Page 71 of Friend Me

21

When we reachedthe bright sunshine out on the street, Tyler asked, “Want to eat in the park? I saw a food truck.”

In the second half of October, the weather had turned fall-like, but the day was sunny, a last reminder of summer. And of our pre-theater picnic. “Sure.”

He held out an elbow, and I took it. Just two friends on their way to the park to get a sandwich. Friends just like we’d been before Operation Prince Charming. Friends who didn’t need or want anything more.

On the short walk to the park, we passed by other business-casual office workers, tourists wearing San Francisco sweatshirts they’d picked up to ward off the morning chill, and hard-hatted construction workers taking a break from the ever-present rehabs going on in the city. We passed the garlicky Italian restaurant, the curry aroma of an Indian place, the heavy scent of fried fish. Soon, the towering buildings opened up onto the park square and its spiky green hedges.

Tyler asked me about Dad, and I told him he was doing fine. That having Sylvia at home to take care of him eased my mind while I was at work. Overall, things were pretty good in my world. Jackson and Alicia were back, and I’d spend time with my bestie that night. We were getting rid of her evil cat who’d caused me way more stress than I’d needed. Plus, we’d hired an awesome assistant for Cooper who’d ease my workload.

While we waited in line at the food truck, I closed my eyes and let the sunshine warm my face. My life had changed a lot over the past week, but I still had Dad, my BFF, an awesome boss, and my buddy Tyler.

When I opened my eyes, he was smiling at me. The same tender smile he’d given me when we’d played video games the other night. When we’d stumbled in the moonlight from the rehearsal dinner to the inn. When we’d danced together at the wedding. Just my good buddy, Tyler, who didn’t care that I was doing a job I was overqualified for, who didn’t think I was weird for living at home at age twenty-five, who knew how important family was to me. Who saw the real Marlee and liked her.

But despite all that and the supernova of a kiss we’d shared at the wedding, I had too few friends left to endanger this one.

“Thanks,” I said. “This was a great idea.” Last week, I’d have thrown my arms around him and hugged him, but today I held back.

He grinned, but it wasn’t as broad as usual. Maybe he missed that ghost-hug, too. “I have lots of great ideas.”

“I have a great idea. How about you apply for that manager position? They haven’t found anyone they like yet.”

He stared at his sneakers. “Don’t you think I’m underqualified? I’ve only worked for the company for a couple of years. And I’ve been in my current job for less than a year.”

“Of course not. And you’ll never know if you don’t try.” I’d taken my own advice with Cooper and had disastrous results. But if I hadn’t, I’d still be pining for him. Still obsessed with him. And between Jackson’s return and Dad’s care, I needed focus. Moving on was the smart thing to do.

When we got our sandwiches, we walked away from the crowded lawn where the other cube dwellers soaked up the sunlight to a bench in a shady grove of trees. The area was quiet except for the birds and the squirrels, who chittered and squawked at each other—or maybe at us for disturbing their lunchtime peace.

I unwrapped my sandwich and took a bite of the warm, gooey cheese that oozed out between the crunchy slices of sourdough. “Mmm,” I moaned. “Somuch better than peanut butter and jelly.”

“Better scenery than the cafeteria, too.” Tyler shot me a sly look and took a huge bite of his own sandwich.

I rolled my eyes. “Have you talked to Jackson yet?” I knew he hadn’t, but I needed to steer the conversation onto a safe subject.

“Not yet. I don’t meet with him until tomorrow.”

“He said they had a great time in Fiji.”

He snorted. “Who wouldn’t?”

“I know Iwould. A warm, sandy beach sounds perfect today.” As I finished my sandwich, I shivered. Under the shade of the trees, a chilly breeze reminded me it was October. I wished I’d ordered hot coffee instead of water.

“Are you cold?”

“A little.”

The words weren’t even fully out of my mouth before he was tugging his gray sweater off and slipping it, warm from his body, over my head. I thought about protesting, but as soon as I had his sweater on, I was too cozy to consider taking it off. Maybe I could steal this one, too. He rubbed his hands over my upper arms.

“Better?” he asked.

His thin, almost see-through gray Burger Time T-shirt stretched over his chest. If I squinted at him and swapped out the ancient T-shirt and jeans for an unbuttoned dress shirt and slacks, he looked like the man-candy on my current romance read. I dragged my gaze up to his face, wanting to trace the dimple that bracketed his smile, run my fingers through his hair, pull his face to mine, and—whoa. This was Tyler. Firmly in the friend zone. I needed to build a fence around him with someKeep Outsigns and barbed wire. Possibly with a shark-infested moat. Because when I was so close to him, so wrapped up in his scent, with his warm hands on me, I couldn’t remember my own name, much less why Tyler needed to be nothing more than my friend.

Why was that, again?

“Yeah, I’m good now. Thanks.” I hunted through my purse for my compact and lipstick then smeared the creamy pink over my lips.No kissing.

Tyler stared at my lips. Rosy blotches bloomed on his cheeks. “I wasn’t trying to—”

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