Page 31 of Truth or More Truth
They both nod, as if they know exactly what I’m talking about.
Wendy says, “He’s actually a good guy if you can manage to get him out of agent mode.”
“But he’s usually in agent mode, even when he’s not working,” Leslie adds. “Sounds like you might’ve gotten him out of it, though.” She gives me a knowing look.
“It took a couple hours,” I explain. “He was his typical jerkwad self at the airport. I’m impressed the airline agent didn’t punch him. And then he wasn’t happy about having to drive down here or to ride with me. But eventually, he chilled out, and he was even nice to me.” I shake my head. “It was weird.”
“Like how nice?” Wendy says. “Give us some examples.”
I’m contemplating how much to tell them when a horn honks outside.
twelve
. . .
“I’m sensing some tension between you and Melissa,” Randall says in a low voice as we battle each other on the Nintendo. “And I’m talking the good kind of tension. What happened on that trip, man?”
Speaking of tension, my body is currently as tense as it can get, thanks to Randall’s perceptiveness.
“Nothing,” I say.
He scoffs. “Whatever. You were totally undressing her with your eyes a few minutes ago.” In my peripheral vision, I see his gaze flicker toward me. “Please tell me you didn’t undress her for real last night.”
“Seriously? What kind of man do you think I am?” I feel like a hypocrite saying that, because at one point in my life I was exactly that kind of man.
“The kind with eyes and what I’m guessing is a healthy libido. You know I think my wife is the most gorgeous woman on the planet, but Melissa comes in a close second. And if you tell either of them I said that, I’ll murder you in your sleep.”
Before I can respond to his chilling declaration, the front door bursts open, and seconds later Diego enters with his arms spread wide.
“The second-best man has arrived!” he announces with a booming laugh. “The party can begin!”
Randall tosses his game controller down and leaps to his feet to hug Diego. Ash and I follow, and I greet Shannon and Mr. Beckett.
While my hand is still clasped in Leslie’s dad’s hand, Shannon scoots past us and wraps his arms around Melissa, who has made her way into the living room from the kitchen. My jaw clenches as he picks her up and swings her around before kissing her cheek and setting her back down on the floor. She giggles and pats his chest.
“Easy, there,” Mr. Beckett says, and I release my tight grip on his hand.
I give him a sheepish look. “Sorry, sir.”
“Please call me Ernie,” he says. “And if you have any claim on that woman, you let my son know, and he’ll back off.”
“I don’t.”But I might want to.I clear my throat as I try to wipe that thought from my brain. “I thought Shannon had a girlfriend.”
“Mmm. They broke things off a month or so ago.” He shrugs. “It was amicable.”
“Ah,” I say noncommittally.
“Tell him,” Ernie reiterates.
I shake my head. “It’s not like that between us.”
He snorts. “That’s not what it looks like to me.”
An hour later, I’m driving us to the hotel. Wendy and Randall came with us, as they need to change clothes before the rehearsal as well. Wendy decided there was no reason to take two cars when we could all fit in Melissa’s. And somehow it’s become our default for me to drive now. We didn’t even discuss it. Melissa simply handed me the keys and then climbed into the backseat with Wendy.
“What kind of hotel did you stay in last night?” Wendy asks us.
I glance in the rearview mirror at Melissa, and we grin at each other.
