Just Good Friends

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Why didn’t you just ask me what I wanted?” Tiffany asked.

  “If I’d done that, then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.”

  Tyler bit his lower lip. Yes, he knew the woman was frustrating Tiffany to no end, but her mom acted as if she had no idea why she had upset her daughter, and that was as funny as the room had been. Either her mom really didn’t get it, or her mom was good at acting. And Tyler had no idea which was the case.

  “I don’t want you calling any more of my boyfriends,” Tiffany insisted.

  “Tyler didn’t seem to mind it when we called,” her dad said.

  She turned her bewildered gaze to Tyler. “My dad called, too?”

  Realizing he’d just been put on the spot, he stopped drinking the delicious hot chocolate and shrugged. “Just to ask what dessert I’d like at Thanksgiving dinner.”

  “And Tyler was very polite,” her dad added with a wink. “Andy was curt and rude. You can tell a man’s character by how he acts on the phone.”

  “Amen,” her mom agreed.

  “I was wondering,” Tyler began in hopes of breaking the tension in the room, “I notice the angel on top of the tree is holding the number five. Is there a significance in that number?”

  “I’m glad you brought that up,” her mother said. “Four is for Tiffany, Zoe, me and her father. Brad will be the fifth person in our immediate family.”

  “We’ll change the number to six if you and my girl get married,” her dad added.

  Oh. Tyler wouldn’t have asked if he knew that was what the number was for. He shot Tiffany an apologetic look.

  “What we’d really love to know,” her mother grinned, “is how, exactly, you two realized you were more than friends.”

  Okay. That topic was worse than phone calls and the number an angel was holding. Tyler shifted on the couch and glanced at Tiffany. “You want to take this one?”

  Though she grimaced, Tiffany said, “There’s nothing to it. We were watching a movie and just knew we were meant to be more, that’s all.”

  “What was the movie?”

  Tiffany shrugged, so Tyler filled in, “Inoculation”, before remembering that Tiffany hated science fiction movies with aliens who were trying to take over the world.

  “Really?” her mom asked, her eyebrows raised. “What part?”

  “There was no one part,” Tiffany replied.

  “I’m sure there was a specific moment when things blossomed between you two. Take your dad and me. We were at a football game in high school when the home team just scored a touchdown. That tied the game at 8-8. I dropped my nachos all over my green dress. The dress had cute little bows on the spaghetti straps, right about here.” She touched her shoulders to show where they’d been. “They were white with little green sequins at the top. It was an adorable dress. I’m telling you, Tyler, if you saw Tiffany wearing it, you’d fall over yourself just to open the door for her. It was that darling. But when I spilled that cheese all over my dress, I knew it was ruined. Your dad, bless his heart, told me that nothing could take away from how beautiful I was. At that moment, I knew he was the one for me. If I can remember a moment like that over thirty-seven years ago, you can remember the part of the movie where you fell in love.”

  “It was the moment the alien DNA was injected into the main character,” Tyler blurted out. Not because that part of the movie had been particularly romantic, because it hadn’t been. But it was the first thing that came to mind. Even now, the reminder of the way the character’s skin glimmered with an unearthly orange tint while his pupils changed shape made him shiver. When he realized the others were waiting for him to continue, he said, “I don’t know why it was that part. I guess I thought if we were under the thread of alien hybridization, I’d take Tiffany’s place so she wouldn’t have to suffer the same things the character in the movie did.”

  Her mom put her hand to her chest and let out a pleased sigh. “Isn’t that romantic?” she asked Tiffany’s dad.

  “I still think I had the best line about how beautiful you were,” her dad replied, “but it’s nice to know Tyler would be willing to sacrifice himself for our little girl.”

  Tyler would have done it anyway because she was his best friend. But it’d been that way since they met at the pool where she’d taken a summer job as a lifeguard right after moving to Omaha. Thinking of those hot summer days was a stark contrast to the blowing snow outside at the moment.

  “I think that’s enough for tonight,” Tiffany said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. “I’m exhausted, and I’m ready to fall asleep.”

  Tyler placed his empty cup next to Tiffany’s, which was still full. “Thanks for the hot chocolate.”

  “If you need anything else, just let us know,” her mom replied.

  After saying goodnight, they retired to their respective bedrooms for the night.

  Chapter Six

  Tiffany poured herself another cup of coffee as she helped the women make Thanksgiving dinner for the entire family. She took a moment to peek into the living room where Tyler was playing cards with her dad, two uncles, and three cousins. He glanced over at her, and she shot him an uncertain smile, wondering if he’d ever forgive her for dragging him all the way up here to deal with her family. By the smile on his face, she took that as a hopeful sign. Maybe he’d still be willing to talk to her when this whole ordeal was over.

  “Are you making googly eyes at your boyfriend?” one of her aunts teased.

  Her face growing warm, Tiffany shook her head. “Of course not. I was just making sure he isn’t bolting out of here because my parents kept insinuating that he’s going to be their son-in-law.”

  “Why would he come all the way up here to meet your family if he wasn’t going to marry you?” Her aunt nudged her in the side and chuckled. “Nebraska to Montana isn’t that short of a trip, you know.”

  “We haven’t been dating for long, and besides, we’re friends, too.”

  “I heard, and you know what they say? The best person to marry is your best friend.”

  While her aunt headed back to the counter to check on the potatoes boiling in the pot, her grandmother came up to her and gave her a reassuring hug. “Try not to let it get to you.”

  “It’s hard, Granny,” Tiffany said as she took a sip of the coffee, praying it was strong enough to keep her awake. As it was, she had to fight the urge to fall asleep several times that morning. “They just don’t stop.”

  “I wish I could help, but they don’t listen to me any more than they listen to you.”

  “I was hoping with Zoe getting married, they’d stop worrying about me, but it’s only been worse.”

  “Probably because you’re older.” She rubbed Tiffany’s back and smiled. “Try not to let it get to you. Just think of things you enjoy. That’s what I do when they start getting on my nerves.”

  “Tiffy!” her mom called out, waving her over to where she was talking on the phone.

  Tiffany glanced at her grandma. “What do you think the chances are that this has something to do with Zoe’s wedding instead of Tyler?”

  “Good. I think she’s talking to the seamstress. You’ll want to go over there. You don’t want your bridesmaid’s dress to be the wrong size.”

  True. If she was going to be all dolled up in a burgundy dress with a bunch of ruffles on it, she should at least be comfortable. She’d seen the picture Zoe had sent her. She had tried to get out of being a bridesmaid, but her mother wouldn’t hear of it. “You have to be one,” her mother had argued. “You’re Zoe’s sister.”

  And since she naively believed this would be enough to make her mother back off, she had agreed to it. Except it hadn’t because her mom was still bugging her about getting married.

  Taking a gulp of her coffee, she went over to her mother. “What is it, Mom?”

  “We want to make sure we got your dress size right since we won’t have a chance to fit you in the dress until tomorrow,” her mother said,
putting her hand over the receiver. “What is your size?”

  “Twelve.”

  She nodded and spoke into the phone. “Twelve.” After a moment, she asked Tiffany, “What’s your bra size?”

  “Mom!”

  “It’s for the dress. Some women are not as well-endowed as others.”

  She sighed. She hated it when her mother had a good point. “Size B.”

  “B,” her mother spoke into the phone. Glancing Tiffany up and down, she said, “I’d guess she’s 5’4. Maybe 5’5 in heels.” She nodded. “Yes. She’s 5’5 in heels.”

  “Can I go?” Tiffany mouthed.

  Her mother indicated she could, so she went back to helping her grandmother who was preparing the candied yams.

  When it was time to eat, everyone gathered the dishes and took them to the small building they’d rented downtown so all the family members could spend the afternoon together. And since all the families contributed something, it was a potluck, something Tiffany was thankful for since it allowed her some breathing room from all the questions about her and Tyler.

  “I’m sorry,” Tiffany told Tyler as they gathered their food on their plates. “I should have explained that Thanksgiving in my family can be hectic.”

  “All I did was play cards all morning,” he replied as he put stuffing on his plate. “You and the women did all the work. In my house, my dad and I were expected to help out. There was no way my mom would go through all the work by herself.”

  “I think the women prefer it if the men stay out of their way. They love getting together and talking while they cook, but frankly, it’s my idea of torture. I never did like cooking.”

  “Cooking isn’t for everyone.”

  “No, it’s not. But don’t say that in front of the others. They’d all be up in arms over it,” she joked.

  He chuckled, and her mother came up to them. “You two are so cute together. And it’s obvious you’re in love.”

  Then, before they could respond, she fluttered away to get some silverware.

  Tiffany groaned. “Is it getting on your nerves yet?”

  “A little,” he admitted.

  One thing Tiffany always appreciated about Tyler was that he knew exactly what she was thinking, so she didn’t have to come out and specify what she meant. “And we have two more days to go.”

  They finished gathering everything they wanted and were heading for Tiffany’s grandmother when her dad steered them over to Zoe and Brad. “You should sit over here with the other two lovebirds,” he explained and pulled out their chairs for them. “It’ll be good for you to get better acquainted.” He winked at them.

  Tiffany held back a grimace. She was starting to get tired of her father’s continual winks. She knew exactly what he was trying to do, and she wished he was more subtle about it.

  “Sorry I didn’t make it in time to help with the dinner,” Zoe said as Tiffany and Tyler sat across from her and Brad. “I was getting my gown fitted. You wouldn’t believe what an ordeal it was.”

  “I can imagine,” Tiffany replied. “I used to work at a bridal shop. It was constant chaos before every couple’s wedding day.”

  “Oh yeah,” her sister said. “I forgot you did that.” She glanced at Brad. “She’s had over a dozen jobs. It’s hard to keep track of them.”

  Just like I keep forgetting how many times you almost dumped Brad for someone else, Tiffany thought but managed to keep her mouth shut. She wished her sister would show her the same consideration.

  “Some people change jobs several times before they finally figure out what they want to do,” Tyler spoke up, and Tiffany couldn’t help but be glad he was always quick to jump to her defense. “I read somewhere that people change jobs anywhere from five to ten times in their life. And when you factor in seasonal employment, the number can go even higher.”

  “Yeah, but it makes it harder to get promoted,” her sister countered.

  “While that’s true, there’s also nothing wrong with experiencing more of what’s out there.”

  “Oh?” Zoe asked as she picked up a glass of wine. “Do you do the same thing?”

  For a moment, Tyler seemed unsure about how to respond. Then he cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up his nose. “No. I’ve been at the same job for the past eighteen years. I’m just saying that not everyone finds their dream job right away, and some people don’t want to be confined to doing the same thing all the time.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not wise to go through life floating from one thing to another. Tiffy’s done that with everything from jobs to boyfriends. I’m surprised she stuck around Omaha as long as she did.”

  Tiffany swallowed her slice of turkey, wondering if she should intervene at this point. While it was sweet Tyler was quick to defend her, this had the potential to blow up in his face. Once Zoe got started on something, she didn’t back off, whether she was right or not. “It’s okay, Tyler,” she told him then looked at her sister. “I like doing a lot of temporary work because I like the variety of doing different things.”

  “Are you working at a temporary position right now?” Zoe asked.

  “It’s temporary at the moment, but there’s a possibility it might become permanent if the clientele stays up.”

  “But will you really stick with it?”

  Tiffany stopped cutting into the turkey and considered her words. Was it really worth getting into a fight to make her point? No. It was never worth the argument when it came to Zoe. “You know what we should be talking about? Your wedding.” Forcing a smile, she continued, “So, you got your dress fitted today?”

  Fortunately, Zoe was vain enough for the change in topic to work. “Yes. And it’s absolutely gorgeous. I wasn’t sure if I could fit into a size four, but that’s what it turned out to be. Don’t worry, Tiffy. I made sure that your dress will slim you down.”

  Tyler set down his fork, and Tiffany knew by the way he leaned forward that he was ready to argue that there was nothing wrong with Tiffany’s weight. She placed her hand on his arm and shook her head. He stared at her for a moment, and she could see the debate in his eyes as he silently weighed the pros and cons of listening to her. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and dug into the rest of his meal, his head bowed in an attempt to ignore the rest of the conversation.

  And the rest of it didn’t get much better. By the time they were done, everyone left and went to their respective houses. Tiffany had Tyler go play more cards with her dad and some cousins so he could relax. Meanwhile, she pitched in to help some of her aunts and cousins clean up.

  The day was as awkward as she feared it would be, and she spent considerable time washing dishes only because it allowed her freedom from having to interact with anyone. Why her mother refused to buy a dishwasher in this day and age, she could only fathom. But her mom was adamantly opposed to it, saying it never killed anyone to wash dishes by hand. For the first time she could remember, Tiffany was grateful her mother thought this way since it gave her a much needed distraction.

  And afterwards while the men were watching football, she asked Tyler if he wanted to go for a walk. This earned her another wink from her dad. Pretending she didn’t see it, she grabbed her coat and waited for Tyler before hurrying out of the house.

  Once they were at the end of the driveway, she released her breath, unaware she’d even been holding it. She was tenser than she thought.

  “What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” Tyler asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his coat.

  “Tomorrow we get ready for the wedding. I’ll be stuck with Zoe and the bridal party. You’ll be with my dad and uncles who like to shop on Black Friday.”

  “What fun,” he muttered.

  Smiling, she added, “It could be worse. You could be stuck with the groom’s side.”

  He winced. “I’ll pass.”

  “You’d rather shop and play cards?”

  “I’d rather get my teeth pulled, but at least it’s better than putting up with al
l the condescending remarks. I don’t understand how you can sit around and just take it.”

  “Why do you think I moved to Omaha? To get away from it.”

  They turned down the next block, and he shook his head. “I had no idea how rough it was for you. Those people are insane.”

  “Mom and Dad want me married. Zoe just always felt the need to compete with me. It’s been like that ever since she was five.”

  “Speaking of which, why do you let Zoe bash you? She’s not even pretending to be nice. She’s just coming out and being rude. And right in front of others, especially me, and she thinks I’m your boyfriend.”

  “I know, but it doesn’t do any good to argue with her. She’ll never accept whatever anyone says if it goes against what she wants to believe.” When Tyler’s frown deepened, she said, “I could argue with her, but what good would it do?”

  “Maybe it would make her stop.”

  “I tried that in the past, but it didn’t work. I also asked her to stop doing it because it bothered me, but things only got worse.”

  “How could things get worse?”

  They turned the corner of the block, and though she knew he wasn’t going to believe it, she said, “Zoe is a drama queen. If someone tries to win one up on her, she comes up with something so she can take center stage. But Tyler, it doesn’t matter. It’s all petty stuff. With her, the best thing you can do is let her believe whatever she wants and just be glad you don’t have to deal with her all the time.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Don’t your parents ever get involved and tell her to stop?”

  “She doesn’t do it in front of them because yes, long ago, they said they wouldn’t tolerate it.” Sensing her answer didn’t make him happier, she slipped her arm around his. “Just be glad you’re not the one marrying her.”

  “Marry her? I wouldn’t even date her. She’s not my type.”

  Tiffany knew Tyler would never consider being with someone like Zoe. She’d figured that out shortly after she met him, which was part of why she liked him so much. “She and Brad will be well suited together.”