Kelsey sends us a meaningful look, and Sarah and I nod in agreement.

“Meaning we all have different needs and wants and goals. Your parents shouldn’t dictate what you can and cannot do. You need to do what you want, Amelia. And if that hot piece of man flesh makes you happy and you want him, then go for it!”

I sit up a little straighter, fueled by Kelsey’s rousing speech. “He is really nice.”

“And very cute,” Sarah adds.

“He told me he wants to see me again. He suggested we should go on a date,” I continue.

“Who’s going on a date? Amelia?” Stella appears in front of our table, her arms laden with baskets that contain our lunches. She sets them on the table and we start grabbing them, searching for what we ordered. “Let me get our drinks.”

“Amelia’s going on a date with the cute blond. Isaac Jones.” Sarah says his last name with extra emphasis.

“Amelia is actually hot for the infamous Jonesie! Who knew? I guess Candice did.” Stella grins and holds up a finger. “I’ll be right back.”

By the time Stella rejoins us at the table, we all have our lunches and she doles out our drinks. We eat and chat about the wedding, about the holiday season, how busy it’s been at both Sweet Dreams and my parents’ jewelry store. Business is booming, as is expected during this time of year. Sarah still works at a lingerie store in the same area—though mostly she fills her time creating window displays at various businesses in the area—and she said they’ve been swamped too.

It’s when our baskets are mostly empty and our bellies are full is when they start asking me about Isaac again. Specifically Stella, since she wasn’t part of our original conversation.

“When are you seeing Jonesie again?” She raises her brows, her lips curved knowingly. As if she’s got me all figured out.

“He wants to take her on a date, remember?” Kelsey says with a smile.

I send her a withering look. “Kelsey stole my thunder.”

“She didn’t mean to,” Sarah says, settling her hand on my arm for a brief moment. “We’re just so excited now that you’re not talking about—”

“Don’t say his name!” Stella screeches, drawing strange looks from other people in the café. She doesn’t even notice. Or she just doesn’t care. “You said yes to the date with him, right?”

Hesitation hits me and I blow out a breath. “I haven’t given him any sort of answer yet.”

“Amelia. Don’t let this one go. He seems really sweet,” Stella says. “Totally into you, from what I saw at the reception.”

He did seem totally into me at the reception. He even said he was. Those lingering looks, the way he kissed me, the dancing, the touching…it was all heady stuff.

But it was a romantic night, all of us caught up in the spell of Candice and Charlie’s wedding. Of course we were feeling the love.