Baby Be Mine(Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book 1)(27)

While Clarice and Max went back to typing, Whitney eyed her friend’s strange behavior with suspicion. Elise, the calm and collected one, was never like this, not since she returned from Australia three years ago anyway. What happened there? Why would she act like this? Whitney would sure drum the answer out of Elise once she had the opportunity.

“All done,” the other two shouted in Whitney’s ears, cutting off her thoughts.

“Calm down, you two. It’s only a man,” Whitney said.

“Yes, yes, I know. I know you don’t mind being a spinster, but I do. My maternal instinct is yelling out to me to find myself a man and have a family. But I’m not dating anyone under twenty.” Clarice glared at her cousin.

“I’m starving,” Max said, rubbing his stomach. “All that talking and typing about soul mates and babies made me famished. Anyone up for pizza tonight?”

“No thanks. Please grab Cambodian instead. I want my usual rice rolls. Make that prawn, please,” Whitney said, not taking her gaze from the laptop screen.

“Why are we having Cambodian again?” Max whined. “I want pizza. Clarice, say you want pizza too.”

“Sorry, Max, but I don’t feel like pizza tonight. Cambodian it is,” Clarice said, bursting Max’s bubble.

“You two, sticking together like glue. Fine. Elise?” Max shouted.

“Yes.” Elise came from the bathroom.

Where’s the apple from the kitchen? Whitney thought.

None of the others paid her any heed, but Whitney was very aware of her surroundings. Elise looked upset, like she had been crying or something. She needed to talk to the girl tonight, since Clarice was too preoccupied with her baby talk and all that. The only way to clear the air would be to suss it all out.

“Elise, tell me which one you like.” Max went to wind his arm around Elise again. “Cambodian or pizza?”

“I…” Elise spoke, tossing up whether to go for the healthy option of Cambodian, their favourite cuisine, or pizza as Max wanted.

“Elise, we need your answer,” Max urged. “You’re the last vote. I’m losing right now, two to one. You’ve got to choose pizza, please,” Max pleaded, making his signature puppy dog eyes at her. Elise felt a sting in her chest but pushed it away again.

“We could always get both.” Elise finally spoke. “It’s hard for me to choose. Why don’t we go together, Max? I’ll drive,” Elise suggested, taking her keys out of her bag.

“No, I want to drive.” Max took the keys from Elise’s hand.

“But you’ve only got a restricted. I have a full.”

“All the more reason for me to practice driving with a fully grown, licensed adult beside me.” Max smiled cheekily. “Now let’s go. I’m dying of starvation here.”

“Okay, okay.” Elise turned to Clarice and Whitney. “Be back in a bit.”

“Yes. Please grab me the char noodles with seafood,” Clarice shouted, her face now glued to the screen also.

“I know, your all-time favourite.”

“Okay, everyone already told us want they want. Now let’s go. I’m dying here.”

“Yes, yes, Max, let’s go.” Elise ruffled his hair playfully. Then they both headed out the door.

As soon as the door closed, Whitney turned to Clarice right away.

“We need to talk.”

“I’m all ears.” Clarice had always been more in tune with Whitney, but all three needed each other; otherwise, they wouldn’t be called the three musketeers in high school or the three spinsters now. No, wait, at the moment, she was the only spinster who had turned thirty. Whitney’s birthday was coming up soon. As for Elise, she was a good three years behind at only twenty-seven.