Page 12 of January (New Orleans #1)

“S o, you’re into the woman Bridgette saw first?” Jill asked.

“I’m letting it go,” Bridgette said.

“Hey,” Melinda replied, chuckling. “I’m not into her.”

“Yes, you are. It’s obvious.”

“Why wasn’t I invited to this little night out where it was, apparently, easy to see that you were mooning over a tourist?” Jill asked.

“It wasn’t supposed to be a night out. I was just giving a tour, and Kyle asked me to go for a drink. When Bridgette texted, asking what I was doing, I didn’t want to lie, so I told her, and she showed up. Suddenly, Kyle’s sister is asking us to go to the casino with her and a few friends, we’re having a big booth, Kyle has her arm around me, and I’m having a beer and leaning into her so I can hear her over the sound of the women who were drinking too much and trying to sing along with the music playing in the bar.”

“She had her arm around you?” Jill asked.

“And she’s not into her,” Bridgette teased.

“She’s not staying here,” Melinda stated the obvious. “So, I’m not going to start something with someone who lives hundreds or maybe thousands of miles away from me.”

“But no one’s saying it has to be some epic love story,” Jill suggested. “Why not just have some fun while she’s here?”

“Have you met me?” She laughed. “I don’t just have fun with someone. I’m the reason the lesbian stereotype exists about moving in on the third date.”

“You’ve never lived with someone,” Bridgette argued.

“No, but I got pretty close. When I was with Aggie, we were about there. I asked her to move in with me, and we’d been together for three months.”

“You did? I didn’t know that,” Bridgette replied .

“She said no, and it was embarrassing, so I didn’t tell anyone.”

“Why did she say no?” Jill asked.

“She wasn’t ready. And we broke up before she was,” Melinda replied.

They’d gone to lunch at a restaurant near the tour office, which Bridgette had recommended when she’d joined them at the last minute, and in hindsight, Melinda wasn’t sure she would’ve accepted this invitation had she known she’d be dealing with an interrogation about her new friendship.

“So, if she’d been ready, you really would have let her move in with you?” Jill asked.

“Yes, I was in love. I’ve gotten ahead of myself a few times in the past, and I’m just not going to do it anymore.”

“If that’s true, then that means you already know how you feel about Kyle, and you’re just not admitting it to yourself,” Bridgette reasoned.

“I like her, yes. It’s obvious. She’s beautiful, funny, and kind, and there are these moments when she’s vulnerable, but she’s so open with me. I’m not sure I’ve met anyone like her before, and it’s nice,” she admitted, smiling softly, mostly to herself. “But we’re friends. It’s not like she’s asked me out. And I haven’t asked her out, so we’re friends, and that’s good because she’s leaving.”

“That sounds sad to me,” Jill replied. “I mean, if you like someone, you should just tell them, right?”

“Yes,” Bridgette agreed.

“As if you two have always done that,” Melinda said.

“Do as we say, not as we do,” Bridgette replied.

“So, you still haven’t found anyone to hook up with?” Jill asked Bridgette.

“No, and I don’t think it’s going to happen, either. Last night, I tried with some of the friends in that booth, and one of them seemed like they might be into it. We were flirting a lot, but nothing happened. I think she just liked that I was flirting with her and wasn’t actually interested.” Bridgette sighed deeply. “I’m tired, you know? I have a broken heart, but sleeping with someone else isn’t going to help with that. And as much as I’d love to have sex again, it’s not like one night with someone is likely to give me explosive orgasms. I just miss having someone to touch, you know?”

“Yes,” Jill said. “Are you giving up your little mission, then?”

“It wasn’t a mission. I thought if I met someone and it was on, I’d enjoy myself, but I’ve tried. I couldn’t even talk to Kyle that night at the pub. And it turns out that when Mel walked past her, Kyle looked right up and even smiled at her, according to what Melinda here told me last night. If I can’t talk to a woman who I think is hot and then try to flirt with another woman who I think is cute and nothing comes of either event, maybe it’s just better for me to relax and hope I meet someone who I’m supposed to meet soon and have something real again. I want that.”

“Because you’re a romantic,” Melinda replied simply. “You always have been.”

“Blame the greeting card company upbringing, where you’re always talking about love,” Bridgette said. “Anyway, are you really not going to do anything about Kyle?”

“Why? Did you change your mind already? Thinking about seeing if she’d want something?”

“No,” Bridgette told her seriously. “You’re into her. I wouldn’t do that. Besides, it’s not like she looks at anyone else in the room when you’re there, anyway.”

“That’s not true,” she argued.

“Yeah, it is,” Bridgette replied. “She only had eyes for you last night. At the bar, and then, at the casino, eyes on you. When you were sitting right next to each other, she leaned over, and you leaned over, and I swear, the rest of us could’ve left that booth, and neither of you would’ve noticed.”

“Oh, I want that,” Jill said.

“Me too,” Bridgette replied.

“I don’t have it. There’s not an it to have,” she argued.

“When are you seeing her again?” Bridgette asked.

“She’ll come by the office between my afternoon tours. ”

“Did she invite herself, or did you ask her to come?” Jill asked.

“She texted and wanted to know what I was doing. I told her I was working but that I had a break if she was bored, and she said she could take a break going through her grandmother’s stuff and she’d stop by. It’s casual. She probably won’t even come. I told her it was only thirty minutes before I had to run the register. Not exactly fun to hang out with someone who’s behind a counter.”

“Well, I bet you a round of drinks that she shows up,” Bridgette stated.

“Really?” Melinda said, laughing a little as the check was dropped off at their table.

“And I’ll pay for a second round if she does show,” Jill offered.

“Oh, come on. You too?”

“And if we win, you have to buy us each three rounds,” Bridgette said.

“This is silly. I’m not agreeing to that,” Melinda replied, placing her credit card down on top of the check.

“Scared she’ll actually show?” Jill teased.

“She might. She said she would, and she seems like the kind of person who keeps her word.”

“So, you agree with us that she’ll show, then?” Bridgette said just as Melinda’s phone buzzed.

She looked down at it, and her face fell.

Kyle Schafer : Hey, sorry. I can’t stop by, after all. Jolie and I found some stuff in a closet that we need to go through.

“She’s not coming,” she shared.

“You have a sad puppy face. You really do like her, don’t you?” Jill asked.

“Yes, which is why I can’t ask her out,” she replied and typed back to Kyle that she understood.

After they paid and left the restaurant, leaving Bridgette to turn left to go back to work when they had to turn right, Melinda’s phone buzzed again.

Kyle Schafer : Can I make it up to you ?

“She wants to make it up to me,” Melinda said to Jill.

“Oh, that’s sweet,” Jill replied.

“I know. What should I say?”

“I don’t know. Maybe ask her how? Is that too flirty? Would she reply with a winky face emoji or something?”

“I don’t know,” Melinda said, laughing.

“Then, just try it.”

Melinda typed and hit send before she could overthink it. The three little dots appeared.

“She’s typing.”

Jill leaned over to wait for Kyle’s response.

Kyle Schafer : Are you busy after work?

“Oh, say no,” Jill said. “Tell her you’re totally free. But, like, two hours after you get off so that you can shower and shave and pick out something nice to wear.”

“It’s not a date, Jill. She just asked if I was free.”

“Still. Tell her yes, and at least change out of your stupid work clothes.”

“Obviously,” Melinda replied.

◆◆◆

“Kyle? You’re early,” Melinda said when Kyle walked through the door just as Melinda was done for the day.

“Oh, sorry. I finished up at the house and kind of just started walking. I ended up here more than anything,” Kyle replied. “But I can keep walking if you need time to wrap up.”

“I’m done here. I was just going to change.”

“Why?” Kyle asked, looking adorable in a nice green shirt and a pair of jeans with those white shoes again.

“Because I’m wearing my work shirt and khakis,” she said as if it should be obvious.

“Oh. I think you look great,” Kyle replied, tucking her hands into her pockets.

“I do not,” she argued. “I look like a tour guide.”

“Which is what you are,” Kyle said.

“Not after I’m done with my shift,” Melinda replied .

“I can wait outside,” Kyle offered.

“I’d invite you up, but it’s a mess.”

“It wasn’t when I saw it last time.”

“Because I’d managed to straighten it up a little, but I haven’t today.”

“I don’t care,” Kyle said. “But I can wait down here.”

“Give me five minutes,” she replied.

“No problem.”

Melinda turned around to head through the back and saw Jill standing right behind her.

“Hello,” Jill said.

“I thought you left.”

“I was dropping the cash in the office and heard you talking, so I thought I’d come back out and meet Kyle here.” Jill tilted her head to the side, looking past Melinda. “Hi, I’m Mel’s friend, Jill.”

“Oh, hi. Kyle,” Kyle introduced herself.

Jill tilted her head back and mouthed, “She’s hot,” to Melinda with wide eyes.

“Jill, why don’t you come upstairs and get that thing you left at my place yesterday?” Melinda said, exaggerating her own eyes.

“What thing?” Jill asked, playing dumb. “I didn’t leave anything there. And I think I’d rather stay here and introduce myself to Kyle.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Melinda whispered to her before turning to Kyle. “I’ll be right back. Don’t believe anything she says.”

Kyle laughed and said, “Uh… Okay.”

“She’s great in bed,” Jill said.

“Jill!” Melinda nearly yelled.

“What? You said she wasn’t supposed to believe me.”

“Oh, my God!”

“It’s okay. I can handle her. Get changed,” Kyle said, laughing softly.

Melinda practically ran up the stairs to her apartment and into her bedroom and pulled out a sweater and a pair of jeans. She’d expected to have more time to get ready, so she hadn’t thought about what she’d wear yet, and now, she was really regretting not setting something out earlier when they’d gotten back from lunch. By the time Melinda made it back downstairs, only seven minutes had passed, and she was sure she looked like a mess, but Kyle and Jill were still standing there, talking.

“Hey. Are you ready?” Kyle asked.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she said, walking by Jill and moving to stand next to Kyle. “Good night, Jill.”

“Oh, Kyle invited me to hang with you two. I was kind of hoping I could borrow a shirt or something.”

“She invited–” Melinda turned to Kyle.

Jill laughed and replied, “Have a good night, you two.” Then, she leaned over a little and whispered to Melinda, “You looked so disappointed. That means something. Go with it.” When she stood up straight again, Jill added, “Nice to meet you, Kyle.”

“You too,” Kyle replied.

A minute later, Melinda and Kyle finally left the tour office and entered the semi-busy street.

“So, she’s fun.”

“Did she say something to you?”

“About what, exactly?”

“I don’t know. Just curious what you talked about while I was upstairs.”

“Nothing, really. She asked about my trip so far, where I was from, and then asked for my entire relationship history and professional and personal references. No big deal.”

“She did what ?” Melinda stopped walking.

Kyle laughed and said, “I’m kidding, Melinda.”

“Oh,” she replied, looking down at the street.

“Listen, I know we’re going to grab dinner right now, but I wanted to ask you something, if that’s okay.” Kyle walked the two steps back to stand next to her.

“Okay.”

“I was wondering if tonight can be a date. If not, because I just showed up so you had to run upstairs while your friend grilled me, and it’s not the right time, I wanted to ask you out for another night. We could do dinner and a movie or something. Maybe outside of the Quarter, or you can show me another part of the city. Not as a tour guide, obviously, but as someone who knows this place better than I do. I’m rambling. Sorry, I’m nervous.”

Melinda watched as Kyle put her hands back into her pockets again and waited for her to say something. The only problem was that Melinda didn’t know what to say. She wanted to say yes. She knew that much. She wanted to go on a date with this ridiculously adorable woman who’d just admitted that she was nervous asking her out.

“Kyle, I don’t–”

“Okay. That’s cool. No big deal. I just had to try. We can pretend like I never said anything, though, right?”

“I want to, Kyle. I really want to. But you’re leaving.”

“Oh,” Kyle uttered.

“I don’t know that we should start something up.”

“Jolie suggested that we didn’t have to make a big deal out of it. It can be a date, you know?”

“I’m not great at just a date or casual things. Besides, I get the impression that that’s more Jolie talking than you.”

“It is,” Kyle admitted, looking anywhere but into Melinda’s eyes now. “And you’re right: I’m leaving at some point. I just… I like you.”

“I like you, too,” Melinda replied, smiling at her.

“So, how does this work now? Do we still go to dinner and pretend this part of the night didn’t happen?”

“We don’t have to pretend.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“If I lived here, or if I wasn’t just some tourist, at least, would you really go out with me? You’re not just saying that to make it easier?”

“What? No. Kyle, I would definitely go out with you. I’ve made some mistakes in the past where I’ve jumped right into something that I shouldn’t have, and I get this feeling from you that you’re not someone who a person just goes on one date with and leaves it and is fine with that.”

“Many women I’ve dated would disagree with you,” Kyle said.

“Well, they’re idiots,” Melinda replied. “And for the record, so am I for saying no to you, but I think it’s better if we just stay friends.”

“Okay. Understood,” Kyle said. “I had to try.”

“Dinner?” Melinda asked.

“Um… Yeah. Sure. Let’s go.”

“Do you want to skip it now?” she asked, sensing the mood shift.

“Can I? I’m sorry. I think I could use the night. I guess I got my hopes up, and I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m not exactly sure how to go about a dinner with you that isn’t a date now.”

“Of course,” Melinda replied.

“Can I call you or something?”

“I’m going to a wedding this weekend in Baton Rouge. It’s one night and mainly to be Bridgette’s plus-one since she was supposed to go with her ex and didn’t want to go alone, but I’ll be back on Saturday afternoon.”

“Okay,” Kyle said. “I guess good night, then.”

“Yeah, good night.”

Melinda watched Kyle turn around and walk back in the direction of her hotel. She waited for a long time, just watching her, before she returned to the office to find Jill reaching for her bag.

“What happened?”

“I made a mistake, but I don’t know how to fix it.”