***
"So? How was your trip to Dallas?" Lanie leaned against the counter in Matt's kitchen later that night as I chopped up veggies for a stir fry. I was glad that she decided to still come even though we were adding Matt to the mix.
"It was good. Like I said, I fit in with Matt's family so well. Not that I didn't know that. I mean, hell, I just got back from Jamaica as the only non-family member to attend Kent's wedding." I picked up a bell pepper and handed it to her.
She leaned in and bit it. "What's going on? You're tense."
"No, I'm not." I popped the rest into my mouth.
"Lies." She moved to the sink and washed her hands.
Matt was in a room down the hall, working furiously on adding the accents to the portrait before he would let me or Lanie see it.
"I'm good." I shrugged and tossed the veggies in our stir fry pan. "It's just that Mitch came in today when Matt and I were kissing, which was a little awkward."
"The new director at the firm?"
"Yeah." I glanced over at her. "I thought he might be interested in me, but after our conversation over Matt today, I know he is."
"Uh oh. What did he say?"
"What didn't he say?" I pushed the veggies around and checked on the pot of rice we had going. "He just thinks that Matt's an immature child and that I deserve better."
"He's jealous, old and full of shit." She moved around the bar and started to work on tearing lettuce for our salad.
"Oh, I agree, but I really like him from a professional-stance."
"Good. Then keep things that way. You and Matt have something really cool starting, Erica. Give him a chance. He'll keep you young and you'll grow him up. It's perfect. Seriously."
"And what about you?" I forced myself to relax. She was right. Why was I even questioning anything? I barely knew Mitch, wasn't attracted to him, which was slightly absurd, and was completely in love with Matt.
"What about me?" She nibbled on a piece of lettuce like a rabbit.
I chuckled as I knew she wanted me to. "What about your love life? You had a date last week, right? Someone you met online?"
"Horrible." She dropped her head back and groaned dramatically. "It was so fucking horrible."
Matt turned the corner, black paint on his cheek, his eyes wild. "You girls okay? What's up?"
I smiled at him, unable to help myself. "Lanie was telling me about her last blind date. Seems it didn't go too well."
Lanie rolled her head to rest her cheek on her shoulder. "Didn't go very well? It was fucking horrible."
Matt moved over to stand behind me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders before kissing the side of my head. I extended a piece of bell pepper over my shoulder toward him.
"Eww... gross." He nipped at my ear before turning back toward Lanie. "So tell us what happened. I'm thinking this is going to be hilarious."
"I'm your number one supporter in this thing with Erica." Lanie lifted her eyebrow and leaned toward us. "Don't mess it up, Matthew Bryant."
"Ohhhh... The last name?" He smiled and released me. "I'll try not to, but spill. What happened?"
"He's a psychologist and spent the whole damn dinner trying to analyze why my life wasn't where I wanted it to be."
"It isn't?" I asked.
"No. Not as far as he was concerned. I mean, I'm twenty-eight and not married, I don't have kids or a house. Now, never mind you that he's thirty-five and still single too. I wanted to tell him to stop trying to fix everyone and learn to breathe a little." She shook her head.
"Wait. I'm twenty-eight and I don't have any of those things."
"Not yet. Soon." Matt glanced my way and winked. "We could work on the kid thing tonight if you're up for it. They say practice makes perfect."
Lanie giggled as I growled and gave her a look. "Don't encourage him, please."
"Anyway... he was really cute, and I thought maybe I might end up with a second date, but I can't handle someone tearing apart my life to find the issue, when to me, there is no issue. I love my life. I wish I had someone to hold me at night and stuff, but the other parts are really great. I adore my job and you guys." She glanced down toward her hands and sighed, breaking my heart with her loneliness. "You sure your brother isn't free?"
"Damon?" Matt glanced back at me. "Didn't we tell her he was engaged?"
"No. We just made fun of him." I put the spoon down and moved over to pull my best friend in a tight hug. I kissed the side of her head. "How about this... We're all going to De Luge tomorrow night with fifty really rich people that live here in Washington. Why don't we have a little bit of fun and try and find you one of them to take home? Could be interesting?"
She perked up a little. "I love that, but you know I'm really picky about the men I take home."
"I know." I released her and glanced over at Matt. "Lanie makes her dates show their cocks before they get to come into her apartment. Too small? No deal."
"What?" Her eyes lit up and her cheeks burned pink. "You're horrible. I don't do that." She glanced toward my handsome lover. "I don't, Matt. Don't believe a word she says."
"She needs a spanking." He shrugged, winked at me and walked toward the bedrooms. "So rich, pushy, a little old and a huge monster cock. Got it."
"Oh my God," Lanie whispered and covered her face with her hands. "Did he just really say that?"
I laughed until my sides hurt at the look on her face and the willingness of him to play along. I loved them both. Life was complete with them on either side of me. Now we just needed to work through our differences and find Lanie a man that we all could appreciate, or at worst... tolerate.