Oblivious, or perhaps only pretending to be, Karen grinned back innocently.
A waitress appeared out of nowhere, chatted with Karen, looked twice at Eric and finally took their orders. By the time the food arrived they’d made a little small talk and listened to Karen rave about the day’s photos more than once. Mina wished she’d shut up. It would be just like her to ‘accidentally’ forget herself and give a detailed account of their on-camera kiss in front of the whole restaurant. “I’ll be back in a minute,” Mina said, pushing back her chair with a wistful glance at her barely-touched grilled shrimp and veggie kabobs. “Jess, do you want to come to the restroom with me?”
Jess shook her head, rendered speechless by a mouthful of fries.
Mina breathed a small sigh of relief and checked to make sure that Eric’s attention was on his sandwich before shooting Karen a meaningful glance.
Karen downed one last bite of her salad before excusing herself and accompanying Mina.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mina asked when they were safely inside the restroom.
“Accompanying my best friend to the restroom for an impromptu interrogation, apparently.” She narrowed her eyes at Mina. “Do you even have to go?”
“No, but I need to talk to you without Jess and Eric around.”
“About what?”
“I need you to stop talking about the photo shoot.”
Karen looked flabbergasted. “Why? It’s the reason we’re here celebrating.”
“Because Jess doesn’t know the particulars about the photos and I don’t want her to know if and until I decide to tell her about them myself.”
Karen finally sobered up. “Oh, Mina. It’s not that big of a deal. I mean, there were a couple photos where your silk slipped a little, but I deleted them before we left the studio, I swear.”
Mina shook her head. “The poses were just really intimate. I don’t want Jess to get the wrong idea and think that I’m…you know…”
Karen shrugged. “What? An awesome model?”
“No. Promiscuous. I don’t want her to think I’m promiscuous.”
Karen rolled her eyes. “Trust me, Mina. You’re the last person in danger of being accused of promiscuity.”
Mina ignored Karen’s last remark. “Please just try not to mention the photos anymore tonight. There are lots of other things we can talk about.”
“OK.” Karen smiled and turned for the door, presumably thinking of her waiting salad.
“Wait.” Mina laid a hand on her arm. “One more thing.”
Karen paused mid-stride. “What is it?”
“Are you trying to set me up with Eric?”
The blush that flared in Karen’s fair cheeks gave her away.
Mina sighed. “Please, please stop trying.”
“No, no Mina. I won’t stop.”
Mina tightened her grip on Karen’s arm, lest she sprint out of the restroom like a red-headed gazelle hell-bent on matchmaking. “Why not?”
“Just hear me out,” Karen said. “After you guys kissed in the studio, I thought that maybe, well… Mina, how long has it been since you’ve had a boyfriend?”
Mina clenched her teeth, biting down on nothing. “That’s irrelevant.”
“No it’s not. You’re only twenty-four and you’ve already given up on trying to find someone. Eric seems like a really nice guy, and he’s sort of just fallen into your lap. If I need to facilitate things to fan the spark that’s already there, then so be it.”
“I haven’t given up on finding someone. I’m just not interested in a relationship right now.” Her cheeks warmed as she lied smoothly.
“That’s ridiculous. Nobody deserves to be alone, least of all you.”
“I don’t have time for a boyfriend.”
“Yes you do. You’re here now, aren’t you? There’s no reason why you and Eric couldn’t be here together alone next Sunday.” She donned a mischievous grin. “I’d be glad to hang out with Jess if you feel guilty about leaving her behind to go on a date.”
Mina shook her head. “It’s not just that.”
Karen donned an incredulous look, her red brows climbing her forehead. “Then what is it?”
Mina leaned back against the side of an empty stall with a sigh, her resolve not to talk about the issue wavering. “Karen, I’m boring.” The rest of her confession tumbled out in a rush. “You’re right – Eric does seem like a really nice guy, plus he’s super-hot. Women probably come on to him all the time. Someone like me wouldn’t be capable of holding his interest for long.”