Page 4 of Not A Whisper

“Damn right I do. Maybe if I shake his hand mine will turn to gold.”

“What would you do with a gold hand, Jonathan?”

He looks at me as if I’ve grown a second head. “Chop it off, clearly. Then I’d sell it and be able to pay for my girls’ college tuition.”

Since we work at Groveton College, it’s a moot point. Any kids we have get a free ride here. I suppose if they decided to go to a different school he’d have to worry about it then.

“Well, are you going to come?”

I bite my lip and consider it. As much as I love both Jonathan and Brenda, being a third wheel to a couple that barely gets time to themselves doesn’t sound fair. However, hanging out alone at my apartment on a Wednesday night isn’t really all that appealing either. Maybe I could see if one of the other guys would be up to go?

Immediately, I vanquish the thought.

Nope. Expecting anything from them, even if it’s only their company, tends to lead to disappointment. Jason snuck over to my place last weekend to hang out for a few hours, which was nice and healed a little bit of the constant loneliness I’d been suffering from, but it didn’t feel like enough.

New year, new mindset, I remind myself. So far I’ve done pretty well, I just need to keep it up.

In any case, it would be weird to invite Jason or Trip even if I thought they would join me. With as loose a relationship as we have, I don’t need my close friends meeting the guys I’m having a fling with. The age gap alone would be hard to overcome. Plus, we have an intense dynamic—how would that even translate over into the rest of my life? Not well, I’m sure of it. Ultimately, it’s best not to even entertain inviting the guys to do anything, let alone to hang out with my friends.

Twisting left and right in my chair, I consider the offer. “Alright, I’ll come.”

“Yes!” Jonathan’s grin splits across his face. “I’ll let Brenda know you’ll be there. She’ll be thrilled. Need a ride?”

I shake my head. “I’ll drive.”

I head homeright after work.

Snacking on some apple slices, I start to get ready to go out for the evening. I touch up my curls and makeup, throw on a cute dress and move my wallet and phone to a clutch. As I double check my makeup, my phone rings.

Could it be one of the guys?

My heart leaps and I grab it off the coffee table. At the sight of Pianna's face, my heart drops a little. Immediately, guilt wells up. She's my best friend—I need tonotbe in dismay if she calls.

"Hey, you," I answer, forcing a smile into my voice. "What's going on? How was your vacation?"

She and Miguel took the last five days off work to vacation in a nice hotel in Northern Texas. I’ve been getting so many pictures from her that I feel like I’m practically there with them.

"BRIELLA, I'M ENGAGED!"

I have to yank the phone away from my ear as Pianna's shriek nearly destroys my eardrums. As I pull the phone back to my ear, my brain processes her words.

"D-did you just say you wereengaged?" My disbelief must come off as surprise or joy because Pianna laughs and squeals.

"Yes! E-N-G-A-G-E-D! Miguel proposed this morning when the waitstaff brought us breakfast. He woke up early to light candles, set out rose petals—it was like in the movies. Here, let me video call you. I want to show you the ring."

Before I can say anything, the call drops.

My mind struggles to wrap its head around the news that my best friend's going to be tying the knot. For some reason, it just isn't sinking in. Pianna?Engaged? A large part of me wants to scoff. It's not really all that surprising, is it? Pianna's heart is so damn big that when she loves, she loves to the fullest extent. But that also means she jumps headfirst into relationships without thinking. She's only been with Miguel a few months,and during those few months, they broke up at least once that I know about. What is she thinking?

I hide my grimace as she calls again. Swiping across my screen, her face appears. The grin stretched across her face is so large that, if it got any bigger, it would split her face in two. At the sight of it, my misgivings are forgotten. If she's happy, then I can be happy too.

"Alright let me see it," I demand.

The screen blurs as she shifts views. A minute later, I see a decent-sized rock on her left ring finger. Surrounding it are two smaller rocks and the band itself is made from even smaller diamonds.

"Pianna! Look at that thing! The weight alone is going to cause arthritis."

My friend laughs merrily. "It'll be worth it! Oh my god, I'm so excited. It's so unexpected but, like, I knew Miguel was the one."

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