more than she could’ve thought possible all these years. She’d matured, so what had shifted in the last few minutes to leave her feeling edgy, panicky, and too aware of Judd as a sexy guy?

Eager to change the topic and break the sudden intimacy that had enveloped them, she said, “How’s the job going? Is the wild world of primates and big cats everything it’s cracked up to be?”

“It’s better. You should try it some time.” He released her hand to pick up his beer and she wondered why his smile faded like she’d insulted him somehow.

“I don’t have time to travel. Besides, if this shoot is perfect, Mark mentioned a major deal for me.”

“So this job is important to you?”

“Of course.” She didn’t add, ‘it’s what drives me these days.’ Though she loved being a fashion stylist it wasn’t enough at times.

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