Page 15 of Inked Beasts

“Oh, right. Umm …”

I could say the same thing as Kai did. Scott certainly surprised me today, although I think part of me knew all along that he was like that, and just pretended otherwise. But I don’t want to talk about him.

“I learned … that true friendship doesn’t end, no matter how long you’ve been apart.”

“To friendship,” Gage says, and we all toast again.

Of course, Kai is now a friend with benefits. Huge, fulfilling benefits. But I don’t dare think about that right now, because his parents have excellent radar.

He rescues me by telling us about a ditzy former client and the saga of them getting their tattoo. He keeps us all in stitches, and Gage shares stories about some of his clients, too. Mr. Sanchez, who runs a garage, gets in on the act by describing a man who kept trying to tell him how to fix his car, but had no idea what he was talking about.

“Surely changing the brake pads affects the carburetor,” I tease him.

“Exactly,” he says drily. “But you must have some stories to tell yourself, being an event planner.”

I laugh. “Oh, yes. I’ve seen everything, especially the weddings—from the young and starry-eyed, to people who have been married multiple times before.”

“And which were your favorites?” Mrs. Sanchez wants to know.

The question turns me unexpectedly serious. “You know, it’s funny. I got into event planning because I’m naturally organized?—”

“We remember,” Gage says, prompting more laughter.

I elbow him gently. “When my work shifted more into wedding planning, I was still pretty skeptical about relationships. I kept my feelings separate, of course, and just focused on the actual tasks involved. But the more weddings I did, the less hardened I got. It’s not easy to stay cynical when you witness the power of love in so many lives.”

There’s a brief pause, when I’m momentarily worried that I’ve gotten too mushy, and then Mr. Sanchez raises his glass. “To love.” We all clink glasses again, but I notice that the other men don’t say anything. Of course, none of them have been married, so far as I know, let alone happily partnered with the same woman for decades.

Mrs. Sanchez brings out the pineapple cake, still warm from the oven. I thank her, and we all have a piece, and then everyone but her helps clean up the kitchen.

If we were kids, it’d be just about bedtime by now, with maybe a little tv watching beforehand. But grownup me is still pretty tired. It’s been a long day, and an exhausting one on multiple fronts.

“I’d better go,” I tell the group. “Thank you for having me.”

“Mija,” Mr. Sanchez says firmly, “you are family. You do not need an invitation to be welcome here.”

He’s made me cry after all. I hug him, and his wife, who kisses my cheek, and then I hug Thorn and Gage, who are careful and respectful with the parents watching, but still manage to give me a good squeeze.

Kai escorts me outside to his car. He’s got my luggage, after all, and Gage drove me here, so it makes sense. All my golden, sunshine-y feelings from the dinner start ebbing away, leaving a tangle of emotions in their wake.

The drive is quiet; my thoughts are anything but. I had sex with Kai. Amazing sex. And, completely apart from our wager, I want to do it again.

But Gage, unless I completely misunderstood him, has feelings for me as well. And while Thorn has been more laid back, I got some definite vibes from him at the reception, too.

Which blows my mind.

Since we all grew up together, we were still treating each other like siblings past the age when we might have been flirting, or kissing, if we’d met when we were older. Sure, by the time I was twelve, I was starting to have some confused, complicated feelings about my friends-who-were-boys, but I left before there was ever a chance to explore those feelings and see if they led anywhere.

And now all three of them are maybe possibly interested in me that way? I don’t know what to do about that. The only thing I’m certain of is that I don’t want to risk my friendship with them—any of them, and all of them.

“What’s on your mind?” Kai says into the silence.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude.”

“You’re not being rude. You’re just thinking really loudly.”

I laugh. “I am, aren’t I? Today has been … a lot. My life has been turned upside down in more ways than one since I woke up this morning.”

“True that. Hey, you don’t have any pets, do you?”

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