Page 69 of The Best Friend Problem
She hadn’t meant to neglect her other friends. She just had a lot going on right now.
And now she sounded selfish and awful.
Guilt filled the empty portion of her stomach she’d been saving for the sweet cheesecake, and Pru winced. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much after work.” At least she was still paying her share of the rent and bills.
“Oh please,” Mo chuckled. “If I could share a bed with a hot, sexy fireman, I would, too.”
She nudged her friend. “I can arrange that. Want me to tell Ward to text you?”
The blond woman snorted. “No way. Ward is a fine piece of eye candy no doubt, but he and Díaz are meant for each other, and I am not one to stand in the way of true love.”
Really? Díaz and Ward? Pru figured the two would kill each other before they kissed each other, but far be it from her to correct Mo, the eternal optimist.
“Anyone make popcorn yet?” Lilly asked, coming into the room.
“I did.” Pru held up the large bowl of buttery popcorn, handing it over to her roommate and snagging the small bowl she’d put aside for herself.
“What’s that?” Mo raised one pale blond eyebrow.
“Popcorn.”
Mo peeked into the bowl, rearing back with a horrified shudder. “No. That is not popcorn. That’s a culinary crime.”
She glanced at the contents of the bowl in her lap. “It’s not that bad.”
Lilly leaned over the back of the couch warily to eye the ingredients of Pru’s pregnancy popcorn mix.
“Is that…gravy and hot sauce?” One perfectly manicured hand came up to cover her mouth as she gagged.
“Not hot sauce.” Mo wrinkled her nose. “Smells more like strawberry sauce.”
“Oh, Pru, sweetie. That’s disgusting.” Lilly’s bright green eyes grew wide. “You’re not actually going to eat that, are you?”
“Back off, you two.” She clutched her bowl tighter to her chest just in case her taste-impaired friends tried to nab it from her and dump it down the disposal. “Yes, it’s mushroom gravy and strawberry syrup over popcorn, and yes I’m going to eat it. It’s got carbs, veggies, fruit. Everything the babies need to grow big and strong.”
Mo scooted to the other end of the couch. “You’ve had some weird cravings, honey, but this tops them all. Even I wouldn’t try that.”
And they all knew Mo would try anything.
“Can we just sit and watch the movie, please? My doctor says it’s fine to eat whatever I crave as long as it’s not on my forbidden food list.”
“That should be on the list.”
She ignored Mo’s comment and Lilly’s nod of agreement. So maybe this was one of her stranger pregnancy cravings, but—mmmmmmmm—she moaned as she lifted a few fluffy kernels drenched in savory, sweet goo to her lips, relishing the odd mix of flavors exploding on her tongue.
“What?” she mumbled around her mouthful at the horrified expressions on her friends’ faces. “It’s delicious.”
Mo shook her head, blond curls, highlighted with streaks of purple this week, tumbling around her shoulders. “Pregnancy is weird.”
True. Had she not been craving this particular concoction of tastes, she would one hundred percent agree that what she was currently putting in her mouth was disgusting. But the babies wanted what they wanted, and she was already a pushover for those tiny little ones who held such a big part of her heart. So here she was, eating mushroom gravy popcorn topped with strawberry sauce and loving every bite.
Mo and Lilly stayed on the far side of the couch for the first half of the movie. The very far side. But once her delicious—thank you very much—treat was done, both women scooted over. They finished the movie and popcorn and made a sizable dent in the cheesecake. Since Finn had just started his twenty-four-hour shift, Pru decided to crash at home tonight. She’d checked on Bruiser before coming back to her apartment and planned on going back to Finn’s in the morning to feed the sweet girl and take her to the park for some much-needed exercise.
Maybe it was her burgeoning mommy instincts, but she’d been spoiling the pup with too many dog treats, and the little Yorkie mix had gained a bit of weight.
“That movie was hilarious.” Mo stood, grabbing the empty popcorn bowls and heading to the kitchen. “Hollywood needs to make more female buddy movies. I laughed so hard I almost peed.”
Lilly grimaced. “I’m glad you didn’t, considering I was sitting next to you. But you’re right, it was very funny.”
