We’re basically killing two birds with one stone on this Saturday afternoon, heading to Beckett’s new business to sample scones while my friends get to “vet” the guy to make sure they do not wish to exercise their veto power. I’m not worried at all because Beckett is so damn cute and likable.

Of course they’re already worried that I am burning the candle at both ends while sitting in a fireplace and that I will eventually get some sort of nuclear waxing.

And since I’m a bit bleary-eyed from a Friday that included a full day at work, a late night, and a lucid-dream argument with my cat, they suspect I’ve been a bad girl.

We head across the street and I can see a little activity inside the building. There’s a lot of construction stuff leaning against the windows so I can’t see too much inside. I grab the door handle and turn to my friends. “Okay, here goes. And Tish, I don’t want you to give the guy your typical interrogation under hot lights with thumb screws.”

She gives me a slight smile. “Fine. A basic deposition then. Bamboo shoots under the fingernails.”

I shake my head and roll my eyes as I open the door and we all step inside.

Whoa.

What had been a rundown abandoned building that looked like it was ready for the wrecking ball has been transformed into a time machine. The place looks like something out of a history book. The exposed brick walls have been cleaned, the original oak wide-plank floors sanded and polished, and a kitchen featuring stainless steel ovens is visible behind the counter. There’s still a lot of equipment strewn about... sawhorses, tools and signs needing to be hung; but it’s clear that Beckett isn’t too far from being able to open his doors to the public.

“Wow.”

Madison nods as she looks around. “Damn, this is gorgeous and it’s not even done. Did Josh design this?”

My eyes widen in fear. “Shhhh!”

She lowers her voice to a whisper. “Sorry, I forgot which end of the candle we’re visiting.”

“Smart ass. And no, he’s only doing the apartment on the second floor.”

Rory starts walking around. “Well, if you could eat atmosphere this place would already be a success.”

“No kidding,” says Tish.

I hear footsteps and see Beckett emerge from the back room. “Ah, A.J. and friends!”

Rory notices me bouncing on my heels, leans over and whispers in my ear. “Breathe.”

He comes over to greet us. “Welcome to my establishment. So glad you could come to be my first focus group.”

“Thanks for inviting us. Beckett, these are my friends Madison, Rory and Tish.”

“Charmed.” He gestures over to a table in the corner which is set up with tea cups and dessert plates. “Please, have a seat and the scones should be out of the oven shortly.”

I hear a noise in the back. “They doing construction work today?”

“No, that’s my kitchen help. Now, I want you ladies to agree to be brutally honest about what you have today. I will not be offended if there’s something not to your liking. Better that I know now than after I open. Want to make a great first impression when we open our doors. Is that acceptable?”

We all nod.

“Very well. I must return to the kitchen and we’ll be back shortly with your tea and scones.”

Beckett heads back to the kitchen and I immediately turn to my friends. “Well?”

Rory is still watching him walk away. “Since you have two guys and I have none right now, I’ll take that one.”

“Nice try.”

Tish is resting her head on her chin. “My God, that accent. And he has such an elegant way about him. He’s so... proper.”

Madison nods in agreement. “He’s cute as hell. You know who he looks like? The actor who played Khan in Star Trek.”

My face tightens a bit. “You think he looks like Ricardo Montalban?”

She shakes her head. “No, not the original Khan, the British guy in one of those recent re-boot movies.”

Rory licks her lips. “Oh yeah. Benedict Cumberbatch. Yowza. His fans are called Cumber-babes. And your guy has nice cumber-buns.”

I glare at her a bit. “Cute. You still can’t have him.”

She wrinkles her nose at me. “You’re a greedy little thing, you know that?”

I hear footsteps and turn around expecting to see Beckett return. Instead I see what he referred to as the “kitchen help.”

If kitchen help was built like a Barbie doll. Drop dead gorgeous tall brunette with mounds of soft curls down to the middle of her back, ice blue eyes and legs up to her neck. And a girl who probably was responsible for the phrase my eyes are up here.

Tish leans over and whispers in my ear. “I’ll bet he didn’t hire her as a dishwasher.”

She arrives at our table carrying a teapot and a tray filled with jam and cream. “Good afternoon, ladies. I’m Charlotte.” Her British accent is as lovely as his.

Uh-oh.

She starts filling our tea cups. “Beckett is right behind me with your scones. I hope you enjoy a little taste of our home.”

Tish goes into lawyer mode with the questioning. “Do you know Beckett from London?”

She laughs a bit. “You could say that. We’ve been together forever.”

Oh. Shit.

Rory gives me a sympathetic look and shrugs, as if to say, “Well, nice while it lasted.”

Beckett arrives carrying a tray filled with scones, which smell awfully good. He sets one in front of each of us with  silver tongs. “Now, who among you has had a scone before?”

Tish and Madison raise their hands.

“Ah. Splendid. Now, for those unfamiliar, they are served with jam, which today is homemade strawberry, along with clotted cream.”

Charlotte goes around the table dishing out the other ingredients.

He smiles and gives us a little bow. “Enjoy. We’ll return later to get your review.” They head back to the kitchen and I see Charlotte slip her arm around his waist. His goes around her shoulders.

My head drops, I shake my head and exhale. “Sonofabitch.”

Rory reaches over and pats my hand. “Sorry, sweetie.”

“Whatever.” And then I start doing what I always do when I’m sad.

I eat.

I shove a bit of the scone with a little jam and cream into my mouth. My eyes widen as the taste sends my depressed mood to the back burner. “Oh. My. God.”

Rory takes a bite of hers. She closes her eyes as she savors it. “I think the correct response is ho-lee shit. These are incredible.”

Tish and Madison agree. The scone, jam and cream are a perfect combination. I take a sip of the tea, expecting my usual cup of Lipton when I’m sick. Instead I get an explosion of flavor in my mouth.

Damn.

“I had no idea tea could taste this good.”

Madison tries it and nods. “Wow. How is their tea so different than what you buy in the store? The tea we make is like dishwater compared to this. What the hell did they do to it?”

“Beats me how they do it,” adds Tish, “but I think tea in Staten Island might catch on. The scones definitely will.”

Twenty minutes later Beckett and Charlotte return, studying our faces for a reaction. (Of course I’m studying her and the fact that she’s standing so close to Beckett. And I know I’ve got no shot. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more stunning woman.) He exhales and takes out a pad and pencil. “Well, now that you’ve sampled our signature offerings, I’d appreciate it if you’d share your thoughts. And please, don’t hold back. Tell us exactly what you think.”

I swipe the last bit of jam from my plate with one finger and lick it off. “Fabulous, Beckett. The scones were delicious. And the jam was... brilliant.” But if you need some kitchen help I know some ugly guys you could hire.

He looks at my friends. “I suspect she may be biased, polite or both.”

Rory shakes her head. “Nah, A.J. is brutally honest and not at all shy about telling you what she thinks. If they were awful, she’d let you know. If she says they’re fabulous, they’re fabulous. And I agree with her. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect but I will definitely come back as a customer.”

Tish leans back in her chair with her cup of tea. “Well, you get three thumbs up on the scones. And I don’t know what you Brits do to tea, but this is excellent.”

Beckett slowly nods. “Thank you. It’s a trade secret.” He turns to Madison. “You’re the last hope for any constructive criticism.”

“Sorry, the scones are delicious and the tea is perfect, especially with the chill in the air. When someone called tea a hug in a cup I think this is what they had in mind. I can’t think of anything negative. I think you’ve got a winner with this store once the word gets out.”

Charlotte bounces up and down on her heels and claps a bit, then gives Beckett a kiss on the cheek. “See, I told you that we had nothing to worry about and that the Americans would love this.” She turns to us. “He’s always doubted me for as long as I can remember. Honestly, he can be so stubborn.”

Beckett cocks his head at her. “Thankfully she’s more open-minded which is why we balance each other out and make a good team.”

I can’t stand it any longer and I may as well know. “So, uh, how long have you two... uh... known each other?”

She playfully slaps Beckett on the shoulder. “You were right about her, she’s got a great sense of humor!”

I turn to him. “I’m sorry, I’m confused. What’s so funny?”

Beckett looks at Charlotte. “I just realized I forgot to tell her about our relationship.”

And then it gets worse.

Her jaw slowly drops as she folds her arms. “Seriously, Beckett? You didn’t tell her about me? And we lived together for how many years?” She turns to me. “Did he even mention the woman who takes care of him, who loves him more than anyone, who even brings him breakfast in bed on his birthday?”

Damn, there’s a question I didn’t expect.

Thankfully Beckett doesn’t give me the chance to answer. “I’m sorry Charlotte, it was a first date. I didn’t give her my life history.”

And worse.

She puts out her lower lip in a pout. “You don’t even mention the woman in your life? And I thought you loved me.”

“Of course I do. I will always love you.”

Just shoot me now. Point blank. In the head.

“You’d better always love me. Twin sisters don’t grow on trees.”

Whoa! And I’m... back in the game!

Now my jaw drops. “So you guys are—”

“Fraternal twins.” Beckett wraps his arm around her waist as he looks at her. “But she’s five minutes older and thinks she can boss me around since I’m technically her younger brother.”

“That’s because I know I can boss you around.” Charlotte pats me on the shoulder. “A.J., we’ll have lunch some time, just you and me, and I’ll tell you how to control him. It’s actually pretty easy. You’ll have him wrapped around your little finger in no time.”

He rolls his eyes. “Oh dear. I surmise that I’ve hired the wrong kitchen help today.”

Everyone laughs. I point toward the large sign in the corner which is facing the wall. “By the way, is that the sign for your store?”

“Yes. It will be hung next week.”

“So what are you going to call this place?”

He flashes a big smile. “I’ll show you.” He walks over to the sign with Charlotte, they each pick up one end and flip it around.

Game of Scones.

“What do you ladies think?”

Rory nods. “Damn clever.”

***

A FEW HOURS LATER WE gather in a Chinese restaurant for the de-briefing.

I know, that sounds ridiculous, but this is how we’ve always dealt with our reviews of the men we date. And no one holds anything back.

But I’m not worried. My friends seemed totally charmed by Beckett and I know the only red flag in a possible relationship is the fact that he and Josh are actually working together.

The good news is, they won’t be working together for long.

Hurry up, Josh, and finish your work on the apartment.

We all place our orders and hand the menus to the waiter. The minute he leaves, I want feedback. “Okay, hit me. Waddaya think of Beckett?”

Rory’s eyebrows do a little jump. “You know where I stand. If you end up with Josh, I’ll be swooping in on your leftovers like a seagull after a French fry.”

“Be serious, Rory.”

“I am. I saw nothing wrong with the guy. Of course, we don’t know him that well and you’ve only had one date so we’ll see how he treats you going forward.”

Madison points at me. “She may have had only one date with Beckett versus more with Josh, but Beckett is clearly in the lead.”

I turn to her. “Why would you say that?”

“You should have seen the look on your face when you thought his sister was his girlfriend. Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve. I’ve never seen you like that.”

“Excellent point,” adds Tish. “A.J., were you even thinking about Josh as a backup when you assumed Beckett was taken?”

I shrug. “I’ll admit it. No. Josh hasn’t even crossed my mind since Beckett asked me out. Except when you guys bring up the possibility of them figuring out they’re both dating me.”

Tish continues. “Is it the accent that has him in the lead? Because that really shouldn’t be a factor.”

“I mean, his voice is sexy as hell and you know I’ve always had a thing for British accents, but after a while it was more him than his voice. Funny, as the night went on it sort of became audio wallpaper and faded into the background.”

Rory leans forward. “And speaking of the night going on, how did he deal with getting one kiss at the door?”

I try like hell not to blush but my face betrays me.

Tish shakes her head. “Annddd... there’s the smoking gun. You brought him up to your apartment, didn’t you? Even after we set the new rules for you.”

“Fine, arrest me.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“And what happened when you brought him up to your place?”

“I only kissed him once in my apartment.” (Technically, that’s true since Gypsy kept interrupting. I lost count as to how many times I kissed him in the car.)

Tish isn’t stopping. “So let me get this straight... you brought a seriously cute guy up to your apartment and only kissed him once? That doesn’t sound like you at all. Did you engage in pre-marital hand holding while he was there? Play Parcheesi and watch TV?”

“He was only there a few minutes.”

“So what’s the deal? He got bored and left? You asked him to go?”

“Not... exactly.”

Rory leans back and smiles. “Wait for it... here comes the good part.”

I shake my head and exhale, knowing they’re not going to drop this. “Okay,  so I invite him up for a drink and he’s standing there looking at me like he wants to kiss me. But he doesn’t and I get tired of waiting so I kiss him. And I was about to kiss him again but Gypsy kept getting between us. Like she was keeping me from going too far.”

Madison laughs. “That cat was obviously a nun in a previous life.”

Tish goes back to the questioning. “Regarding this attempt at making out... where were you going to kiss him?”

“On the lips.”

“Very funny. I’m referring to the location of said making out. Bedroom?”

“No, of course not. It was a first date.”

Rory snorts. I shoot her the death stare.

“We were going to make out on the couch.”

Rory rolls her eyes. “Uh-oh. I know your style, A.J. You climbed on top of him, didn’t you?”

I don’t answer and look down.

“So why did he leave with you about to give him a lap dance?” asks Madison.

“Like I said, the cat kept interrupting us. And he didn’t... exactly... leave. We went to his car. Let’s just say it’s a good thing all cars have bucket seats these days. Plus, he drives a damn stick shift. I kept wishing I had my old Chrysler New Yorker. That thing was a land yacht. How come they don’t make cars with bench seats anymore?”

Rory can’t help but laugh. “Because cars are designed by men who have daughters like you.”

“Oh, leave me alone. Bottom line, we made out for an hour and the only companion I had in my bed last night was Gypsy.”

Thankfully our platter of appetizers arrives to send the court into recess. Unfortunately no one gets the memo.

Madison grabs an egg roll and dips it into hot mustard. “So where does this leave us?”

I grab my egg roll and start mixing my dipping concoction, hot mustard and duck sauce. “Us? What do you mean, us?”

“You know what I mean. What’s next? It’s clear you’re simply infatuated with Beckett. So will you see Josh again?”

“Of course. And it’s not just infatuation with Beckett.”

“You haven’t had that look since the eighth grade when you kissed that boy in the coat closet,” cracks Rory. “I agree this is starting out as a schoolgirl crush.”

I throw up my hands. “Fine. I realize I need to give both men more time. They’re not at all like the guys I’ve dated before. Both gentlemen, but they’re very different.”

Tish stops eating for a moment. “Oh, I almost forgot. One more question and I promise the witness will then be excused.”

I shake my head. “What?”

“Does Beckett like cats?”

“Yes. He even knew she was a Russian Blue. And he thought it was funny when Gypsy kept getting between us.”

“Did Gypsy like him?”

“Yep.”

Tish slowly nods. “Very well. I think that you need to proceed with both men, however, it might speed things up a bit if we got to meet Josh. Is he back in town next week?”

“I think so.”

“Good. You need a plus one for that big event we have coming up.”

I wrinkle my nose. “Please, no. That’s a horrible thing to do to a guy. I don’t even wanna go, much less drag a plus one to that thing.”

Rory’s eyes light up. “No, it’s perfect. It’ll be boring as hell. We’ll find out how he reacts.”

“Seriously? You want to find out what the guy’s like when he’s bored?”

“Trust me, this is even better than the Celine Dion scenario.”