The Wedding

"HELLO!" ANNI POKED her head around through the doorway of Tussi Attack just in time to see Kiara and Emily push Jasmin behind them.

"Out! Shoo!" Emily exclaimed bitchily.

"Excuse me, but since when am I not allowed in my fiancée's store?" Anni hid her smirk. She knew exactly what they were doing in there. Jasmin had warned her to stay away that morning. Of course, Anni being Anni, she finagled some sweet sex out of Jasmin in order to agree. Best. Negotiation. Ever.

"You promised me!" Jasmin called out from behind her friends. "And, after what I did for you this morning, I expect you to keep that promise!"

Anni held up her hands and laughed. "Okay, okay. I'm going. But, how long are you going to be? I'm kinda bored. I thought maybe we could hang out. Get some coffee or something." Or something sounds much more interesting, Anni thought with a smile.

"I could use some coffee," Kiara said kindly.

There was just something about that voice that made Anni cringe. Not that it wasn't pleasant. It was. But Anni couldn't forget how Kiara had warned her with that voice that she'd be there, fighting for Jasmin, if Anni screwed up again. Spending time with the woman was not what Anni had planned or wanted.

"Um . . ."

"That's a great idea, sweetie! Kiara has been here for hours. She needs a break. Would you mind?" Jasmin peeked between Kiara and Emily, giving Anni a sweet, pouting look. She wanted desperately for the two to become friends. She knew that if Anni would just give Kiara a chance it would happen. Unfortunately, Anni couldn't get past the fact that Jasmin and Kiara had gotten close.

Anni sighed. She knew this was important to Jasmin. Why she had to be friends with the woman, she didn't know. But she would do it. Love was all about compromise, right? "Yeah, sure. I'll, um, meet you at Vereinsheim." Without another word, she left.

"That went well," Kiara chuckled.

"It'll be fine," Jasmin said, a bit unconvinced of that fact herself.

"I don't know," Emily chimed in. "I mean, you two almost slept together. I can't imagine Anni getting over that."

Jasmin shot Emily a look as Kiara raised an eyebrow at her. She had told Emily that in total confidence. She couldn't believe Emily was bringing it up right in front of Kiara!

"Well," Kiara cleared her throat, "I don't want to keep Anni waiting and give her more ammunition to hate me. I'll be back in a bit. If not, perhaps you should send a search party out for me." She winked and grabbed her purse on the way out.

"I can't believe you said that!" Jasmin hissed.

"What?" Emily shrugged. "I assume she knows she almost slept with you."

"That's not the point." Jasmin huffed, then turned on her heel and stomped to the back room.

Emily blinked. "Was it something I said?"

***

"WOULD YOU MIND if I sit here?" Kiara spotted Anni tucked away in a secluded corner as soon as she walked into the coffee shop. The "stay-the-fuck-away-from-me" aura around Anni kept everyone at bay. Everyone except Kiara. Jasmin wants us to be friends, so that's what we're going to do.

"I invited you, didn't I?"

Kiara took a seat and crossed her long legs. "Actually, I invited myself. I'm sorry about that, but apparently it's important to Jasmin that we get along."

"And, you'll do anything for Jasmin," Anni said sarcastically.

"Yes." Kiara sighed softly and leaned in. "I won't pretend not to care, Anni. We've become close friends. I intend on keeping that friendship."