Page 19 of Besties
My eyes were burning, so I turned away from him.
Richie grabbed my elbow. “Why not come along? We can talk about the place if you have any questions.”
This was just like when he’d been going out with Julie. Invite me along, make me feel like a fifth wheel. “Nah, it’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. Flight’s at nine, so don’t stay out too late.”
“Max, I want—”
I tamped down on my hurt, turned, and gave him a grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Go out, have fun, but nottoomuch fun. I’ll check my mail for the things they were going to send me so I can have a jump on the meeting with the board.”
His expression morphed into one of sadness. “Max….”
I pushed him toward the door. “Go on, get out of here. Ought not keep the lady waiting.”
“Do you need a hug?”
Oh, hell yes I did. “Nah, I’m fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I went into the office and closed the door. A few moments later, Richie’s footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor, and then the outer door opened and shut. I slumped into my chair, cursing myself. Why did I have to have feelings beyond friendship for him? At the rate I was going, I would do or say something to screw up all the years we’ve been besties.
Deciding that I would go ahead and start unpacking the boxes that had been delivered, I crossed the room and opened the door. Richie stood there, his arms folded, and glared at me. I might have made a very unmanly squeak when I found him there.
“Seriously? This is how it’s going to be? We always discuss everything. If you’re upset or angry, I’d like to know why.”
“I thought you were going out.”
He sighed, grabbed my arm, and pulled me over to the couch. “Sit.”
“I’m not a fucking dog.”
His eyes narrowed. “I said sit. We’re going to have this out.”
Seeing no other option, I sat. “What’s there to have out? I was being stupid. I wanted to have dinner with you, and never considered you might have other plans.”
“Which I invited you to come along on.”
“Yeah, because having another person there would be real nice on a date.”
His eyes went wide and his voice broke when he nearly shouted, “On a…. Who the hell said this was a date! Sheila trained for six years to be a high school teacher. Good jobs aren’t so easy to come by, and I was talking to her about joining our team. When did I say anything about dating her?” He sat down next to me and put a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry if you misunderstood what was going on. When I talked to her about renting the place, she and I got on the subject of jobs. I told her what I did, and she said she had wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl. I had her send a resume to the office, and they told me she was qualified for a post with us. That’s it.” He grinned. “Were you jealous?”
Holy hell, how had I misread the situation so badly? “No, of course not. I just haven’t seen you in a few years and wanted to spend some time with you. I apologize for getting into a snit. You should go, though. Don’t keep her waiting.”
“Nope. I already called her and canceled. One of our recruiters will be flying out next week to talk with her.”
Great, now I felt like shit. “Why’d you do that?”
“Because, stupid, my friend needed me. When are you going to get it through your head that in my book, friends come first. Do you know how many people I would hop on a plane to come and see?” He held up a hand and began to tick off fingers as he spoke. “My mom and dad. Your mom and Walter. My sister and brother-in-law. My brother—when he’s not being a dick—and his wife. And, of course, you.”
I sighed. I’d screwed up royally and wasn’t sure even an apology would be enough to fix this mistake.
“I’m sorry. It’s just… I’ve missed you a lot since you moved, and having you here this week has reminded me how much I value our friendship. I can’t deny I was a little hurt thinking you were going out on a date, but that’s all on me.”
God, if he could hear my thoughts right now. I was bitching myself out big-time for being so damned stupid as we headed for the hotel.
Once we got there, Richie parked and directed me to the elevators. “I need to get changed,” he explained. “Plus, I want to be sure I’m packed for our flight.”
When we got on, there wasn’t anyone else riding. Richie reached over and put a hand on my arm.
“Wanna know something? I’m going to say this, and I swear to you it’s the God’s honest truth. I’m touched by the fact that you want to spend time with me. Ever wonder how many people we had in school that I’ve kept in touch with? Oh, we all said we would. Had the best of intentions and all. I talked with Julie last year when she told me she was getting married and invited me to the wedding. That’s it. You’re the only person who always had time for me then, and you’re the only one who remembers me now.”
“I couldn’t ever forget you.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop myself. I was treading perilously close to telling Richie the truth and screwing up everything we’d built over the last two decades. When I looked up into his eyes, I saw concern and I was undone. “You’re my best friend. The only one I ever wanted, and the only one I will ever need. Always remember that.”
