NO ONE WAS more shocked than I was when Reid actually called a few days later. I’d been positive our next interaction would be when I attended his class on Sunday, but the guy had more guts than I’d given him credit for. I’d just gotten out of the shower after a low-key workday, getting ready to head downtown for dinner and beers with Mike and Deb, when my cell buzzed.

“Hi, this is Reid. You know, the one who spazzed in your car the other day? I told you I’d call when I was over your way, and…well, I’m over your way,” he said when I answered.

I was glad in that moment that he wasn’t standing right in front of me, because the smile that took over my whole face then would’ve given away my true feelings for sure.

“I’m glad you did,” I said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well…are you busy right now?”

“Actually, I was on my way out.”

“Oh.” The disappointment in his voice stirred something inside me, bringing that damn flicker of hope back to full flame. “Maybe next time, then.”

“If you don’t mind a couple of loudmouth friends of mine giving you an inquisition over drinks, how would you feel about joining us?”

“Join you and your friends? Um…”

“No pressure. Mike can be a bit of a handful, though Deb’s not much better, but they’re entertaining as hell and they’ll love you.”

“I don’t know that your friends would be okay with you bringing some weirdo stranger around. I can just give you a call next time I’m in the neighborhood.”

“Reid?”

“Yeah?”

“You haven’t met weird until you’ve met these two.”

“Is that supposed to convince me to go?” he said, laughing.

“I think it means you need to see them for yourself to believe it. Then maybe you’ll realize how normal you are.”

“I seriously doubt that, but it sounds like an interesting challenge.”

Say yes. Say yes. I was trying not to beg here.

“Are you sure they’ll be okay with me tagging along?”

“Are you kidding? They’ll be so grateful to have someone else to talk to besides me that they’ll probably kick me out of the group.” When he laughed again, I said, “Come on. It’ll do you some good to get out and meet a few people, and the food’s damn good too. Whaddya say?”

Reid laughed. “I say you put up a good argument. I think you convinced me, if only to meet the weirdos.”

“Perfect. I’ll pick you up in ten.”

“See you then.”

* * *

“YOU’RE SHITTIN’ ME,” Mike shouted from where we sat at a high-top at Wilder’s, a restaurant-slash-bar downtown. I’d gotten a couple of beer pitchers for the table, and he’d been busy pouring himself a glass when I broke the news that Reid had come with me. Good timing for him to be washing his hands when double trouble arrived.

“Keep your damn voice down,” I said.

“Hell no I’m not keeping my voice down. He’s here?”

“Yes, so please don’t embarrass me. Jesus.” I took a sip of my beer. “I’m regretting this already.”

“No, this is great,” he said, then raised his hand to get the waiter’s attention. “We need shots over here. Shit-ton of shots.”

“That is the last thing we need.”

“Ollie’s right,” Deb said, as she sidled up against her husband and then winked at me. “We should wait until Reid comes back.”

I shook my head. “You’re just as bad of an influence as he is, you know that?”

With a coy grin, she put her hand on her hip and cocked it to the side. “You didn’t think Mike wore the pants in this relationship, did you?”

No, I knew for a fact that Deb ran that household. She might only be five two in heels, but she could shame a man my size with her voice. I never could understand how such a small woman could have such a loud set of lungs, but that little blond spitfire always surprised me.

“Before he gets back, please remember that he has no idea who you are and he barely knows me. Treat him like you would someone you don’t know,” I said.

“Treat him like a stranger. Got it,” Deb said, and then a big smile lit up her face as her eyes went over my shoulder. “Oh my God!” She squealed over the music and ran over to attack Reid as he approached by throwing her arms around him. “You must be Reid. It’s so good to meet you.”

Reid looked at me with raised brows, and I groaned. Leave it to Deb to think greeting a stranger meant with a tackle hug.

“She does it to everyone,” Mike said as he reached out to shake Reid’s hand. “I’m Mike, Ollie’s better half on the job, and I claim the spider monkey clinging to you. Sometimes.”

Deb finally let go of Reid and swatted her husband.

“Oh, hi,” Reid said. “You’re a paramedic too?”

“I prefer the term Lord of Big Bertha, but I guess that works.”

Reid furrowed his brow and looked at me. “Big Bertha?”

“That’s what we call our ambulance,” I said. “Though if he’s the lord, I don’t know what that makes me.”

“My bitch?” Mike suggested.

“Ohhh, he is gonna squash you like a bug, babe. How about you go grab us those shots?” Deb slapped Mike on the ass and sent him off to the bar before turning back to us. “So, Reid,” Deb said, batting her lashes, “Ollie tells us he assaulted your ears in your class the other day.”

Reid looked over at me and grinned. “Did he?”

“I don’t recall using the word ‘assault,’ Deb,” I said. “Thanks for that.”

“I’ve heard you do karaoke, Ollie.” Deb cut her eyes at Reid. “Don’t ever encourage him to sing Queen. As a matter of fact, don’t encourage him to sing at all. Trust me.”

“That bad, huh?” Reid said, amusement twitching his lips.

Deb nodded. “I still wake up having nightmares about it.”

“Oh please,” I said. “Anyone’s that bad after a few pitchers of margaritas.”

“Instead of ‘fandango,’ you sang, ‘Will you do the damn tango?’”

“An artistic choice.”

“I dunno, Ollie,” Reid said. “Anyone who destroys a Freddie Mercury song shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a microphone. Or a piano.”

Pretending to look at my watch, I said, “And on that note from the gang-up police, I think it’s time for me to go.”

“Oh stay.” Deb grabbed my shirt when I tried to walk off. “Let us embarrass you until Mike gets back. Then we can rag on him.”

“Rag on me for what?” Mike said, coming up behind her with a tray of shots.

“Uh, you know we have to work tomorrow, right?” I said.

“Live a little, my man. This is why God gave you a strong liver and created Uber.” He passed a couple of shots to each of us, and I sniffed at the liquor. Fuck—tequila. Yeah, I’d only be having one of those tonight.

“So what’ll it be, huh?” Mike waggled his brows at me, and I knew that meant I needed to come up with a toast quickly before something vile spewed from his mouth.

“To new friends,” I said, lifting my shot glass, and Mike rolled his eyes and mouthed, You’re so lame. Mike and Deb on tequila was not gonna be a great first impression for Reid. Lord help us all.

“To new friends,” they said, and we clinked glasses before tossing back the liquid—no salt or lemon for this crowd.

“Ugh. Does anyone actually like the taste of tequila?” I shuddered and set my empty glass on the tray. “Why can’t we do something that tastes good?”

“Aww,” Mike said, poking out his bottom lip like a pouty child would. “Does Ollie need a little lemon drop? Maybe you’d like a Sex on the Beach while you’re at it. Something with a pink umbrella.”

“Hey, those sound good to me,” Reid piped up. God, he looked good tonight. He did every time I saw him, but it was like seeing him for the first time all over again. He wore tan slacks and a fitted black polo shirt that made his dark eyes and hair seem even more striking, and I thought again, for maybe the millionth time, how drop-dead gorgeous he was.

“You don’t have to take his side just because he brought you here. We’ll make sure you have a way home.” Mike winked as he chased down another shot with his beer.

“Anyway,” Deb said, tossing her hair over her shoulder and focusing her attention back on Reid. “You are just too handsome for words. You seeing anyone?”

Reid blinked. “Uh—”

“Don’t answer that,” I said, topping his beer off when I noticed it was low. I didn’t need her help pushing his buttons, thankyouverymuch.

Deb glared my way. “Is your name Reid? I didn’t think so.” Then the tight line of her lips transformed back into a smile. “So?”

Reid took a long sip before answering, and when he did, his cheeks flushed. “No, I’m not seeing anyone. Life’s been a little crazy lately for that.”

“I understand,” she said. “That’s the excuse Ollie tries to give every time we set him up with someone too.”

“Oh… Does that happen a lot?” Reid asked.

Mike interjected, “No, because our friend here thinks it’s funny to ditch us and not show up.”

“Hey,” I said, holding up my hand. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate that you want me as gaggingly happy as you two, but I don’t need your help. And I definitely don’t want to sit through dinner on a blind date while you watch.”

“Hell no. No blind dates. It may be the best intentions of friends and all, but those dates never end well,” Reid said. “I swore them off years ago.”

“So you’d rather date someone you’re already friendly with, then?” Deb said, and I didn’t miss the way she looked pointedly at me while she asked.

You better fucking stop, I tried to convey with my narrowed eyes, but she just smirked and bit down on a loaded nacho.

“I guess I haven’t really thought about it,” Reid admitted.

“Hmm. And what about you, Ollie?” she said. “Have you thought much about it?”

I pushed my second shot her way. “Drink up and stay out of my love life, please, Deb.”

Mike snorted. “Fat chance of that happening. She wouldn’t know what to do with herself if she couldn’t interfere.”

“I heard that.”

With a laugh, Reid dug into the nachos and popped one into his mouth. When he finished chewing, he pointed at Mike and Deb. “So what about you two? You seem perfect for each other. How’d you meet?”

“Yeah, guys,” I said, and sipped my drink. “Why don’t you tell him?”

As Deb flicked me off and then launched into the story about how she’d accidentally knocked Mike unconscious with a wayward swing of her tennis racket in college, I couldn’t help but think about how this meeting between Reid and my closest friends had finally taken place, months after we’d made plans. Plans we never got to follow through on because I’d taken Reid to the emergency room that week instead. So to see the three of them all together around the same table, laughing and ribbing each other as if they’d known each other for years…well, it had a warm and fuzzy feeling humming through my veins. Even if Reid never regained his memory, even if he never looked at me with eyes of lust or more, then I thought maybe, just maybe, this would be enough. I wasn’t sure how my heart would feel about that decision, but my head was ruling matters now, and it said I needed to suck it up and be grateful. Reid was here, he was alive, and he’d chosen to spend tonight with me. That was a win.

Life had a funny way of trying to come full circle, didn’t it?

A burst of laughter came out of all three of them, and as I looked up to see what I’d missed, a familiar gaze caught my eye.

Holland Kennedy had spiked white-blond hair, a slim build, and had been a friend with benefits on my short list for a long time, but it’d been over a year since I’d seen him, or seen his number pop up on my phone.

But he sure saw me now, his crooked smile widening as he started in my direction.

Oh fuck. Not now. Not here.

There was no way I wanted a reunion in front of Reid, even if all we’d ever be was platonic, so I quickly excused myself from the table before Holland could make his approach…and turn it all to shit.