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“How have you been?” Morgan asked in order to change the topic.

“Good. Here, check this out.” Clint showed Morgan his upper right arm, visible because he was wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt. She saw a bandage on it. “Just got the Covid vaccine less than an hour ago.”

“Congratulations!”

“The advantage of being an old man, I guess,” Clint drawled.

“Oh, you’re not old,” Morgan told him.

“Anyway, what have you been up to, Banks?”

“Oh goodness!” Where to begin? “Let’s just say, a lot has happened.”

“I’d love to hear about it,” Clint said. “Do you have time to stop in for a drink at the restaurant next door?”

At first, Morgan was going to take a raincheck; but then she checked her watch. Most likely, Chloë was still out with Sienna which meant the only reason Morgan had for rushing home was still out with Sienna. Besides, Morgan realized, she wanted to start getting used to telling people about her and Chloë. She had a number of friends who still didn’t know.

“That sounds great,” she told Clint.

Chapter 39

Chloë and Sienna had decided that the weather was too cool today to enjoy sunbathing at the beach again and so they started their time together at Chloë’s tiny house watching Frozen for the billionth time, eating popcorn and sharing a box of Reese’s Pieces. During the movie, the two women caught up on what’s been happening in each of their lives, stopping only to sing along with the songs in the movie. Chloë told Sienna about the chance to become part-owner of the as-yet-unnamed new coffeeshop and how her relationship with Morgan was progressing; Sienna told Chloë about life as a tattoo artist and how word of mouth, combined with her Instagram posts, have helped get her bookings all the way through to summer. Chloë also learned about the new woman Sienna had just started seeing.

“Eleanor?” Chloë had asked upon learning this woman’s name. “Is she, like, seventy?”

“I know, right?” Sienna had replied. “It was her grandmother’s name. Anyway, everyone just calls her Ellie. In fact, she insists on it, thank god. I don’t think I could scream out ‘Eleanor! Eleanor!’ in bed during certain crucial moments.”

When the movie ended, Sienna had suggested they drive into town in order to eat some real food and then after their late lunch they decided they both were in the mood for shopping and so spent a couple of hours engaging in retail therapy at the various shops and boutiques in downtown Carlsbad that had survived the coronavirus pandemic.

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sp; “This is just too cute!” Chloë now exclaimed, holding up a boho-style dress against her body. Her and Sienna were in a boutique on Tyler Street which specialized in clothing for young women. Unlike most of her dresses, this one reached down to her ankles but Chloe didn’t care. Trying it on, it felt weird having her legs covered—even now she was in shorts—but the dress was flattering to her figure and she knew Morgan would like it. She resolved to buy it and wear it on their next date night.

“Hey, do you mind if we stop off at Von’s before we head back to your place?” Sienna asked as they were purchasing their items: the dress for Chloë, a pair of sandals for Sienna.

“No problem, dude,” Chloë answered.

“You sure? I don’t want the sexy schoolteacher to get upset if I keep you out too late.”

“Whatever, dude,” Chloë said, nudging Sienna with her shoulder. “I just got a text from her a little while ago saying she was out shopping anyway and so it’s cool. She’s making dinner for us tonight and I figure as long as I can get to her place by five or five-thirty it’ll be good.”

That being said, Chloë was anxious to get to Morgan’s later. It was their six-week anniversary! Six weeks as the Morgan Banks’s girlfriend! All Chloë wanted for the rest of the day was to spend it in bed doing all sorts of possibly illegal things with Morgan until they both passed out from exhaustion.

Thinking about those carnal things only made Chloë’s eagerness to see Morgan again that much more acute and she was starting to wish she hadn’t agreed to the pit stop at the grocery store. But that would have been a dick move, she considered. Von’s was on the way and besides, since she’d be there, she may as well pick up some things she needed also. Tampons, for one. Chloë wasn’t certain but it seemed as if her period was about to start again, even though it seemed early. Was she spending so much time with Morgan that their periods were starting to sync up? Hadn’t that myth been debunked? She mentally shrugged her shoulders. Who cares? Today she was period-free, just horny as hell.

“Wait, wait! Stop the car!” Chloë said to Sienna about ten minutes later after Sienna pulled into the parking lot of the shopping plaza Von’s was in and was looking for a spot to park. “Shit, that’s Morgan!”

“Where?” Sienna asked.

Chloë pointed at the restaurant next to the grocery store. The restaurant had an outdoor patio in front of it and Morgan was seated at one of the tables. With a man!

“Oh, yeah,” Sienna said. “Yeah, that is her. Who’s she with?”

“No fucking idea, dude.”

Chloë surveyed their surroundings quickly.

“Pull into that spot over there by the tree,” she instructed her friend.