Skye squirmed in her seat. She hadn’t thought about the weekends. At least during the week she had work to keep her preoccupied. The weekend was a different story. There was an empty apartment with a very empty bed. Maybe this was the perfect time to take up one of those art classes she had seen at the studio near her house.
Kari stood to leave. “I’m going to head back to the restaurant launch I’m working on for the tikki bar. It’s a complete disaster, but the owner doesn’t want to change anything. He insists on pineapples everywhere. How am I supposed to work with that?”
Skye shrugged her shoulders. “Good luck. What time tonight?”
“Just come over after work. Pick up your stuff and I’ll see you with pizza and wine.”
“Ok, cool.” Skye sorted through the next set of models. She rocked back in her chair. Time was dragging its ugly feet.
She had worked out until her limbs burned, buried herself in new client files, cleaned her apartment until it was spotless, and talked Kari’s ear off about the deployment. Skye didn’t know how many other ways she could fill her time. It wasn’t that Ben had been there all the time. The problem was now that he was gone, she couldn’t think about anything else. When Faith called and asked her to dinner it was like a small prayer had been answered.
Skye wasn’t certain if she had ever been so nervous about meeting another girl before. Sure, it was someone who was important to Ben, and that should somehow put her nerves at ease, but it was having the opposite effect. She was almost shaking.
Faith was the closest thing he had to family. If she didn’t get along with her, Skye didn’t know what she’d do. Would Ben end their relationship before he was even home from WESTPAC? Would his entire opinion of her change if she didn’t hit it off with the one person in his life who meant something to him?
She ran her palms along the sides of her jeans for the tenth time before taking the steps to the San Diego bungalow. Faith had called and invited her over for dinner. Skye clutched a bottle of wine in her fist and jogged up the stairs. She could do this; she tried to convince herself as she knocked on the screen door.
“Skye?” A petite girl, with short locks pushed open the door. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Skye didn’t know such a small person could hug so fiercely. She wrapped a free hand around her shoulder.
“Faith, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Ben has told me so much about you. Here.” She shoved the bottle forward. “I brought wine.”
“Oh, thank you. Let’s go get this open.”
Faith turned, and Skye followed her into the house. She stopped to study the pictures in the hallway. She didn’t need Faith to tell her she was staring at pictures of Riggs. He flashed a bright white smile with one arm draped over Faith’s tiny shoulder. They looked cute together. It hurt thinking he was no longer a part of her life, a part of this house, or a part of Ben’s life.
“Alright, two glasse
s ready to go.” Faith handed one to Skye as she entered the kitchen.
“Something smells amazing. What are we having?”
Faith smiled. “Chicken casserole. I know it’s cliché, invite someone over and serve chicken casserole, but I swear it’s different.”
Skye giggled. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who was nervous for dinner. “I love chicken casserole, no matter what kind. I can’t wait.”
“Want to sit out on the porch? We have at least forty-five minutes before dinner is ready.”
“Lead the way.” Skye followed her through the kitchen door onto a porch that reminded her of the wraparound porches from home, rather than the California patios she had grown accustomed to.
There were potted plants tucked in every corner. She settled into a love seat near a sprawling hibiscus. It was beautiful.
Faith held up her glass. “I think we need to make a toast.”
“Ok. What should we toast?”
“How about to new friends.” She paused. “And to Ben?” She winked as her glass tapped on Skye’s.
“Yes, that’s perfect.”
“Ok, so let’s jump right to it. Tell me all the mushy gushy stuff Ben has done.”
Skye laughed so hard her wine jostled in the glass. “Mushy gushy?”
“Yes. I’ve known for years there was a die-hard romantic buried in that playboy body of his. You are the lucky girl that has drawn it out of him, so I need to know all about it.” Faith sipped her wine.
They had only known each other ten minutes, but Skye felt that they were somehow friends for years.