"And I'm happy, if only for a little while."
"I really like him, B."
Barnaby sighed. He'd heard that before.
"I mean it, B! He's such a sweetheart and, and, God, he has really nice arms."
Barnaby made a face over their video call. "Why are you telling me this, Anna?"
Anna rolled her eyes. "Because I don't have anyone else to talk to about him. And I'm pretty sure that I actually, physically need to talk about him." When the blond didn't reply she said sincerely, "B, you're pretty much my closest friend. You're like family to me. Please just put up with me?"
He laughed. Barnaby Brooks Jr. actually laughed. "Stupid old bag, that's what I'm doing, isn't it?"
A sound indicating great offense escaped Anna's smiling mouth. "I am not old! I'm only two years older than you! God, I wanna punch you so hard right now, B! Just you wait, next time we see each other you're gonna biff your face on my fist. You won't even know it's happened until your nose becomes a waterfall."
"You wouldn't hit a guy wearing glasses, would you?"
That got Anna laughing.
It was nice to hear her laugh. It had been a while. The last guy she had called Barnaby about had dumped her, and pretty harshly at that. She'd been a bit of a mess, and told him that she needed to talk it out before her son got home, since she didn't want him to worry. Barnaby was glad that Anna was happy again.
"Is it weird that I want you to meet him? But, like, what would I say? 'Hey, Boyfriend, this is my best friend who happens to be a guy, oh and by the way he's this season's King of Heroes'?"
Barnaby played along. "And then you'd have to explain how it is that you came to know me."
"Haha! 'And, by the way, B and I met at the Hero Academy and also a blind date.' Ugh, this is such a terrible idea. You're not allowed to meet him. I've decided. It just won't happen."
"Well, now I have to meet him."
"No! It's a bad idea!"She was still laughing.
"I'll have to meet him sometime, Anna."
"Neverrrrr!"
"At least tell me his name," Barnaby said with a sigh.
He watched the expressions on her face change as she considered it. It couldn't hurt to tell him her boyfriend's name – just his first name, though, Anna decided. And then she looked sheepish as she tucked some of her hair back behind her ear. "Jace. His name is Jace. He makes me smile, B."
What neither knew, but Barnaby suspected, was that that wouldn't last long.
