The Pairing (The Proposition #3)(33)

Emma smiled and cranked up the car. “That she is.”

Before long, they were pulling into Starbucks to grab some coffee for Megan and tea for Emma. Then they walked around the corner to the nail salon. After relaxing manicures and pedicures, they drove about twenty minutes to meet Casey at their favorite little local restaurant that was housed in an old train depot.

As they walked up, they saw Casey sitting outside in the sunshine texting. “Hey girl!” Emma called.

Casey waved to them before rising off the bench. “Hello, hello.”

A round of hugs was exchanged between the three women. “I thought you two would never get here. I’m starving.”

Emma grinned. “Sorry. They were a little behind at the nail salon.”

They pushed through the front door and were quickly seated by the hostess who knew them well. Once they eased into a familiar, comfortable booth, they took stock of the menus.

“You have to order alcohol on our behalf since we’re both two knocked-up ladies now,” Casey insisted.

Megan’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

Casey grinned. “Yeah, Nate finally wore me down.” She then shook her head. “Sometimes I think he’s the chick in this relationship.”

“He must’ve done some heavy convincing,” Megan said.

With a nod, Casey replied, “He comes from such a large immediate and extended family that he’s been itching to have a child. We’ve been married a year and together eight, so I guess it was just time. And while I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of having a baby when his internship was so crazy, his hours will be better by the time the baby gets here.”

“When are you due?”

“Around the same time as Emma.”

That statement made Emma beam. “Our babies are going to be best friends, too. I just know it.”

Casey grinned at the sentiment. “Or boyfriend and girlfriend…”

“That’s a thought.” Emma jerked her chin up. “I’m not sure I want your son corrupting my little girl.”

With her dark eyes widening, Casey huffed, “And what if it’s my daughter that your son is corrupting?”

Emma giggled. “If my son takes after his father, then that would be the case. But I think we also have to consider that if your daughter is anything like you, she’ll be the one doing the corrupting.”

Casey laughed. “That’s true.”

“Guess I should keep Mason clear of her too, huh?” Megan asked, with a smile.

“Probably,” Emma replied.

After the waitress appeared to take their drink and food orders, Casey pinned Megan with an intense stare. “So,” she began, quirking her brow at Megan. “I hear your doing your clinicals under Dr. McDreamy Bollywood.”

Megan couldn’t help but laugh. “If you mean I’m doing them under Dr. Nadeen, then the answer is yes.”

Emma nibbled on her bottom lip before speaking. “Have things been awkward considering what happened the night of Noah’s baptism?”

Before Megan could reply, Casey’s eyes bulged. “Whoa, whoa. Hold the phone. Something happened between you two?”

Megan felt heat rising in her cheeks. It was almost too mortifying to repeat, but finally, she filled Casey in on each and every embarrassing detail that had happened.

“Man, he’s so freakin’ honorable, isn’t he?” Casey mused.

“Yes, he is,” Megan replied, glumly.

Emma shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with his honor. It’s what attracted me to him in the first place. There are so few gentlemen left on the planet.”

Before she could stop herself, Megan blurted, “But I didn’t want a gentleman. I wanted to get laid.”

Casey grinned. “Don’t we all?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Just when I think your pregnancy hormones haven’t made you even more sex crazed, you go and say something like that,” she grumbled.

Megan twirled the straw in her Diet Coke thoughtfully. “What’s bizarre is even though he should have been completely and totally turned off by what happened that night, he’s still interested in me. I mean, the man is gorgeous and has half of the women in the hospital panting over him, and he still wants me.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Emma asked.

“He’s interested in dating, not sex.”

Emma’s brows furrowed. “But wouldn’t you have sex eventually if you were dating?”

Megan sighed. “We’re at a stalemate—I just want straight sex without dinner and a movie, and to quote him, he wants to show me a whole new world through a date.”

“How Aladdin of him,” Casey quipped to which Emma shot her an exasperated look.

With a shrug, Megan replied, “Basically we’re going to stay forever in the friend zone because neither one of us is willing to give in.”

“Would it really kill you to go out with the guy?” Casey asked.

Megan widened her eyes in surprise. “You mean, you of all people are actually advocating me giving in to him?” She jerked her thumb over at Emma. “I’d expect that out of her but not you.”

Casey dabbed the corners of her lips with her napkin. “It’s just a date. I don’t think he’s going to drug you and drag you to a wedding chapel.”