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“I gathered,” Monica said as she continued to glare at Sophie playfully. “Did you want to continue?”

“Yes, but not with you sitting here. I’ll call Bridgette later and tell her the rest.”

She figured she could joke with Monica. They’d always managed a good friendship outside of the office. She didn’t work for the woman anymore – Monica had invited her for a night out with her friends – but this gave Sophie a chance, she thought, to transition to the topic of work.

“I was–” she started.

“You two exchanged numbers?” Monica got out before Sophie could finish her own sentence.

She was too slow, so Monica hadn’t even heard her, and now, they’d already moved on. In fact, the whole night had been like this. No one had intentionally interrupted everyone else, but this group of women seemed to be able to go from one topic to another with ease and no segues while Sophie, the newest one at the table, was trying to keep up.

“We’re starting a group text,” Melinda said.

“Just to make fun of me?” Monica asked with a playful expression.

Sophie had always liked her as a person, but she never would have described the Monica Arnette she knew in New York as playful. She liked this side to her friend and wondered if New Orleans had worked its wonders on her somehow in her brief time here, or maybe it was Bridgette, her new girlfriend, who seemed to always be making heart eyes at Monica.

“No, babe. So that we can all talk easily. You’re in there. You didn’t check your messages, did you?”

“While I was peeing? No, I didn’t,” Monica replied.

Sophie had missed what she felt like was her shot for the night, but she could ask Monica if she wanted to grab lunch this week and bring it up then. It would probably be better to do it one-on-one, without pianos playing right behind them, anyway.

Later, as they were talking about one of Kyle’s apparent two houses in the city, Sophie watched as Monica began to blush, and Bridgette appeared to be moving her hand somewhere she probably shouldn’t be moving it to in public. Sophie looked away and chuckled under her breath, but she could predict what was about to come next.

“I think I’m ready to go,” Bridgette said. “Mon?”

“Yes. I mean, whenever is fine with me.”

“Have a good rest of the night,” Melinda teased as she chuckled at their obviousness.

“Oh, Iwill,” Bridgette said.

Sophie had to laugh, too, because clearly, these two were very much in love and couldn’t wait to get their hands on each other. Monica glanced at her as if she were making sure it was okay that she would be leaving her with her friends, so she smiled to show her that it was. When Monica walked out with her girlfriend, Sophie looked around the table, wondering what they’d all start talking aboutnowthat she’d have to try to keep up with.

“Well, I think we’re going to call it a night, too,” Kyle spoke. “I have a long article to translate tomorrow, and Mel is opening.”

Sophie had learned over the course of the night that Kyle was a French translator and that Jill and Melinda both worked as local tour guides. Melinda was going to take over the NOLA Guides office one day, maybe pretty soon, and Jill loved what she did, walking people around the city and showing them the things they might miss otherwise. Sophie wondered for a minute iftheywere hiring because that had to be more fun than what she did all day.

“So, I think they all just conspired to set us up,” Jill said once Kyle and Melinda had said their goodbyes and left the booth.

“Oh. Really?”

“Yup. I think it was probably Monica’s idea, but Bridgette went along with it because she’s deep in lust and probably love, too, but it’s the lust driving tonight, at least. Kyle and Mel would’ve stayed longer, but they saw an opportunity to leave us here alone to get to know each other. I know Mel. This is just her style.”

“So, you’re…”

“Gay? Definitely. You?”

“Yeah. Monica and I kind of bonded over that when we worked together: two lesbian women, taking the corporate world by storm.”

“How did that go for you two?”

“I think the storm subsided for me when I left Arnette.”

“Did you and Monica ever…”

“No! God, no! She was my boss. Well, more like my boss’ boss. There were more managerial layers than that between us, I think. She’s the owner’s daughter. We just had a thing in common and then found that we liked hanging out while we walked from one meeting to another. Nothing like that ever between us.”