“How come?”
“It’s fancy.”
“My mom picked it.” I glance around. “Too fancy for me?”
She shrugs. “No. It’s great. Just a little modern for your taste. Or compared to what I saw in your apartment.”
“The couch I currently have is not only my parents’ old one, but it won’t fit right in my new space.” I drop down onto one and immediately bounce back up. Too stiff. And yeah, a bit modern.
“Right. I’m sure we’ll find you something, but couches can take a while to be delivered. When do you move again?”
“Wednesday,” I tell her with a grimace. I didn’t really think about that. “I kind of suck at adulting.”
“All doctors do. We spend our entire lives in school, and once we’re at the top of the food chain, we then have to learn how to be adults. In our thirties.” She takesin the store around us. “Hmm. Okay,” she garbles around more popcorn. “We’ll find you something great. Something you. Are your mom or sister meeting us here? As much as I love hanging out and am honored you chose me as your shopping buddy, your mom and Estlin have impeccable taste.”
“You have impeccable taste.”
She arches a challenging eyebrow. “I believe we’ve already discussed this.”
“Yes. They’re meeting us here in about ten minutes or so.”
Relief flashes across her face. “Good. That should help since I haven’t seen the space yet.”
“Estlin hasn’t either. Only my mom has.”
She drops down onto a deep sofa I would kill for, but not only is it too expensive, it’s too big. Her feet kick up on the coffee table, and she continues to eat.
“Good stuff.” She pats the space beside her. “Let’s wait for them.”
I come and sit beside her, then steal a piece of her popcorn.
“Excuse me, do you and your wife need any help?” a sales associate asks in a sharp tone.
“No, thank you,” I reply, holding in my laughter. “Not yet. We’re waiting on a few other people.”
“Of course.” She offers us a fake smile before pointedly glaring at Sorel. “But there is no eating here.”
“Right.” Sorel crumples up the top of the bag. “My apologies.”
The woman gives us a snide sniff and walks off. Both Sorel and I crack up, and I nudge her with my elbow. “You got reprimanded.”
“I totally did!” she exclaims, laughing harder. “See what I mean about the adulting thing? And she thinks I’m your wife. Your pregnant wife. I do look pregnant now, right?”
I glance down at her stomach. “Yes. I’d think you were, butas a man, we’re trained never to be stupid enough to ask a woman. Speaking of, how’s your fake husband?”
Sorel huffs and nudges me back with her elbow before she glances around to make sure that the coast is clear and reopens the bag to steal a piece of popcorn. “He’s fine. He’s great, actually. Everything is amazing with us now and all sorted out. Well, except for the fake marriage part. That’s a whole other bag of popcorn I don’t have the energy to get into right now. Where are you moving again?”
“Commonwealth.”
She twists to face me, her eyes wide, and I hold up my hand to stop her.
“Owen already told me that Wren lives there. It’s not the same building.” I’m positive of it, though I didn’t follow up with him about it, and I refuse to ask her.
“You already know this?”
I shrug. “Not for sure, but it’s Wren, and she’s a Fritz princess.”
Sorel gives me an unimpressed look. “I’m a Fritz princess.”