“We’ve only been together for about eleven months now,” James replied.
“Yeah, if they would have dated back in the day, James would have been arrested for criminal sexual conduct,” Finn teased.
Jake looked confused.
“Four and a half years isn’t a big difference now,” James said. “When you’re a senior and she’s still in middle school, though? Yeah, that’s downright criminal.”
“Ah, got it.”
James glanced back at his phone one more time, hoping the message would disappear. “Okay. Let’s pick up some pizza and head home. I’m warning you now, though, if we get back there and Mandy’s not at that apartment, I’m going to kill Ally.”
“YOU KNOW James is going to be royally pissed off, right?”
“Oh, I figured,” Ally said, stretching out on the couch. Mandy was in the next room changing out of her work clothes, so they were talking loudly back and forth. “He’ll live. He’s being Captain Annoying, and it bugs me.”
“I don’t think he’s trying to be Captain Annoying,” Mandy said, wandering into the living room. She’d tossed on a pair of knit jogging pants and a simple T-shirt. “He’s just worried.”
“Well, when he gets worried he gets bossy,” Ally said. “And, when he gets bossy, he gets annoying.”
Mandy perched on the edge of the couch. “I’m starting to feel guilty.”
“Why?”
“Because I promised him I would let him drop me off and pick me up at work,” Mandy said. “I broke that promise.”
“You’re not alone,” Ally said. “I picked you up. You were perfectly safe.”
“I don’t think he’s going to see it that way.”
Ally rolled over so she could watch her friend. “Where is he anyway?”
“They all went to that tent town thing with Jake today,” Mandy said. “I think they were taking supplies.”
“That’s nice of them,” Ally said. “Why do you think Jake hangs out there?”
“I think he’s donating his time,” Mandy said. “Grady said he served overseas, too.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Mandy said, patting Ally on the head affectionately. “You have a crush on him, don’t you?”
“I don’t know him,” Ally said. “I can’t have a crush on him if I don’t know him.”
Mandy waited.
“He is hot,” Ally said. “Don’t you think he’s hot?”
“He’s nice looking,” Mandy agreed. “Something tells me he looks good without his clothes on.”
Ally smirked. “Don’t tell James,” she teased. “He’ll have a fit if he thinks you’re fantasizing about another man.”
“I’m not fantasizing about him,” Mandy said. “I already have my fantasy. I want him for you.”
Ally made a face. “You want him for me? Why?”
“Because you’re the only one without a significant other,” Mandy said. “And I think James would be less likely to worry about us hanging out together if you were with someone like Jake.”
“He doesn’t want me with Jake,” Ally said. “You saw the look he gave me last night.”
“He just doesn’t want to think about you having sex with Jake,” Mandy countered. “I think he likes Jake and, after today, he’s definitely going to respect him more.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I know your brother,” Mandy said.
“That you do,” Ally agreed. “Although, to be fair, it was just over two weeks ago that you thought he was going to break up with you and that he didn’t love you.”
Mandy smacked Ally’s head lightly. “Don’t remind me of that.”
“God, you were so funny,” Ally said, giggling and holding her hand to her heart as she mimicked Mandy’s voice. “He doesn’t love me. He never did. I’ll never be whole again.” Ally lifted her hand to her head. “Woe is me.”
Both women glanced up when they heard noise at the door, finding four curious faces watching them.
“Ladies,” James said, striding into the room and dropping a pile of pizza boxes on the dining room table. “What are you doing?”
“I was reenacting Mandy’s freak out from last week,” Ally said, refusing to show shame.
James ran a hand down the back of Mandy’s hair, dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. “We’ve agreed not to bring that up again,” James said.
“I haven’t,” Ally shot back.