immediately tried to cover for her friend.
“No food fights, guys.”
Riley set the plates on the table with an angry look on his face. He started to say something, but Tina pleaded with her eyes that he not say anything. His jaw worked as if he fought not to say whatever was in his head. Jenna dropped her hands and began gathering the plates as if nothing was wrong. Her hands shook, though, and Tina knew her friend was embarrassed.
“I’ve got the platter and utensils, Jenna, if you can get the plates.” Tina picked up the platter and hurried after Jenna into the house.
“You okay?” she asked her friend.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just reacted. I can’t help it.” There were tears in Jenna’s eyes.
“Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. It’s all right. I doubt anyone thought anything of it. Let’s get these washed up and go.”
They washed dishes together with Jenna drying and Tina directing her where she had seen Logan get the plates and silverware from. They had it all cleaned up in less than twenty minutes. The sliding glass door opened and then closed. Riley and Logan walked in. One had the baked bean dish and the other the potato salad bowl.
Logan indicated the food left in them. “You want to save any of this or throw it away?”
Tina held her hands out for the baked beans. “I’ll trash it. There really isn’t enough for a meal.
“I got it,” Riley said, and walked over to the trash can. Logan followed with the potato salad bowl.
“You can wash them here and have clean ones to put up when you get home.” Logan handed her the empty bowl.
Riley placed his dish in the sink after rinsing it out. He made it a point to step out of Jenna’s way when she walked over to the sink. If she noticed, she didn’t indicate it. Tina hoped she hadn’t noticed it. Jenna took the bowl over to the sink and set it on the counter next to Tina. She would dry for Tina this time.
“Do either of you want a beer or another wine cooler?” Riley asked as he opened the fridge.
“No thanks.” Jenna didn’t look at him when she answered.
“None for me either. I’ve had three today. That’s my limit.” Tina realized she was babbling. They needed to leave.
As soon as she had the dishes dried and stacked, she handed the bowl to Jenna and picked up the two dishes herself.
“We should be going. We enjoyed the meal though. Thanks for asking us. Jenna, you want to grab the cooler?”
Riley rushed to open the sliding glass doors for them. “I’ll bring the cooler over for you.”
“Thanks, but we can get it,” Tina said.
Logan followed them outside. Tina could feel him staring at her. This had been a complete disaster. She felt for Jenna. Her friend needed a nice stable man to love and cherish her. Somehow, Tina needed to figure out how to help her find one, so she didn’t keep ending up with lowlifes like Todd.
The men followed them over to her driveway and waited until the women unlocked the door and stepped inside. Jenna set her load on the kitchen counter, then dropped into a chair and burst out crying.
“Oh, honey. It’s all right.” Tina wrapped her arms around Jenna and rocked her. “Don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
“I know,” Tina said.
“Why am I crying when you are the one who is being stalked? I feel like a terrible friend,” Jenna said.
Tina grabbed some tissue and handed it to Jenna. After she blew her nose, she stood up.
“I better go. I need to finish the laundry and get some rest. My parents will be here tomorrow for the day.”
“You don’t have to rush off. You know that. I hate to see you leave this way, Jenna.” Tina squeezed her hand.
“I’m fine. Really, I’m more embarrassed then anything. I’ll call you later, okay?” she asked.
“Okay. You better call me, or I will call you, and if you’re in bed, it will wake you up.”
Jenna smiled a watery smile. “I promise.”
Tina watched Jenna back out of the driveway, then drive
“No food fights, guys.”
Riley set the plates on the table with an angry look on his face. He started to say something, but Tina pleaded with her eyes that he not say anything. His jaw worked as if he fought not to say whatever was in his head. Jenna dropped her hands and began gathering the plates as if nothing was wrong. Her hands shook, though, and Tina knew her friend was embarrassed.
“I’ve got the platter and utensils, Jenna, if you can get the plates.” Tina picked up the platter and hurried after Jenna into the house.
“You okay?” she asked her friend.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just reacted. I can’t help it.” There were tears in Jenna’s eyes.
“Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. It’s all right. I doubt anyone thought anything of it. Let’s get these washed up and go.”
They washed dishes together with Jenna drying and Tina directing her where she had seen Logan get the plates and silverware from. They had it all cleaned up in less than twenty minutes. The sliding glass door opened and then closed. Riley and Logan walked in. One had the baked bean dish and the other the potato salad bowl.
Logan indicated the food left in them. “You want to save any of this or throw it away?”
Tina held her hands out for the baked beans. “I’ll trash it. There really isn’t enough for a meal.
“I got it,” Riley said, and walked over to the trash can. Logan followed with the potato salad bowl.
“You can wash them here and have clean ones to put up when you get home.” Logan handed her the empty bowl.
Riley placed his dish in the sink after rinsing it out. He made it a point to step out of Jenna’s way when she walked over to the sink. If she noticed, she didn’t indicate it. Tina hoped she hadn’t noticed it. Jenna took the bowl over to the sink and set it on the counter next to Tina. She would dry for Tina this time.
“Do either of you want a beer or another wine cooler?” Riley asked as he opened the fridge.
“No thanks.” Jenna didn’t look at him when she answered.
“None for me either. I’ve had three today. That’s my limit.” Tina realized she was babbling. They needed to leave.
As soon as she had the dishes dried and stacked, she handed the bowl to Jenna and picked up the two dishes herself.
“We should be going. We enjoyed the meal though. Thanks for asking us. Jenna, you want to grab the cooler?”
Riley rushed to open the sliding glass doors for them. “I’ll bring the cooler over for you.”
“Thanks, but we can get it,” Tina said.
Logan followed them outside. Tina could feel him staring at her. This had been a complete disaster. She felt for Jenna. Her friend needed a nice stable man to love and cherish her. Somehow, Tina needed to figure out how to help her find one, so she didn’t keep ending up with lowlifes like Todd.
The men followed them over to her driveway and waited until the women unlocked the door and stepped inside. Jenna set her load on the kitchen counter, then dropped into a chair and burst out crying.
“Oh, honey. It’s all right.” Tina wrapped her arms around Jenna and rocked her. “Don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
“I know,” Tina said.
“Why am I crying when you are the one who is being stalked? I feel like a terrible friend,” Jenna said.
Tina grabbed some tissue and handed it to Jenna. After she blew her nose, she stood up.
“I better go. I need to finish the laundry and get some rest. My parents will be here tomorrow for the day.”
“You don’t have to rush off. You know that. I hate to see you leave this way, Jenna.” Tina squeezed her hand.
“I’m fine. Really, I’m more embarrassed then anything. I’ll call you later, okay?” she asked.
“Okay. You better call me, or I will call you, and if you’re in bed, it will wake you up.”
Jenna smiled a watery smile. “I promise.”
Tina watched Jenna back out of the driveway, then drive
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