When Girlfriends Step Up by Savannah Page Page B

fifteenth? Or we could do the twenty-second? Let’s leave those two dates open and see what works best for everyone. I’ll make sure Conner is out of the house and goes somewhere with Chad or something. Speaking of Conner!”
    “Easy on the sugar there, peppy,” I said, chuckling. Claire was usually bouncy and positive—a real stereotypical ball of sunshine. But one too many bites of cake and spoonfuls of ice cream had her going a little overboard. All eyes were on Claire as she commanded the room with her burst of excitement.
    “Yeah, yeah,” she dismissed. “But speaking of Conner!”
    “He didn’t propose, did he?” Sophie asked, looking immediately at Claire’s left hand.
    “ Puh-lease! As if he’ll ever propose this century. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Conner!” Claire rolled her eyes and took a big bite of cake. “Sometimes I could just choke him.” A small piece of cake flew from her mouth and Sophie joked that so long as she spit food out while talking he’d never propose.
    “Oh, shut it,” Claire said. “I’m serious. I could choke him. I hinted, just hinted , at getting married again the other day and he was all, ‘We’re not talking about this, Claire. Case closed. We said we weren’t going to talk about it.’ Isn’t that so stupid?”
    “Claire,” Sophie said. “I thought you guys agreed that you wouldn’t talk about marriage and he wouldn’t talk about moving to L.A..”
    “Yeah, well, still. I barely mentioned it and he made a big stink about it. I tell you, girls,” she roughly stabbed at the small remaining pieces of now ice-cream-soaked cake on her plate, “it’s all Chad. He’s the rotten influence here. He’s the one who’s been discouraging Conner about making a move and being a man. I know it’s all his doing. Chad’s so…anti-marriage or something fucked up like that.”
    Chad was Conner’s best friend; best buds since the beginning of college when the two pledged their fraternity; roommates for years. Chad was a real player, I always thought, and I could see how Claire figured him an influence in Conner’s anti-marriage stance.
    “Chad can be so obnoxious sometimes,” Claire said.
    I stole a quick peek at Sophie to see how she reacted to the mention of Chad. Sophie actually had a one-time-only fling with him several years ago, and swore to us that it was the most rebellious and stupid thing she’d ever done. Sometimes we kidded her about it when Chad was around or brought up in the conversation. Usually we let it pass, though, since she always seemed uncomfortable or weary about it. At the moment she looked uncomfortable.
    “We all know Chad can be a little somethin’-somethin’ sometimes,” Jackie cooed, nudging Sophie in the ribs playfully.
    “Oh, shut up.” Sophie nudged her back, hard. “Forget about it already.”
    “You don’t still feel, like, something , for him, do you?” Lara asked.
    Sophie was quick to deny any feelings, or ever having had any feelings from the onset.
    “Then what’s the big deal?” Jackie asked. “Sometimes we get it on and then it’s over. Forget about it. No big deal. It’s not like you guys should be all weirded out with each other. You’re still friends, right? Friends who shag. Not a bad thing.”
    “Acquaintances, I guess,” Sophie said. “And we’re not friends who shag . It was one time.” Sophie stuffed a piece of cake into her mouth. “But he’s Conner’s friend and isn’t terribly awful to hang around so, whatever. I tolerate.”
    “Yeah,” Claire added. “He’s not that bad, I guess. Not bad at all, really—just this influence of anti-commitment or something. I don’t like it and it grates on my nerves.”
    “Well, I wouldn’t worry about it, Claire,” Jackie said. “Conner’s his own man, and when he’s ready he’ll propose and then you two can get married, have a million babies, and live happily ever after.”
    Claire smiled. “Thanks, Jack. I know it’ll