Page 8 of Friends Don't Kiss

I turn my head to look at Kiara. She’s been on my case about being single for a while now. Sometimes she even bakes cupcakes for my dates--like that somehow seals the deal.

“No idea. Why d’you ask?”

“There’s flowers in the back.”

I smirk. “See, what youshouldhave noticed are my nails.” I spread my fingers, and she frowns as she leans over to examine my cuticles.

“And?”

“I went to Cheyenne for this”—this gets me an appreciative whistle—“and I had to explain why I was there.” Cheyenne is the nail artist at my sister’s spa, A Touch Of Grace. She wasn’t as pissed as I thought she’d be when I told her what I needed: a scrub and as many chemicals she needed to get rid of the grease.

“And?”

“And Randy was there delivering one of those crazy bouquets.”

“And?”

“I forget you’re the slow kind.”

Kiara punches my bicep. “Ow,” she mutters to herself.

“Randy decided I should have a flower to give the girl. Can you believe it?”

Kiara beams at me. “Look at you, you followed advice! You got the girl a flower! What’s her name again?”

Whatisher name? Shit. “I didn’t get her a flower. You crazy? Randy took a flower from the bouquet, wrapped it up, and shoved it at me as I was leaving. I wasn’t gonna say no and… hurt his feelings.”

She frowns. “You shaved,” she declares as she leans into me. “Cut yourself, too.”

What does that have anything to do with—

“Ooh, and you’re wearing cologne.”

“I’m not.”

She leans closer to sniff me, the smell of her freshly shampooed hair hitting me in a sweet whiff. “Are you sure?”

“Are you saying I smell good, grasshopper?”

She ignores me, preferring her own line of questioning. “You sure you’re not proposing?”

I laugh. “Nope.”

“Meeting the parents?”

“No! What makes you think that?”

She gestures at me like it’s obvious. “You’re wearing your suit.”

“Um. I’m wearingasuit, and no tie.”

“You’re wearingyoursuit. Andno tieis ’cause you don’t own one.”

I’m not going to argue that. She’s right. “I could have borrowed one from a friend.”

She seems to think on that. “That would have meant answering questions from said friend.”

We have pretty much the same circle of friends in Emerald Creek. And yeah, we tend to be in each other’s business a little too much. “I wouldn’t want to wear a tie.” The truth is, I don’t want to talk about my date with Kiara. It’s… uncomfortable.

---