Page 26 of Thanks for the Friendship
“AJ is … Let’s just say if you ever want to jump out of a plane or fly to Ibiza on a whim, he’s your man.”
Hmm … now that sounds intriguing.
“Most importantly, he’s a brilliant doctor,” he adds.
Sara listens intently. Maybe she’s as interested in hearing more about him as I am.
“I’m always up for a vacation,” I tease.
“There’s Gabby,” Sara squeals, interrupting our conversation.
Theo and Gabby finally break free from the crowd and are walking toward us, hand in hand. Sara goes to greet them, leaving Cal and me alone.
“Do you really want to meet AJ?” he asks.
Why does he seem so shocked by this?
“Sure, why not?” I ask.
He shoves his hands into his pockets. “AJ doesn’t seem like your type.”
Oh, really. Since when does Cal Sims know what my type is?
I give him a coy smile. “Ah, well I don’t really have a type. I’ve changed a lot since we were friends.”
I get the feeling that neither Sara nor Cal wants to introduce me to AJ, but for different reasons.
Our conversation ends when Gabby comes over to us. I pull her in for a massive hug.
“I’m so happy for you,” I whisper. “I wanted to give you the chance to talk to the guests because I’ll see you tonight.”
“Thank you, Lila. This is all because of you,” she says, tears filling her eyes.
Generally, I’m not much of a crier, but her teary eyes cause a bit of moisture in mine.
I pat her on the arm. “Now let me see the ring,” I demand, clearing my throat.
She holds up her left hand, displaying a stunning pear-shaped diamond on a thin, diamond-encrusted band.
“Wow, Theo did good,” I exclaim. “I’m super impressed and a little surprised.”
She laughs. “Not as surprised as I am.”
“So you had no idea this was going to happen?”
“No clue at all,” she says. “We’ve only discussed marriage a couple of times.”
A few more guests approach Gabby, so I hang back to allow her to talk.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cal, Sara, and AJ together. Cal and AJ are talking, and Sara is standing in between them, sipping her drink. There’s something about her body language, the way she’s standing and facing AJ that makes me even more curious.
I stand up straight and make my way over to join them.
“Is everyone enjoying the party?” I ask, pretending to be the best hostess ever.
AJ flashes me a brilliant smile. “It’s a terrific party, and you are?”
Cal puts his hand on AJ’s shoulder and sighs.
