Page 100 of All the Right Things

Of course, you do.

She continues. “I tried a new recipe today and figured I’d bring them in for some of the guys to try.”

She opens the container and holds it out. It’s full of giant chocolate-chip cookies. I have every intention of telling her that I’ll pass, but the scent wafts to my nostrils, and I have to have one.

I grab one out of the container and take a bite. Good grief, the taste is better than the smell.

Tracy’s phone rings, and she answers. “Hello? What? What’s going on? No, I’m not there. Okay, I’m on my way.”

When she hangs up, she says, “The alarm at the store is going off. I have to go. Andi, I’m so sorry. Promise me you won’t drive? I don’t want to leave you like this.”

Nicole waves her hand. “Go. I’ve got this. I’ll make sure Andi gets home alright.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. I was probably going to stick around for a while anyway. Get out of here!” Nicole reassures.

Tracy gives me a quick hug and rushes out.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” I say, taking another bite of a cookie.

“Never said you did. But I figure now is as good of a time as any for us to get to know each other.” She smiles.

“Why are you so nice to me?” I ask.

“Why would I have any reason to be mean to you?”

“Because I’m dating the man who you were supposed to get married to.”

She chuckles. “If Jonas and I were supposed to get married, we would have. We had everyone in this damn town telling us how perfect we were together when in reality, our relationship was just kind of boring. We were friends who were trying to make it something more. I’ll always be grateful that Jonas had the balls to walk away when I didn’t.”

“Why is your friend, Arlene, so convinced you guys should be together?” I ask.

“Because she sees me still single and wants me to find a man, I guess. She thinks I’m going to die a lonely, old spinster.”

“You? Please! Look at you! You’re gorgeous!” I cry.

She gives me an embarrassed smile. “Thanks, but I guess I’m kind of shy and have a hard time putting myself out there. I think that’s why dating Jonas seemed like a good idea for me. We were friends. It was safe.”

“You don’t think Jonas felt that way too?”

Her shoulders shrug. “I’m sure he did for a while, but it was never enough for Jonas Mitchell. He wanted heat and passion and fire. He wanted the full package. Our relationship was pretty one-dimensional. Even our fights were boring. There was no angst behind them. There was nothing to fight for.”

My mind flashes back to the fight that Jonas I just had. It was undoubtedly heated, and I wholeheartedly believe that he was fighting for us at the end of the day.

Nicole interrupts my thoughts. “You love him, don’t you?”

“I never said that…” I begin.

“You don’t have to. It’s written all over your face. Don’t worry; your secret is safe with me.” She shoots me a wink.

I reach for another cookie out of the container that now sits on the bar. “These are really good. Likereallygood.”

“Thanks! I love to bake.”

“You should do something with this. Have you ever thought about opening up your own business?” I ask.

“I would love to, but I don’t have the first idea on how to run a business or where to even begin.”

---