Page 50 of The Write Choice

Mac looks at Jenny, who shrugs. “You don’t drink, so we’re not drinking.” She says it so simply, as if it’s the easiest thing in the world to defer to me.

“I can handle having it around. It wasn’t a problem last time,” I point out.

Jenny shrugs again. “We don’t need wine to have a good time.”

I narrow my eyes and look back and forth between the two women. Mac lets out a puff of air. “We figured you’d feel enough like a third wheel without us drinking on top of it.”

“There it is,” I mutter, leaning my elbows on the table.

“Are we wrong?” She gives me a pointed look I imagine she uses often in her classroom. “You’ve been stiff since you walked in the door.”

I scowl at her even as I roll my shoulders slightly to release some tension. “You’re not, but that’s not your fault. It’s Brandon’s. I know Daniel wanted to hang out with him tonight without making me feel left out. I wasn’t born yesterday.” It comes out a lot poutier than I wanted, which isn’t helped by the fact that I’m more or less folding my arms in front of me on the table like a toddler. I stand by it, nonetheless.

Mac and Jenny exchange glances, then burst into raucous laughter. My eyes widen as I lean back in my chair and watch them. Jenny smacks the table, and Mac draws her arms around her torso as she leans into her giggles.

“Did I miss something?” I ask, my eyebrows pinched.

They keep laughing, and Mac dabs the corners of her eyes with a knuckle.

“What’s so funny?” I try again, the corners of my mouth turning down.

“It’s hilarious that you think Evans has that much pull over us,” Jenny chokes out between her laughs.

“You think we invited you here because Daniel made us?” Mac dabs at her eyes again. She’s really selling it here.

“Didn’t he? I mean, didn’t he at least ask you to call me?”

The laughter has died out now, but Mac’s eyes are still glittering. “He did,” she motions between herself and Jenny, “but we were going to, anyway. We loved hanging out with you a few months ago. We were excited you moved here, though I’m starting to think you aren’t as excited about the move as Brandon is.”

I wrinkle my nose. “I am not,” I say simply. It doesn’t feel like there’s a need to add more than that until they both look at me questioningly. I sigh. “The short version is that he didn’t tell me we actually came out early for your wedding so he could scope out the area. He bought the house before he even told me about it.”

Mac’s jaw drops slightly. Jenny leans back in her chair and folds her arms. “He bought a house without you knowing about it?” Jenny asks, and I can hear indignation tingeing her voice.

I don’t need her to be angry on my behalf, but it feels good to be heard and understood. It emboldens me enough that I continue. “I’m surprised you didn’t know. He tells Daniel everything—more than he tells me, apparently.” I sound sour, and I am. Jenny and Mac’s faces mirror my own disgust. I grab another cookie off the plate and take a bite as Jenny stands to shut off the stove.

“We knew his parents asked him to take over their Chicago firm, but we definitely thought you consented to this move.” She takes the meatballs out of the oven and puts them on a potholder she throws on the counter. That must be Mac’s cue because she stands and opens a cabinet to get plates down. She hands one to Jenny and one to me.

“I suppose I technically consented.” I make my way over to the stove and take in a deep breath, smelling the sauce and meatballs. It all smells divine. “But I was coerced. He had already bought the house, and he more or less begged me to give it a shot. He’s confident he can convince me to stay here in the next month and a half or so.”

I follow Mac and Jenny as they fill up their plates with pasta, meatballs, sauce, and cheese. Neither of them are shy about how much food is on their plates; they load up, so I do, too. It’s refreshing to be around two women who aren’t being shy about their love of food.

There is a beautiful dining room just off the kitchen with a long dining table, but we settle back at the kitchen table for a more casual dinner, which is also refreshing. The last time I was here, Mac had pulled out all the stops for a fancy dinner party, and I’m glad I don’t have to be totally “on” right now. I can just relax with cookie appetizers and a huge pile of spaghetti and meatballs for the main course.

Jenny twirls some pasta around her fork and eyes me over her plate. “I take it Brandon talking to Daniel is his way of calling in the troops. He’s pulling out all the stops to get you to stay.”

I slice a meatball with my fork and pop it into my mouth. It practically melts on contact, and an explosion of flavor hits my tongue. It takes a lot of effort not to moan. “Jenny, these are easily the best meatballs I’ve ever had.”

She smiles softly at the compliment. “Well, there’s more where that came from, if Mac doesn’t beat you to them.” She eyes her friend with her eyebrow raised, but Mac is too engrossed in eating to respond.

I swallow before speaking again. “To answer your question, yes. I think Brandon is going to do whatever it takes to keep me here.”

Mac nods thoughtfully. “He spent so much time on that studio for you. I was touched he was being so careful to set up a space you’d love, but now it feels disingenuous.”

“That’s just it.” I point my fork at her. “I don’t think it is entirely disingenuous. He desperately wants me to be happy. He just also thinks he knows what’s best. And he’s impulsive, which is not always a great combination.”

Jenny and Mac both nod understandingly, and maybe with a little sympathy. “Men.” Jenny rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

I smirk. “I don’t think it’s as easy as vilifying an entire gender, but in this case, he may have had some alpha shit going on, yes.”