I make a face. “A week,” I say. “Our birthdays are only one week apart.” December and January, true, but still only a week.
“It is what it is. Two different years. I’m clearly older and wiser.”
“Wiseass, I think you mean.”
“Well, that’s true enough,” he says, then shakes his head.
“What?”
“I just…I just can’t believe it’s been so long since we talked.”
My whole body seems to go soft. “I know. Me too.”
For a moment, silence lingers. Then, just before it gets weird, I clear my throat. “Right,” I say. “So, um, we should probably get to my house. I could use some dry clothes.” I grimace. “I’m sorry I sprayed you. I didn’t even think about the fact that you probably don’t keep a change of clothes folded up somewhere on your bike.”
“If you have a dryer, I think we’ll be just fine.”
“Right,” I say, trying not to blush as I think about what he’s going to wear as his clothes are spinning. “I’m a full-service hostess. I’ll even wash them for you if you want.”
“I never turn down a free wash,” he says with such mock seriousness I start laughing all over again.
I get myself under control, then clear my throat. “Okay, let’s go.”
He takes a step, then stumbles. He reaches out, steadying himself with a hand on the hood of my car as I hurry that way. “Are you okay?”
He holds up a hand. “Yeah. Yeah, I just slipped on some leftover stuff on the ground.”
He glances toward his bike, then back at me. “Why don’t I ride with you and get it tomorrow or later tonight?”
“Um, yeah, if you’re sure.” I nod to the car. “Hop on in.”
It’s not far to my place, and I score a spot right in front of the duplex. It’s probably just as well that he left his bike at the car wash since parking on my street requires a permit. Besides, I know the car wash’s owner and he won’t mind. In fact, I send him a text just to let him know.
We get out, and right away I see Lilah sitting on the front porch, watching us with an eagle eye. It’s a friendly neighborhood, and Lilah and I like to drink wine on the shared front porch and chat with the neighbors. Especially the forty-something TV writer who moved in across the street and has completely captured Lilah’s imagination. So I’m not surprised to see her on the porch now, especially since we’d planned to do that very thing tonight.
“Look at you,” she calls as we get out of the car. “Bringing home random men?”
“Ha ha,” I say. “Lilah, meet Renly.” I keep my eyes on her face to watch her reaction. I’m immediately rewarded, and she actually stands up, pushing herself out of the chair as if in reflex.
“Empty locker Renly?”
“Yup.” I turn to face Renly directly. “I know Lilah because of you,” I say. “Lilah, Renly. Renly, Lilah.”
“I inherited your locker,” Lilah tells him. She holds out her hand to shake his as we reach the porch. “You kept it clean. There was no sweaty boy smell at all.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that, but I have a feeling that’s more to do with the janitorial staff than me. I was definitely a sweaty boy back then.”
She looks at me, then grins. “He’s got a good aura,” she says, then adds, “I would tell you to come out and sit with me and have some wine so I can interrogate you both about your childhood, but I have to blow off tonight’s drinking session. Turns out that I have a date.”
“Really?”
“Yep. With a charming little man who has a thing about clownfish.”
I laugh. “Babysitting?”
“All night. My cousin and her husband are doing their anniversary at a hotel. So be as loud as you want,” she adds with a sly look at Renly.
She lowers her voice, as if whispering a secret. “Abby’s bedroom shares a wall with my living room.”
To his credit, Renly barely reacts, but I see the way his eyes brighten with humor, and the corner of his lip twitches. I shake my head as if in exasperation. “Lilah. You know we’re just friends. Like friend friends.”
“Friends with benefits. It’s the only way to go. Way less messy than a relationship.”
I shake my head, then glance sideways at Renly. “Lilah’s a great friend and I love her, but if you want to demonstrate how you can kill her with your bare hands I won’t hold it against you.” I shift my attention back to Lilah. “All that SEAL training, you know.”
“And that’s my cue,” she says. “Seriously, you two have fun catching up. I want to hear everything about how you found each other tomorrow,” she adds, pointing to me before she picks up her wine and pushes open her front door.
I unlock my door then usher him inside. I’m about to step in myself when Lilah pops her head back out and mouths, He’s hot.
“He’s a friend,” I whisper, but I can tell by her expression that she doesn’t believe me. Unlike me, Lilah is more than happy with the friends with benefits thing.
I give her a stern look, then head inside to find Renly leaning against the wall of my entryway. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet her back in high school.”
“Her family lived in Los Angeles until they moved to Castaic. They bought that ranch that went into foreclosure. She’s cool, but she’s also a pain in my ass.”
He laughs. “I’m glad you found such a good friend.”
Happiness blooms in me. Because Lilah really is a good friend, and it’s clear that Renly still knows me well enough to realize that.
“At any rate, I like her.”
“Thank you for the seal of approval.” I sweep my hand, ushering him into the rest of the place. It’s small, only a two bedroom, one of which I use as an office. The living room is roomy, though, and the kitchen is open and flows into the space.
The back door is an actual door, not glass, but the yard it leads to is awesome. Open and grassy with a picnic table and flowers lining the fence. Lilah tells me that when her parents bought the place, there was a fence dividing the two sides, but she took it down when she moved in. She planned to put it back up again once she found a tenant, but since the tenant turned out to be me, we’ve left it down. It makes for some great parties.
“I’ve got a pair of my dad’s old pajamas that I wore when I painted my bedroom. That and one of my T-shirts should do you, right?”
“Sounds good,” he says, and I lead him into my bedroom. I pull out the blue-and-white striped bottoms then grab an extra-large Disney tee that I often wear to sleep.
“Minnie Mouse?”
I shrug. “You’ll do her proud.”
“Right,” he says as I point him to the bathroom.
While he’s changing, I grab a loose maxi dress and change in the closet, then toss my wet clothes into a basket and wait for Renly to emerge and give me his. He does, and then he follows me to the laundry area off the kitchen, where I start a load of cold.
I’m about to offer him the full tour when I see him rubbing his temple, one hand pressed against the wall.
“Are you okay?”