Happy Friday! Thanks for all the reviews it's very very kind.
As always I own nothing, hope you enjoy!
After talking with Michael for a bit longer and running some errands Edith returned home to find Tom flipping through a magazine on her couch
"I didn't know you'd be over tonight." Edith pleasantly greeted
"I'm not exactly, Sybil's getting ready, she wanted a break from her studies so we're going out for dinner and a pint...you should come with us." Tom half heartedly invited as Edith joined him with a glass of wine
"No, you two should spend some time alone when you can, you're both so busy. New job going alright?"
Tom smiled in response and said "Yeah it's going well I'm planning on starting a series of pieces in the next month, what've you got going on tonight?"
"This..." Edith gestured around indifferently to the couch and the television "...maybe I'll heat up some left over take out later."
Tom nodded in acknowledgement and continued flipping pages and asked calmly
"What's Michael up to?"
With out thinking, possibly because she had been thinking about him more than would be normal, Edith answered
"He's meeting up with some old friends from university that he hasn't seen since before New York, but he-" Edith stopped herself from adding the detail that she doesn't think he seems too excited about it and turned to look at Tom straight on
"Why would you ask me about Michael's plans?"
"Because I figured you'd probably know, which you did, and in detail as well." Tom factually replied and added "Maybe you should meet up with him after?"
"Tom don't tell me you too. Did Sybil put you up to this matchmaking?"
"Sybil didn't put me up to anything..." Tom quickly defended "...It's.., I know I just met him but he seems like a decent guy and when we were talking at the party he couldn't keep his eyes off you. Anytime you popped into the room there he went, he was trying to be polite but I could tell, I think he cares about you."
Edith sighed and turned into her shoulder to try and hide her blush as Tom continued
"Look it's none of my business and I'm not trying to pressure you into something you're not ready for but you're a catch Eeds, and after everything that happened I wouldn't mind seeing you with someone who makes you happy. But it's your call if Michael is that guy or not."
Edith only responded with a watery smile and embarrassed that he brought out this emotion in her Tom quickly said
"Oh sorry, really it's none of my business, I shouldn't-"
"No Tom, thank you it was very sweet, I'm so lucky I'm going to have you as a brother-in-law"
Tom's eyes widened at Edith's slip about his impending marital status as Edith quickly said
"Oh no,...Tom please don't be mad at Sybil, Mary and I forced it out of her."
Tom calmed her "It's fine I figured she would tell you if not Mary too, we promised each other we'd keep it secret but I couldn't help but tell my brothers."
Just then Sybil made an appearance and Tom quickly commented with a raised eyebrow
"I just heard you spilled the beans to your sister, future wife."
Sybil gave her sister a stern look and spat out
"Really Edith?"
"Calm down Syb, it's not a big deal I'm glad your sisters know, they can help us break the news to your parents." Tom said as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her
"I guess it was inevitable, Edith how did the meeting go today? How is lovely Michael?" Sybil asked with an eager smile
"Fine, everything is fine, and save it cause your fiancé already gave me my daily advice on my love life so leave me to my trashy telly and junk food, thank you."
Sybil laughed and leaned down to kiss Edith on the cheek
"You're the boss, see you tomorrow. Don't wait up."
After a few hours of mindlessly watching some program she couldn't remember the name of, what Tom said to her got the best of Edith and she was dealing with a strong desire to text Michael. Nothing unseemly, just a friendly check in.
In a rush of adrenaline Edith found their thread and quickly typed out 'Having fun?' and hit send. Then spent the next two minutes decidedly not paying attention to her phone and rationalizing that texting your friend at 10:37 at night was a perfectly normal thing to do it was only when she heard a 'ping' that she let out a breath of relief and read
'Listening to the same stories I heard 4 years ago...still not funny. Counting on large amounts of alcohol to get me through the night'
Quickly followed by
'You've got to be having more fun than I am'
Edith smiled to herself and typed her response
'Ha good luck, I'm having a wild night in with whatever I can find on telly and ice cream'
She thought about waiting a few minutes before sending it, 'Mary would do that wouldn't she? Let him know you're not waiting with bated breath, no that's silly. Michael's just my friend I don't play these types of games ' Edith thought to herself before pushing send
Across town Michael was sitting in some random club surrounded by old friends who he had lost touch with but demanded to see him once they heard he was back in town.
Michael read Edith's text about having a night in and thought to himself 'Sounds perfect, no I can't write that it will seem like I'm angling for an invite, which I wouldn't mind but...she'll think I'm some creepy sloppy drunk who is just after one thing'
He then looked around at these people he didn't really care about anymore, thought for a moment and decided that he was sick of spending his time either alone or with people who almost bored him to tears
Edith heard the familiar 'ping' and saw
'I'm jealous about the telly and ice cream, there's a sushi restaurant I've been wanting to try in my neighborhood and I haven't convinced anyone to come with. Are you busy Fri. night?'