Megan shrugged. "Completely done."
"Good, because--"
"Actually, I take it back," Taylor said. "I'm not done."
Mina let out a low, suffering groan, then pretended to bang her head on the kitchen wall. The banging was mimed. But the suffering was real. Because Mina knew damn well that once Taylor got something in her head, she didn't let it go easily.
She'd known Taylor since high school, although they'd really only become close in college after they kept ending up in the same classes during undergrad. Now, Taylor was a grad student in the drama department and was also stage managing the calendar contest for The Fix on Sixth, making sure the stage was properly set, the microphones were working, the guys all knew what to do, and all the other details that freed up Jenna--the partner at The Fix who was overseeing the contest--to focus on the big picture.
Mina didn't know Megan nearly as well, though she liked the recent transplant from LA.
A make-up artist, Megan had met Taylor when Megan had done the pre-photoshoot makeup for one of their mutual friends. Megan had also become close with Mina's old boss, Griffin, although Mina still didn't know if Megan and Griff were dating or just friends.
Either way, Mina liked Megan a lot, and when Taylor suggested that Megan join them on the fun run, Mina had easily agreed.
Of course, completely forgetting about the race probably wasn't the best way to make a good impression on her new friend...
"Come on, Taylor," Mina said now, before Taylor could make that very point. Or, possibly, a thousand more points. "I said I was sorry." She looked at Megan. "And I really am sorry."
Megan held up the now-empty water bottle. "It's no big deal, really. It's not like we were going to have scintillating conversation as we ran. I was doing good to draw air, actually."
Taylor narrowed her pretty brown eyes in Megan's direction. "You're too damn nice. And as for you," she added, turning her attention to Mina, "I have just one word--who?"
"Who?" Mina repeated.
"Yes. Duh. Who. Who was more important than running solidarity? Please tell me it wasn't Jeff. He's nice enough, but that's not going anywhere."
"Jeff?" Megan asked.
"This guy. They're not dating, but..." She twirled her finger in the air. "You know."
"It's not a big deal," Mina said, then opened the pantry door to inspect the contents. "Jeff and I are just--"
"Friends with benefits?" Taylor put in
.
"As a matter of fact, yes. What's wrong with that?" She knew she sounded testy, and she honestly wasn't sure why. The thing with Jeff wasn't a big deal because she didn't want it to be.
"Nothing wrong at all," Taylor said, and from her appeasing tone, Mina knew that her friend had caught the edge in Mina's voice.
"At any rate, it wasn't Jeff," she said, then added salsa to the grocery list she was making for tonight's party. It was going to be small--just a dozen or so of Darryl's friends--but she still wanted to be sure there was enough food and alcohol.
"Tossed him aside, have you?" Taylor pressed the back of her hand to her forehead as if in a swoon, and Megan immediately laughed.
"Don't be melodramatic," Mina said. But even as she spoke the words, she knew that Taylor had hit on the truth. Jeff was of the past. And Cameron--well, she hoped he was of the present. But she was afraid they'd gone off the rails. Worse, she was afraid she'd steered them that direction.
All she'd wanted to do was not shine a spotlight on the two of them. And even though he'd finally told her that he understood her point, there'd been a look in his eyes that had made her stomach twist with regret.
"Boy, those people who design dating apps must love you," Taylor said. "You're like the poster child."
"That is so not true," Mina protested, Taylor's completely unfair accusation pulling her from her thoughts. "I don't have a little black book, and I don't have a different guy on speed dial every night."
"No, you don't. You're right. But we've been friends for a long time, and I've watched you push away guys who wanted to get serious."
"That's the point," Mina said. "The guys wanted to get serious. Not me. Not now. I mean, someday, sure. But I don't have time for distractions."
Even as she spoke, she thought of Cam's slightly crooked grin, of his commanding manner and firm voice. Of all the tantalizing things he'd whispered to her, and then the way his fingers and lips and cock had followed through with such delectable efficiency. Maybe she didn't have time for the distraction, but she'd damn sure enjoyed it.