Honestly, I’d forgotten Elizabeth was there. I released my hold on Janie and stepped back as she greeted her friend.
“Yep. Got here a little while ago.” Elizabeth smiled warmly at Janie and hitched a thumb over her shoulder, “I’ve been looking at faucets.”
“Are you done looking? What time is our reservation? Because I wouldn’t mind looking around if we have time…” Janie’s hopeful eyes moved between Elizabeth and me; she looked like a NRA member at her first gun show.
“We have plenty of time, the reservation isn’t until six-thirty and we’re only ten minutes away.” I reassured her and won an immediate smile.
Elizabeth took Janie by the hand, “Come look at these, the lever release is really smooth.”
I watched as Janie and Elizabeth approached the row of sink fixtures and fiddled with the knobs, oooohhhing and aaaaahhhhing at intervals. I hung back and just studied the pair of them- Janie, tall and perfectly round in all the right places contrasted with Elizabeth’s shorter, slimmer form. They were opposites in many ways but interacted with a practiced ease that only time and trusted friendship brings.
When they’d exhausted their time and returned to where I stood I was pretending to check my email on my phone. I didn’t want to admit in front of her friend that I’d been merely watching her for the last quarter of an hour, enjoying how she moved and her animated expressions. Also, studying their interaction allowed me to recognize how relaxed Janie was around Elizabeth. This friendship meant a great deal to Janie. It meant a great deal to both of them.
I glanced up, met Janie’s smile with one of my own, “Are we ready?”
Janie nodded, biting her lip, “I am very ready. I am so hungry I could eat a horse- but not in the demonstration of great wealth way or sacrifice to gods way but in the colloquialism way in which I am stating that I am very hungry.”
Elizabeth chuckled at Janie’s earnest explanation and caught my gaze. She gave me a small smile then, abruptly, narrowed her eyes at me.
“Uh…” Elizabeth- suddenly- pulled out the hospital pager from her purse, “Well- look at that- shoot.” She looked up at Janie and her expression was apologetic, “It looks like I won’t be able to come to dinner tonight.” Elizabeth glanced at me briefly then added, “I guess it’s just you two kids tonight.”
One of my eyebrows lifted, as was my habit when I am suspicious of person or situation. The timing of her page seemed very remarkable and I knew immediately what Elizabeth was doing. She’d just had fifteen minutes of uninterrupted Janie time in a bathroom fixture store. Elizabeth was showing me that she, too, could share Janie by attempting to gracefully bow out of dinner.
Janie frowned, “That’s too bad,” her gaze flickered to me then back to Elizabeth, the volume of her voice slightly lower, “I was really hoping that you and Quinn might have a chance to… you know, talk, get to know each other a little better.”
I watched as her blonde friend gave her a soft smile, “I’ll have to take a rain check, I’m sorry. I really have to go.” Elizabeth squeezed Janie’s hand then moved toward the door, “Have a good time!”
My lips twisted to the side as Elizabeth moved past me and I gave her a grateful smile which- I was sure- reached my eyes. She issued me a meaningful glare which told me unequivocally: you owe me one.
I nodded to let her know that I understood and that I intended to pay her back. In fact, I fully intended to exploit Elizabeth’s knowledge of Janie’s tastes when choosing an engagement ring and planning the proposal. My future interactions with Elizabeth would be mutually beneficial and, surprisingly, I was actually looking forward to becoming friends Elizabeth. I was looking forward to how happy it would make Janie.
Janie’s sigh pulled my attention back to her and I enveloped her in my arms as the bell jingled on the front door, announcing Elizabeth’s departure.
“That’s too bad.” She snuggled against my chest.
“There will be a next time.”
Janie grunted noncommittally then leaned back, catching my eye, “Did you two talk before I arrived?”
I nodded.
“What did you talk about?”
I titled my head to the side, allowing myself to study her features. She had a beautiful face, perfect lips, light freckles, big eyes. The color of her eyes was mossy gold, made me want to write crap poetry and hire a skywriter.
“Quinn?”
I blinked at her upturned face, “Uh- what?”
She blushed, glanced at me through her eyelashes, “I said, what did you two talk about before I arrived?”