“Umm, not sure he’s my man, maybe my man for right now. But when you put it like that, then I suppose that is what I want to know.” For someone who is a super confident and an out-there woman, in all aspects of my life, I’m not feeling that confidence right now.

“Harper, who are you kidding. That man over there, the one that has not taken his eyes off you all night, is your man. You can deny your feelings all you like, but there is a force of nature between you two that is pulling you together.”

“Yeah, it’s called lust,” I say, trying to shake off her words.

“No, not lust, that’s a fleeting moment in time, a feeling that your body sees someone and thinks they can make me feel good right now. What you and Forrest have between you, that’s far more than lust, and I think you know that deep down.” Why the hell is everyone around me at the moment so damn insightful? I might wish for that, but I’m not giving in to those feelings.

Trying to deflect from talking about me, I want to know more about what she sees in Forrest.

“Why do you think he was attracted to you? Are you trying to tell me that was a lust thing?” Please say no, please say no, is all I can think. I don’t want to hear that he is attracted to another woman in our friend group.

Cherie starts laughing. “Fuck no.” She puts her glass down on a table that is next to us then takes my hands in hers. Until I flinch, and then she registers. “Sorry, I forgot.” But the movement got what she wanted, which is to have my full attention.