Lovely Trigger by R. K. Lilley Page B

acutely aware of the fact that, though I’d cleaned up as well as I could in a hurry, I hadn’t showered.   I was planning to slip away and do that just as soon as I thought it was politely possible.  
    Frankie joined within a minute of me sitting down.   She was alone.   Almost everyone else from the wedding party was dancing.   Estella was currently going to town as the dancing meat in a Stephan and Javier sandwich.  
    “You remember that I set you two up, right?” I asked her as I met her very serious eyes.   “You owe me.   I brought that hot thing into your life.”  
    She shot her longtime girlfriend a fond glance.   “I know it.”   Her face crumpled slightly, not a breakdown, not tears, just screwed up a bit, as though she were in pain.   She looked away.   “You know I love you, right?”
    It was my turn to look away.   We were close friends, but not the mushy kind.   Things like this were rarely said between us.   “I do.   I love you too.   You’re one of my closest friends, and I know that your heart is always in the right place.”  
    “Forgive me?” Her voice had gotten very, very quiet.   “I overstepped back there.   I know it.   It’s just so hard for me to see him suffer any more, and no one can hurt him like you can.   But I overreacted.   I was a dick, and I’m sorry.”  
    “Frankie, I’m well aware of the position we’ve put you in, and how hard it’s been for you, but you’ve got to stop interfering, and you’ve got to stop thinking it’s your job to protect him or even me.   We are adults, and we don’t need a buffer, much as I might like one, may even have depended on it in the past.   He and I…we need to sort our messes out ourselves.”  
    “Of course.   And for the record, I never took his side.   Or yours.   You know I’m always just trying to help whichever one of you is hurting the most.”  
    “I know.   We’re both lucky to have you.”  
    I considered the matter settled, and apparently so did she as she didn’t mention it again.   We sat there for a long time, just watching the revelry.  
    There were a lot of people in the colossal reception tent, but I could still tell that there was no sign of Tristan.   He hadn’t returned yet, and I found that odd.   I was sure he’d gone and cleaned up, but he couldn’t possibly need more time than I had, even if he’d taken the time to get in an actual shower, and to change.  
    I was so involved with this thought process that it took me a moment to realize who else was so glaringly missing.   “Did James and Bianca ditch out on the rest of their own reception, already?”  
    Frankie laughed.   “I would bet a lot of money that they’re off in the forest somewhere having a quickie.   James is a kinky fuck, but they’ll be back.”  
    We continued to watch the dancing crowd.   “Who is that Marnie and Judith are assaulting on the dance floor?”
    Frankie squinted, then started laughing.   “That’s Jackie’s dad.   Marnie is making it clap for him.   I think Jackie was right.   They’re going to give that poor man a heart attack.   And get a load of Lana and Akira.   They’re making out like teenagers.   God, that guy is huge.”  
    “He’s hot,” I added.  
    “So is Lana.   And this is the first time I’ve met her brother, Camden, but he’s smokin’.   This tent is chock-full of hot people.”
    “True.   Some good dancers too.”  
    Finally, I saw Tristan re-enter the tent.   He stopped at the entrance, scanned the crowd, and zeroed in on me.   The second his eyes touched on me, he started striding towards our table.  
    “Did you two, uh, work out whatever that was you two were having?   Was it a fight?”  
    I couldn’t quite hide my wince.   “Yeah, I guess we worked it out.”  
    “So you finally had a good talk?   You both disappeared for a while.”
    “I guess.   You know how we are.   It’s complicated.”  
    “Complicated.