Once we got seated and we’d ordered-I always got chicken tikka masala with a side of naan and samosa-Ronnie turned to me and asked, “Did you get a call from your mom?”
I nodded, sipping my water and retrieving Beth’s napkin from the floor, tucking it back into her lap. “Something about a cabin?”
“In the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Her eyes were bright, her voice excited. “It’s perfect timing-it will be this summer, when I’m off work. TJ’s already put in for the time off.”
I glanced over at him, seeing if he was as excited as she was about the prospect of spending a week with my family, but his face was unreadable.
“Should be fun.” I’d talked to my mother only briefly-she’d mentioned that my younger brother, Henry, would be on break from the University of Michigan and would be coming and probably bringing a girl. Of course, when I asked if I could bring someone, she got all “Oh-my-god-who-is-he?” on me and I had to make an excuse to get off the phone.
I couldn’t believe I was sitting there with Ronnie and TJ and contemplating inviting Josh… but I was. Crazy, that’s what you are, I thought, sighing as I retrieved Beth’s napkin again.
“Try not wiggling around so much, and it will stay in your lap,” I said to her and she rolled her eyes. I swear she got that from me.
“Guess who else is going to be there?” Ronnie’s eyes were practically sparkling.
“I don’t know,” I smiled. “But from the look on your face, it’s gotta be someone good. Johnny Depp? Matthew Mcconaughey?”
“Better.” Ronnie grinned, finally giving it up. “Gretchen’s coming.” I gaped at her. Gretchen had been our nanny-mine and Henry’s-after Ronnie had gone off to college and gotten married. The last I’d heard, she’d gone to school in California to be a photographer.
“She’s coming to New York,” Ronnie went on, still unable to suppress her smile.
“She’s out of school and found a job here.”
“So she lives here now?” TJ mused, looking between us. I knew what he was thinking, and so did Ronnie. Gretchen and Ronnie had been lovers, and from what I could gather, it was Gretchen who had sort of pushed them into polyamory in the first place.
“Bad.” Ronnie slapped him playfully, but she was still smiling as the waiter poured her more wine. “So, how was your date, Janie? Do you have an agent now?” She slid her gaze over to TJ. “Or maybe a new boyfriend?” I glanced at Beth, who was listening to the conversation with interest.
“It was good.” Ha, that’s an understatement, I thought, finding myself tempted to look at my phone again. I’d been checking it compulsively since Josh had dropped me off the night before, telling myself he was a busy man, he had work to do…
But why hadn’t he called?
“Just good?” Ronnie inquired, raising her eyebrows. “No spark? No fireworks?”
“Um…” I looked back and forth between them, feeling my face redden. “A little.” TJ leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady, but he was frowning. “Did you talk about your writing?”
“Actually, no,” I admitted. I honestly hadn’t even thought about Josh in relation to my work all night long. I wondered if he had?
“Well, what did you talk about?” Ronnie asked.
“I have to go to the bathroom!” Beth piped up, plopping her napkin in the middle of her plate and hopping off her chair.
Thank god! I grabbed Beth’s hand. “I’ll take her.”
The bathroom was all the way at the back of the restaurant and I swear I felt their eyes on me the whole way. This was going to be trickier than I’d imagined, this thing with Josh. And I couldn’t kid myself anymore, after the night before-I did, indeed, have a thing for him.
“Take your time,” I said to Beth as she swung the stall door closed and locked it.
The more time I spent in here, the less time I would spend at the table trying to dodge questions. Maybe the food would be there by the time I got back and they would be too busy to ask any more.
I stood at the sink waiting for Beth, fixing my hair in the mirror. It was getting too long and cumbersome-almost to the middle of my back now. I’d been lazy these past few years, letting everything go, spending my time focusing on my writing. And on my relationship with TJ and Ronnie. They’d done so much for me. I felt guilty about what I was doing-or about to do-with Josh. Even though, if I told them, they’d probably be fine with it. Well, at least, I knew Ronnie would. I wasn’t so sure about TJ.
I couldn’t resist anymore and flipped my phone open, checking for a call. Nothing.
Damnit.
I heard Beth flush and turned as she came out of the stall, announcing, “Ready!”
“Gotta wash your hands,” I reminded her, turning on the sink and helping her reach the soap dispenser. She played with the hand dryer for a while, turning it so it blew into her face and laughing, and I let her.
“Can I have some lipstick?” she asked eagerly, watching me touch up my make-up.
I indulged her, taking out some clear lip gloss and glazing her pink little lips.
We stood in front of the mirror, admiring each other, and I took her hand, squeezing it and telling her, “Now you’re the most beautiful girl in the whole restaurant.”
“I want to be just like you when I grow up.” She turned her shining eyes up to me.
“You’ll be just like you when you grow up,” I told her, smiling. “And that’s just how it’s supposed to be.”
She skipped out of the bathroom, singing under her breath, and I followed. We weaved our way through tables toward the front of the restaurant, and I would have just passed by without seeing him if Josh hadn’t called out, “Janie!” I turned, startled to see him sitting alone at a table, holding a menu.
“Josh? What are you doing here?” But I knew. I’d told him we were coming to Tamarind after the concert—and here he was. Coincidence? I didn’t think so. My whole body felt galvanized when I saw him, as if I’d been hit by lightning.
Beth turned and frowned back at me. “Come on!”
“Probably the same thing you are.” He leaned back in his chair with an easy smile. His eyes swept over me-definitely not as dressed up as the night before, but it could have been worse. “I was in the mood for Indian food.”
I didn’t believe it for a minute. “Where’s Catherine?”
He shrugged. “She hates Indian food. I usually order take-out, but I just felt like getting out of the house.”
Uh-huh.
“Come on.” Beth was at my side now, pulling at my hand. She looked at Josh, frowning. “Who’s he?”
“Don’t be rude, Beth.” I looked down at her, shaking my head. “Josh, this is Beth. Beth, this is Josh.”
“Nice to meet you.” Josh gave her a wink.
She looked up at me and whispered loudly, “Is he your boyfriend?”
Oh great. “Um…”
“I’m a friend of Janie’s.” Josh stepped in and saved me. “I’m also an agent. Do you know what an agent is?” Way to change the subject!
“Like…” Beth’s eyes widened. “Like an agent of the devil?”
I said, “Yes” and Josh said, “No” at the same time and we both laughed.
“Where did you hear that phrase?” I asked her.
“Colin at school says our teacher, Mrs. Newman, is an agent of the devil.”
“Out of the mouths of babes.” Josh laughed again, shaking his head. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not an agent of the devil.”
“Well, what kind of agent are you?” Beth asked, curious now. “A secret one?”
“I’m a literary agent,” Josh explained. “I help writers get their books published.”
“Janie’s a writer!” Beth exclaimed. “She wrote me an excellent story about a princess named Beth who gives away frogs.”