Page 50 of Eligible Best Friend

I nod and glance at Ford. The evening started so pleasantly. I hope it ends the same way.

“Sergei,” he says evenly. “Nice to see you again.”

Sergei nods and awkward silence descends. I call on my old skills of idle small talk. “How was the honeymoon?”

Karoline’s face lights up and her smile widens. “Oh, it was wonderful. We’ve decided to keep the magic alive with weekly date nights.”

“We figured we’d better before we start having kids,” Sergei said. “I heard it gets busy then.”

A server nears the table with the wine and hesitates. Karoline glances over. “Oh, I’m sorry. We’re interrupting.”

“Would you like to join us?” The words leave my mouth before I can think about my invite. My gaze pops to Ford. His jaw is tight, but I’m probably the only one who notices.

“Oh…do you mind?” Karoline’s so innocently hopeful I know it’s the right decision. The girl Ford grew up with has matured. She looks at Ford, waiting for his final approval.

“Not at all,” he says and rises. The hostess and the server arrange for two more settings.

After we’re all settled, Karoline fiddles with the edges of her black cloth napkin folded into a swan. “I’m glad we saw you before we were seated. I keep chickening out of calling. I figured you didn’t want to hear from me.”

I’m relieved she’s addressed the elephant sitting on our table. None of us wants our date night to be filled with uncomfortable chatter. If it’s going to go south, it might as well tank right away.

“I…” Ford’s brow crinkles as he figures out what he wants to say. “I’m trying to forgive and forget, but forgetting’s not easy.”

“It’s impossible for you to forget. Just know that looking back as an adult, I’m ashamed of the way I acted. Ryan feels the same. I want to keep apologizing, but I’m determined to prove myself through actions. We are not our father.”

Ford gives her a begrudging smile. “I did some hurtful things too.”

“I think you were a saint given the situation, but you did try to diagnose every sniffle we had. Remember when I refused to go to school because you said my infected bug bite could be the plague?”

Ford’s grin is instant. “I’m a little better at that now. I’m sure it was only a flesh-eating bacteria.” Before the laughter settles down, I’m brainstorming topics to avoid more awkward silence, but Ford is there first. “Lia and I were at Mom’s and she brought out the picture albums.”

Karoline covers her face. “Oh no. I’ve managed to keep Mom from showing Sergei my unfortunate denim phase in high school.”

Ford chuckles. “I think your mom almost hugged mine when she talked you out of the denim prom dress.”

Karoline’s laugh is louder than the rest of ours. “And Ryan kept trying to talk me into it.” She lowers her voice. “He was such a shit. I can’t wait until his kids are teens. He’s going to get paid back so hard.”

Over three courses, Ford’s shoulders visibly relax as Karoline and Sergei regale us with stories of Ryan’s kids, their honeymoon, and life as newlyweds.

When the meal wraps up, Sergei secures the bill. Ford opens his mouth to argue, and I can guess why, though he’d never say it out loud. Karoline’s in banking and her husband works for an architecture firm. He doesn’t want them to think he can’t afford to pay for everyone on his paramedic wages.

My opinion of them rises even higher when Sergei puts a polite hand up, stopping him before Ford can get a word out. His golden eyes are kind. “Please. You have made my wife very happy tonight. Ever since I met her, she’s talked about you and wanting to reconcile. Let me treat you and your date tonight.”

“Next time, it’s on me.”

Sergei grins. “Anytime. Anything you two need, call us, please.”

Karoline puts her hand on Ford’s arm. “Yes. Even if you don’t need anything, call, text, or send smoke signals. Whatever works.” She turns her megawatt smile on me. “It was so good to finally talk with you, Lia. Can I get your number so I don’t have to bug Ford for it later?”

I am ready for the usual round of “Let’s do lunch” promises that everyone knows will never materialize into actual lunches, so it takes me a second to regroup. “Yeah, sure,” I say, fumbling for my purse. Just as I dig my phone out, a message notification pops up on the screen. Samuel.

Just checking in on you. Everything going okay?

I haven’t forgotten him, but I stare at the screen only for a moment before clicking away from it and exchanging numbers with Karoline.

We leave the restaurant and walk out into the mild evening. Warmth kisses my skin even as the sun fades below the horizon. Karoline waves as she and Sergei peel off toward their car. Ford puts a hand on my back. “Everything all right?” he murmurs.

I think about how to answer his question and whether it’ll be any different than how I’ll answer Samuel’s. “Samuel sent a message asking how I was doing.”

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