Page 3 of Just Friends

“They’ve done well for themselves,” he says. “But let’s not talk about them. It’s rather dull when the whole party is dedicated to them.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Okay, fair point.”

One corner of his mouth tips up before the other. “So tell me about yourself, Hazel Lane.”

“Well,” I say. “I like to watch period dramas, even when I’m not sad.”

“What’s your favorite?”

“Emma,” I say immediately. “Most people would probably sayPride & Prejudiceis better, but there’s just something about best friends falling in love that makes my heart melt.”

His face scrunches up, as if he’s thinking. “I’ve seenPride & Prejudice, I think. Was the man grumpy and British?”

“They’reallgrumpy and British.”

The laugh that slips between his lips makes my hair flutter. “I guess that doesn’t narrow it down. Okay, tell me something else about yourself.”

I tap his shoulder with an index finger. “It’s actually your turn.”

“I’m a realtor,” he says, and when I roll my eyes, he asks, “What?”

“You can’t say yourjob. That’s such a boring fact.”

“Fine, fine,” he says, thinking. His brow wrinkles as he does, his eyes slipping deeper into darkness. “I…like to work out.”

My laugh is loud enough to draw glances, and Alex’s smile widens.

“What? Is that too boring too? I’m realizing I don’t have many hobbies,” he says, mirth lacing his voice.

“No,” I tell him. “It’s just…that’s pretty obvious.”

His eyebrows lift, and I realize how much of a come-on that sounded like. “I didn’t—”

I’m cut off by a regal, commanding voice. “Alex, you haven’t introduced us to your friend.”

When I turn, Alex and Ellie’s parents are standing beside us, his mom’s cool blue eyes assessing me. Her white-blond bob is slicked behind her ears, revealing heavy dangling earrings that tug at her lobes. Although she’s likely quite a bit older than my own mother, she’s almost entirely free of wrinkles and sunspots, making her look almost ageless.

The man next to her is equally striking, and although he still looks remarkably young for his age, he looks to have embraced it. His nearly black hair is peppered with gray, and his eyes and mouth are framed by lines, as though he’s spent more of his life laughing than his wife has. He is the exact picture of what I imagine Alex will look like in thirty years.

My eyes widen as I turn to Alex, panic creeping up my esophagus. But he’s smiling easily, dropping the hand holding mine but keeping the other pressed to the small of my back.

“This is my date, Hazel.”

I try not to glance at him and give us away, but I can’t help but feel relief at the lifeline he threw my way.

“Ah” is all she says, completely dismissing me. With most people, it would feel offensive, but I get the sense it’s better to be completely off this woman’s radar. Her eyes fix on mine for the briefest of moments. “Well, nice to meet you, Hallie. We hope you both have a great time.”

I keep my smile fixed in place, but from the way Alex’s hand tenses on my back, he’s either pissed or holding back laughter. It only takes one quick glance in his direction to know it’s the latter.

“Nice to meet you too,” I say, even though neither of them actually introduced themselves. When they disappear back into the crowd, Alex presses his lips together.

“Well, Hallie, I think that might have been the smoothest an introduction to my parents has ever gone.” The hitch of his lips is infectious, and I can’t help but join him.

“That’s a terrifying thought,” I tell him, and he grins wider.

“Come on, let’s get a drink.”

The midafternoon sun dips below the horizon as we alternate between dancing and people watching, and as more and more of Alex’s parents’ friends drift by, introducing themselves and asking questions about Alex’s personal life, the date ruse holds in place. With each person, our story gets more and more elaborate, until we’re basically on the verge of matrimony and planning to look at potential vacation homes in the Vineyard next month.

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