Robin grinned, amused by my reaction. Then she scooped up her bags from the table. “I brought wine and presents.”

“I ordered pizza,” I said, leading the way down the short hall to my living area.

“I’d kill for pizza.”

“No need. I’ll share.” I pulled two wineglasses from the kitchen shelf and set them on the smooth wood surface of the bar that separated my kitchen from the living room. “I missed you a lot. How was India?”

“India was exotic and wonderful and smoggy, and I missed you, too.” She pulled the bottle of wine from one of her bags and handed it to me to open. “And I missed showers. And ice cream. And hamburgers.”

“The pizza’s got sausage and pepperoni.”

“Oh, God, meat.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “It sounds like heaven.”

“I have ice cream, too.”

“I love you. Have I told you that lately?”

With a laugh, I poured the wine and handed her the glass. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks.” We clinked glasses and she took a good long drink. “You have no idea how happy I am to be back.”

The doorbell rang and I ran to pay the pizza deliveryman. After piling pizza and salad onto plates and pouring more wine, we sat at my dining room table to eat.

Besides Robin’s work as a sculptor, she owned a small travel company that specialized in tours of sacred and mystical destinations all over the world. In the beginning, she had catered mainly to fellow commune members, but her client base was growing. It seemed there were more and more people interested in stone circles, pyramids, Gothic cathedrals, and harmonic power centers. And who better to guide them than my friendly and gifted pal Robin? Her tours catered to the adventurous seeker of esoteric knowledge who had tons of cash to throw her way. She had just returned from leading a group of four couples on a three-week tour of India.

So for three long weeks I’d been gnashing my teeth, unable to share my exciting news-specifically, the news about me and my mysterious British boyfriend-with my closest friend. And Robin had guessed it the very first second she saw me. I supposed that’s what the whole BFF thing was all about.