Friends and Marriage

Chapter 7

Edward smiled sweetly at Tana, but she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was refilling her mug of tea and looking so cosy in her best friend's apartment. He couldn't help wondering if she was as nervous as he was.

In honesty, he was. When Bruno told him that he was going to meet the ladies, he spent so much time trying to figure out what he was going to say to them. Thankfully, Irina was his relative, so his focus shifted to the other lady. He also knew that Bruno loved both of them. He really would be picking the one who his friend wouldn't be with. He had a feeling that if he could, Bruno would have chosen to be in a polygamous relationship with both Irina and Tana.

He valued them too much to let them go. That was why he spent so much time picking out who he was going to introduce them to. He was glad that he had jumped at the chance to open a company with him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have met the gorgeous woman who had now sat across from him.

"You sure you do not want anything?"

He smiled at her, and she blushed. "Nothing just now," he responded. He still had a half full cup of tea to drink. However, he was so distracted by Tana's beauty. He was also wondering if Bruno and Irina were talking or talking.

"We met before, but it was in passing, wasn't it?" She asked, and he blinked twice in surprise.

"We did?"

"On your graduation. Your family swept you up as soon as you left the podium. Bruno tried to introduce us but your family came and pulled you and Irina aside..."

He did remember being pulled away, but felt bad that he hadn't seen her. He asked if she had any photos from the graduation and she smiled happily. She quickly showed him the album that Irina had and soon they were laughing happily.

Slowly, she felt herself cuddling closer into his arms, and before she knew it, the scent of his cologne had almost completely wrapped her up in its' clutches.

She did not understand why she felt so comfortable in his presence. Perhaps it was because of his proximity to Bruno and Irina? Or his voice? Maybe his face and how he spoke? Or maybe it was his smile? He had not touched her yet, and she liked that about him... About it.

She didn't know for how long they sat like that. They talked about school, work, life and love. They joked and realised they had a similar sense of humour. They exchanged information about their favourite movies and films, musicians, dancers...

Tana wondered where Bruno had been hiding such a nice man. When this thought crossed her mind, she checked the clock and realised two hours had quickly passed. She pulled away, getting up and quickly heading to where Irina and Bruno had last been.

Edward did not know whether to stop her or just let her find out for herself... that Bruno and Irina were probably already beyond saving their friendship... that they were probably lovers now.

"Tana-"

"Shhh!" She whispered, and slowly cracked the door open. She stuck her head round it and started to giggle. Edward quickly ran to her side and did the same, realising that there was nothing to worry about. Once again, Irina and Bruno were cuddled up innocently, with his head on her lap while she dozed off with her head on the headboard of her bed.

Tana quietly shut the door and backed up into Edward, and turned, her eyes making four with his. He took a step back, pulling her away from the door using her sleeve, and guided her back to the living room. He picked out a sofa and they both plopped down on it.

"I like how comfortable we are getting with each other."

Edward nodded, smiling in response. However, he wondered what would have happened if Tana had seen her friends together in bed, wearing close to nothing... how would she have reacted?

He looked at her and shook his head in order to clear off those thoughts. Irina was his cousin. It should have been weird to think that way of his friend with her. However, he couldn't help hoping that Bruno and her paired off for real, and let him be with Tana. She seemed really nice and it was great for him.

He did not have good luck with women for years, and now here he was... in the company of a woman he was liking so far. He wondered if she would still have liked him if they had met in other ways without Bruno's nudge.