Chapter 65

The next day, I had lunch with Allyson and Bretlynn. We met at the Chinese place in the strip mall. I didn't say much. They seemed to be staring at me.

"Sooooo?" Bretlynn finally asked. "How was it?"

"Don't you mean, 'How was she'?" Ally snickered.

My face flushed with embarrassment.

The other girl's hand slammed down on the table. "I knew it! McKayla had the exact same look this morning when she came in!"

I looked away, worried that the other people in the restaurant might be staring.

"You mean the I-just-got-some look?" Bretlynn grinned.

"Stop it!" I said with no threat in my voice. The other girls spent the rest of the meal teasing me and trying to get me to blush some more. They succeeded.

Allyson pulled me aside as we were leaving. Her face suddenly turned serious. "Paige, I don't know what you did to her, but she's got it for you. Bad. She's had that dreamy look in her eyes all morning and this never happens. Not to McKayla. She almost missed her lunch meeting because she was too busy obsessing about you."

My jaw dropped.

"I've known McKayla for almost two years. She's had more one night stands than the three of us put together. Usually after one of these weekends, she comes in and is as cool as ice. She's a mess today," Allyson paused for a second. She looked me in the eyes. "If you're getting together, I want you to know that no one is happier for you two than me. She deserves so much better than she's had, and she's got so much to offer ... Hell, you know that."

I tried to say something, but couldn't. It was as if my voice had been stolen.

"Just don't break her heart, Paige," Allyson said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't think she could handle it."

For a long moment, I just stood there, mute. Bretlynn finished paying her bill and Allyson pulled me out the door with them.

I went back to work but didn't get anything else done that day. Allyson's words echoed over and over in my mind. She could have said the exact same thing to McKayla about me and she would have been just as right.

When my watch read 4:00, I figured that it was 5 o'clock in Nova Scotia, so I made up an excuse and left work early. My boss didn't care; all the reports had been run and in truth, I could have just left and he never would have said anything to me.