I think about denying it but decide against it. “What kind of food?” I ask instead.

“The kind of food an angry mob would throw. Maybe cabbage.”

“That’s actually really creative. I like the backstory behind your choice.”

“Thank you. Okay, go, tell me everything.” She crosses her arms and steps closer to me, trying to get comfortable.

“There’s not too much to tell. I think we’re together.”

Cristina’s eyes light up. There’s no way she’s not inwardly planning double dates for the rest of our lives and arranging marriages for all of our hypothetical children.

“Remember, this is all very new,” I remind her. “I have no idea how things are going to pan out, so don’t get carried away.”

Cristina rubs her hands together. The don’t-get-carried-away ship is already long-gone and has set sail for the Baltic Sea.

“I won’t, I definitely won’t,” she promises. “This is all just so incredible, though. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my best friend would date my future husband’s best friend. Can you imagine the family vacations we can go on together?”

I start to smile despite my hesitation. Family vacations together would be nice...

No! Stop this!

“Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. No one is getting married here besides you. Who knows how long Ryan will stay interested in me anyways?”

“Why do you have to put yourself down like that?” Cristina demands. “You’re a successful, funny, beautiful woman. Any guy would be lucky to be with you.”

“That’s very nice of you to say but also very unnecessary.”

“Apparently it is necessary. Do you remember when we first met?”

“You mean the best day of our lives?” I tease.

Cristina and I were both waitressing in a pub in Chelsea in grad school. The food was average, but the clientele was almost always drunk, so no one complained.

“I was crying because it was Valentine’s Day and Warren dumped me for my Swedish roommate who claimed to be a ballerina even though she wasn’t even good.”

“I remember,” I say. “That guy was lame, and Astrid never once reacted to any of my Center Stage references. It was highly suspicious.”

“I know, but I was heartbroken and insecure, and you told me that Warren would regret leaving me because I had true grace and I was a thousand times better than my troll of a roommate.”

“Not to veer off topic, but I’m still convinced that your roommate actually was a troll. I did a report on Scandinavian folklore in high school and she checked a lot of boxes.”