Page 2 of Press Play

“Yeah, but not until after his plans.”

Brandy and Mia know Theo and I have been friends since the tenth grade, twelve years now. Mia adores him, but Brandy... not so much. She doesn’t understand why we’re still friends, especially with his career choice.

I don’t see Theo and think, “Man, this guy is a sex fiend.” I see him for who he is, and he’s a good man who cares for his friends and loved ones.

He doesn’t revolt me. In fact, I admire him. His internet fame didn’t change him. He’s still a social recluse who’d rather spend his days inside watching TV or playing video games.

“Are these plans orplans?” Mia asks while wiggling her eyebrows.

“I didn’t ask,” I say in an amused tone.

“Okay, I’ve been dying to know.” Mia turns to face me, and I stare at her with a furrowed brow. “Did you two ever?—”

“Oh god, no.”

She chuckles, and her cheeks turn pink. “I had a feeling, but I had to ask.”

Theo and I started as friends, but there were moments when I toyed with the idea of us being something more. Then I discovered he’s naturally flirty, and his compliments werenothing more than that. Still, I would be lying if I said they didn’t get to me every now and then. He’s a handsome guy. Who wouldn’t want to pretend that your best friend, who you’ve known for more than a decade, suddenly became romantically interested in you?

After all, friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes.

“Not that I would judge you.” Mia interrupts my thought process. “I was just curious,” she says while shrugging.

“I can honestly say we’ve never slept together,” I tell her while scanning the back of the book she hands me.

“But part of you is curious, right?”

My eyes shoot upward, and they grow two sizes. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not? That man has the body of a god.”

I walk past her and shake her words out of my head. “I can’t hear you!”

“Oh, come on! Indulge me!” She cackles while chasing after me.

I increase my pace and try to dodge her while weaving through the crowd and various bookshelves.

“I can’t because it’s never happened.” I roll my eyes while excusing myself past a couple.

“Not once? Not even when you were horny teenagers?”

I come to an abrupt stop, almost running straight into a little girl with blonde, curly hair. She looks at me, then back toward another woman before asking, “Mom, what does horny mean?”

I press my lips together, attempting to hold back a laugh. Before the mom can find us, I spin around, plant my hands on Mia’s shoulders, and walk forward. “Unless you want to explain to that kid what horny means, I suggest we get out of here.”

Mia snorts before falling into step with me. She loops her arm through mine, and we hurry away from the child we may have just traumatized.

Mia and I are still snickering when Brandy finds us. With a wary side-eye, she opts out of asking what happened, takes our books, and walks toward the register.

Mia and I are the troublesome duo in our trio friendship, and Brandy is the mother figure. Mia and Brandy would be living together if it weren’t for me. I’ve told Brandy time and time again that she can move out and I’ll be okay, but she worries. I haven’t had the greatest luck in the love department. None of my previous boyfriends lasted. Some didn’t have the patience for my food restrictions. One guy even had the audacity to ask me to stop being friends with Theo. He said he would leave and never look back if I couldn’t follow his wishes.

I left his ass the next morning.

Brandy doesn’t want to hear my concerns on the matter. She doesn’t care that I think I’m holding them back solely because she doesn’t believe I am.

She’s an “everything happens for a reason” type of gal. According to her, I’ll meet someone when it’s meant to happen.

I can’t help but wonder, though . . . Where would they be if I never met them? Where wouldIbe if I never met them? Looking back at them, I sigh to myself.

---