“Honey, she practically invited herself,” he replied, avoiding my eyes and taking another gulp from his glass. “There wasn’t a lot I could do to stop it.”

“TJ…” I sighed. “What did you think? She’d come over and we’d have a threesome on the kitchen table?”

“No.” He laughed, standing up and putting his arms around my waist. “I just thought it would be nice for you to see an old friend.” I rested my head on his chest, putting my arms around him. “I just wish you’d… consulted me?” I lifted my head, suddenly aware of the quiet. “Where’s Beth?”

TJ looked sheepish. “At your mother’s.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh come on! I haven’t seen a setup this obvious since Sidney Poitier showed up for dinner with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey.”

“I don’t think they had a threesome… did they?”

I pinched his waist, making him yelp and jump. “You know what I mean.”

“I’m not up to anything. I swear it.” TJ hugged me, kissing the top of my head. “I just thought you two would like to be able to talk about… well, whatever came up. Without having to worry about Miss Big Ears hanging around.”

“Still, you didn’t have to hide it from me,” I said with a sniff. “It feels… icky.”

“I-” I could tell he was about to deny it and he stopped. “I’m sorry. I can call her and cancel. I will if you want me to.”

I raised my eyes to meet his. He was up to something, even if he was pretending he wasn’t. Still, the thought of seeing Gretchen again made my skin tingle and my face feel warm. Did I want to cancel? The truth was, I wanted to see her again. The truth was, now that he’d opened the door, I wanted to see all of them again-Doc, Mrs. B, Janie, Henry. It was like some irresistible Pandora’s Box.

“Let’s just…take things slow,” I said, my voice and eyes soft. “See what happens-” I pressed my cheek against his chest again, shaking my head.