Chapter 8 - Another New Friend

"You like macaron?"

Anna was about to take a bite of her pink macaron but canceled it. Somehow, it sounded like someone was surprised to see her eating that. In fact, what was wrong with macaron?

"Yes. This is my favorite," Anna replied. She then devoured the macaron into her mouth. Oh, the sweets were so delicious. It gave her a better feeling. At least, it changed her focus to only tasting the sweetness. And because of that, she loved to enjoy sweets when stressed. It was like medicine to her.

Jeff saw the way she ate it and the change in her face. "You must really like this," he concluded after finding something like peace in her.

She had already said that, so she didn't need to justify his words, right?

"You don't want to try this?" she offered. She was the one who recommended macaroons on her best friend's wedding menu. And candy in another spot.

"I guess it's enough just to see you enjoying this."

Anna almost choked on hearing that. If Matt had said that, she would probably be happy. However, when it was told by someone she had just met, it sounded... wrong?

Was it because she had closed her heart so that romantic words didn't work for her?

She swallowed her food and turned to look at him. She took a deep breath before speaking her mind. "Jeff." She started by saying his name. "I'm sorry for Rebecca. But I'm not interested in a relationship right now," she continued.

They were silent.

The situation was actually a bit awkward for her. She had the leftover macaron in her hand and felt uneasy about it. She should have put it down first or finished it before starting a serious conversation with Jeff.

But it was too late. Anna wished he could understand and leave her so she could continue eating.

Oh, how bad her mind was just thinking about herself!

Jeff looked straight into her gray eyes. He held that and said, "Why so rushed?"

Because it was better to say it as soon as possible as they didn't really know each other yet. Anna was afraid Jeff might have hoped for her if she had put this off.

But she didn't say it. She was still thinking about how to refuse him.

"We don't know the future," he said again.

Yeah, that was right. No one knew the future. But, Anna had already promised something about her fate to another man. She didn't want to break a promise she hadn't even started to keep.

"We can be friends." Jeff continued to say after getting no response from her. That was his way of persuading her.

Friends?

That sounded simple. But, didn't almost all relationships start with friendships, whichever ended good or bad?

Anna silently stared at the man in front of her. She thought she was going too far if she refused a simple relationship. After all, what was wrong with being friends? Who knew if they would become best friends?

The problem was that she already knew the meaning behind his friendship offer. It was bad.

"Sorry, I-"

"It's just friends. Really," he cut in before Anna could say her refusal.

She fell silent again. Before long, a heavy sigh escaped her lips. "It's only a friend," she repeated, affirming her point. "Only friends." As if that wasn't enough, she said it one more time to make sure he got the point.

A wide smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, just friends." Then he held out his hand.

She looked at it for a few seconds, then shook it. "Just friends."

In the evening, there was a family dinner. And the Dunns were invited because of their children's friendship.

"Congratulations on our children's wedding," Erin, Rebecca's mother, said as she raised her glass. Excitement flashed across her face, as did Michael, Rebecca's father, and Matt's parents. Yes, it's still part of his son's happy day.

Everyone there followed him and drank his wine.

"I thought they were going to get married," Erin said again, in the middle of enjoying her dinner. It had varied options, such as steak with salad, fries, and lasagna.

And Anna tried them all. He felt like eating it all. It may have something to do with stress. When there are no sweets, the escape is any food.

"Yeah, I feel it too. They look nice since the beginning of the date," said Wendy, Matt's mother.

Anna didn't really listen to him. In fact, only food caught his attention.

"Slow down, Ann." Matt suddenly reminded him, automatically interrupting the conversation with something unimportant. Anna.

Actually, Anna was enjoying her dinner slowly. However, he didn't stop eating from the first bite. He only stopped when he drank his wine.

So, his word about slow doesn't feel right. Better he told him to stop.

"Something bothering you?"

And he was silent for a moment. His finger, about to lift a piece of french fries, froze in place. His concern... She couldn't handle such a thing anymore. It made her want to maintain her feeling for him.

So pathetic.

"You have a problem?" Rebecca joined with the same question.

That was her suffering being a friend between them. Anna loved their attention but sometimes hated it.

Anna resumed spooning her fries into her mouth as she said, "No. My only problem is that I want to eat a lot. Maybe it's nearing my period."

That was her habit too. But maybe, they didn't remember that. Eating a lot and stress were always connected to her. Hence, they first showed their concern toward her. And she hated to admit it was true.

Matt and Rebecca no longer asked. Apparently, her lie was effective in dispelling their question.

"I saw you with someone at the party." Erin opened a new topic. "You look good together."

Anna couldn't help but smile awkwardly. That was why she didn't like Rebecca, Matt, or anyone to do with them setting her up. They would monitor her relationship, and she hated those feelings.

"His name is Jeff. He's Matt's coworker." Rebecca replied. It was good because Anna didn't have to explain something she didn't know.

"Are you close?"

"Sure. Matt couldn't have made him a best man if they weren't close and introduced him to Anna." Rebecca looked at Anna with a meaningful smile.

"He looks good," Wendy commented. It was as if Anna had won the blessing of two families. Unfortunately, it wasn't her family. Her parents wouldn't press her with this.

"She can choose whoever she loves, Jeff or anyone else." Lane, Anna's mother, chimed in.

Oh, Anna really loved her family.

"Yeah. But she's single now, right? She could try with Jeff." Erin said again. Like daughter, like the mother. They loved to interfere in someone's life.

"That's up to her. We never demand anything from her." Hugh, Anna's father, responded. That seemed to be the end of the conversation about Anna and Jeff.

His father was usually silent. But, when he talked, sometimes it silenced the other person. And that was why she was afraid to reveal her marriage.