Page 53 of Thanks for the Friendship
The doorbell rings again.
“Show time,” Jeremy exclaims.
Gabby giggles, while Reagan smacks him on the arm again.
This time I head to answer the door. When I open it, I find Sara and Cal waiting there. Sara forces a smile, but it’s very obvious that she’s bothered by something.
“Hey, girl. You won’t believe it, but I almost wore a similar dress.”
I laugh. “I believe it. Come in.”
She walks in and looks around the house. “I still feel like this could be our house,” she exclaims as she heads toward the kitchen.
Cal lets out an exasperated sigh and hands me a serving dish. “This is from my mom—her homemade potato casserole and her orange crescent rolls are in this bag.”
“Awe—that was so thoughtful of her.”
“Sara asked her to make something because she doesn’t like to cook.”
Figures. “I know the feeling.”
Our hands touch when I take the dish from him, which causes a jolt of something electric to shoot through my body.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, pointing toward the kitchen.
“Yes, she’s just mad at me again.”
Again?
There’s another knock on the door. Cal opens it since my hands are full.
“Hey, hey, Dr. Sims,” AJ booms.
He’s holding a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.
“Evening, Dr. Bennett,” Cal says firmly.
They both start laughing.
AJ gives me a smoldering smile and leans in to kiss me on the cheek. “Hello, beautiful.”
Good hell, this man is smooth.
When I glance at Cal, he’s noticeably irritated.
“Come on in, guys,” I announce.
When we enter the kitchen, I see that Theo has also arrived. Of course, he just uses the back door now. That’s the beauty of being able to come through the backyard.
The next few minutes are full of introductions and serving drinks. AJ makes himself right at home, pouring glasses of wine for everyone and chatting up Jeremy. I can see why everyone says he’s the life of the party. Like clockwork, Sara inserts herself into AJ and Jeremy’s conversation.
Gabby, Reagan, and I all exchange a glance. My charcuterie board is a hit, and a discussion breaks out about the name while Jeremy insists that it should just be called a snack platter. Everything is going very smoothly, although I can’t help but notice that Cal is definitely more quiet than usual.
“Cal, are these your mom’s orange rolls?” AJ exclaims. “I still dream about these things. She used to send them when we’d work those long hospital shifts.”
“Yes, Mom’s rolls are famous,” he agrees.
I overhear Gabby talking to Sara about the similarities of Theo’s house and ours. I guess she hasn’t given up yet. Maybe that’s why she’s mad at Calagain. Reagan, Jeremy, and Cal walk out onto the patio, leaving AJ and me sitting together at the kitchen counter.
