Page 76 of So Much More
His eyes grow huge. “Really?”
“Yes. I went skinny dipping in Lake Michigan … when I was four. My mom caught me all of ten seconds after I whipped off my bathing suit.”
Randall briefly closes his eyes. “Why would you mess with me like that?”
“I wanted to see the look on your face.”
He chuckles. “Was it worth it?”
“Definitely.”
We grin at each other for a few seconds before I dig into my meal.
“I’m excited for the girls’ weekend with your sisters,” I say between bites of orange chicken.
“Thanks for making it happen. You have no idea how much it means to us that you’re doing this.”
“We’re happy to do it. We want to help, and we want to get to know your sisters better. It’s a win-win.”
“Speaking of sisters, have you talked to Andrea again?”
“I’ve talked to her a few times.” I tell him what I learned about her and Emily during the conversations.
“You think you’ll want to meet her, then?”
“I do. Leslie’s going with me to Little Rock as soon as I’m ready. We’ll fly down for the weekend and stay with Shannon.”
I detect a tensing of Randall’s jaw when I mention Leslie’s twin’s name, and I wonder if he’s jealous. Instead of responding, he shovels some food into his mouth.
“I’m hoping I’ll get to meet Leslie’s parents while I’m there, too. They don’t live too far from the city.”
He nods and takes another bite, and his leg shifts away from mine.
I ask, “Did you meet Shannon while he was here last month?” I already know the answer, and I don’t know why I’m pushing him on this, but his silence is irritating me.
“Yeah, I took him to the airport. Nice guy.” He fills his mouth once again.
“Say whatever you’re thinking,” I order him. “If you’re jealous, admit it.”
He puts his fork down, swallows, and says, “Fine. I’m jealous. I wish I could be the one going with you when you meet Andrea and Emily.”
“So you’re jealous ofLeslie?”
“Yeah.” He won’t meet my eye.
I shoot him a piercing look, even though he can’t see it. “Anyone else you might be jealous of?”
“Can you leave it alone?”
“No. I can’t. We’re not dating, Randall. You have no claim over me or where I go or who I go with or who I stay with. And honestly, even if we were dating, you still wouldn’t have control over those things. I make my decisions. Got it?”
He finally looks at me. “Do I not get to voice my opinions or my feelings about your decisions? Because if not, I can’t do this. I’m not just along for the ride. You said we’re in this together, but if that’s not truly the case, let me know now.”
I take a deep breath before replying. “Wearein this together. And your opinions and feelings matter to me. But I gave you the opportunity to share them about Shannon, and you didn’t. So don’t act like I don’t value what you have to say.”
Randall tosses down his chopsticks, leans back, and crosses his arms over his chest. “You didn’t exactly give me the opportunity to voice my opinion. You accused me of being jealous of a man I know you’ve had interest in dating in the past, which makes me wonder if there’s a reason Ishouldbe jealous. So forgive me if I’m not excited about you spending a weekend at his place.”
thirty-three
