Hugh raises his eyebrows. "No intention of hurting her? That isn't exactly reassuring."
Seth looks a bit exasperated by Hugh at this point. "I want to make her happy. That's my intention."
I thump my hand on the table to get their attention. "What kind of patriarchal bullshit is this?" I look back and forth between Hugh and Seth. "There's only one person in charge of my happiness, and that's me. And I choose to be happy with Seth. And as much as I appreciate your concern, Hugh, you don't have to protect me. Seth didn't mean to hurt me, and don't forget that I hurt him, too. We've made up and we're moving on, the past is in the past. Okay?"
"Fine," Hugh says, picking up his champagne flute.
"I understand though," Seth tells him. "And I appreciate that you're looking out for your friend."
"My best friend," Hugh says. "At least she was until she told you about the lumberjack thing."
"Sorry." I try to hold back a smile.
The waiter delivers our bloody marys, and Raymond lifts his tea mug. "I think we should toast to new relationships and new adventures."
We all repeat his toast and clink glasses, and Hugh halfsmiles at Seth. He's definitely thawing.
With the tension broken, we're able to order our food and move on to normal conversation. Seth charms them by answering their endless questions about saving lives as a paramedic and what it's like to be in the Marines. They goggle over the fact he built his own house (even though Hugh knew this fact) and lived for a month without a working shower.
"Don't let him brag about how rugged he is," I say. "He showered at Renata's place every morning I was there."
"Only after you came to stay," he says.
I blink at him, not comprehending. "What did you do before I got there? Stink?"
"No." He smiles sheepishly. "I have an outdoor shower. It's just a little five-gallon solar bag that hangs from a tree outside the house. The sun heats the water during the day and then in the evening, you've got a shower."
"That sounds like my worst nightmare," Raymond says with a shudder. "No offense. I enjoy indoor plumbing."
"So why did you start using my bathroom to shower?" I ask.
Seth shrugs. "I enjoy showers with actual water pressure. Plus, I was curious about the Yankees fan with the smart mouth and the pretty legs."
"Oh, were you?" I say smugly.
We begin a staring contest that only ends when Hugh clears his throat loudly.
"You two need to get a room," he says. "Otherwise, Andie is going to leg hump you in this restaurant, and I'll never be able to show my face here again."
When Seth goes to the bathroom, Hugh and I take the opportunity to discuss him, of course, while Raymond finishes his egg white omelet in silence. Raymond may not shine like Hugh—he allows Hugh to take center stage, which is why they work as a couple—but he's a great judge of character and I value his well-reasoned opinions.
"So, Ray, what do you think of Seth?" I lean forward in my seat, anxious to hear his response.
Raymond wipes the corners of his already clean mouth before saying, "He's the opposite of the type of guy I thought you'd end up with, so that's a relief."
I feign anger and toss my napkin at him. "What do you mean by that?"
Raymond dodges my torpedo and smiles. "You know, he seems emotionally available and genuinely cares about you. And he wants to get to know us. These are not things we've seen before in the guys you bring around. Your last boyfriend re-introduced himself to me every time we met because he never remembered me. It was exhausting."
"Okay, I get it," I say.
"And before that guy there was the impotent poet," Hugh chimes in. "He was a winner."
"Enough!" I shush them as Seth approaches the table.
He slides beside me in the booth and kisses me lightly on the temple. I can feel Hugh and Raymond swoon from across the table. I'm that person in the happy couple, and it's a bizarre sensation, like I'm in a movie playing the part of "happy girlfriend in diner." The problem is that the movie ends when Seth goes home tomorrow.
When we leave the restaurant, Hugh pulls me aside near the hostess stand and hisses in my ear, "He's actually pretty awesome. Do not screw this one up."
