Page 28 of June (New Orleans #6)

“A re you sure this is okay? I can tell them no,” Enid said.

“Why can’t it be, like, a week later so that I’m already twenty-one and can actually order a drink?” Caroline asked.

“It can be,” Enid replied. “I can text Jill and tell her we decided to stay in or just have a date tonight.”

“Viv is in my room, studying. We can go there, but we just need to be quiet. What about your place?”

“My parents have a couple of people over for dinner, but they’ll be gone by nine, and my parents will be in their room by ten and asleep by eleven.”

“So, you can sneak me in after that?” Caroline teased. “Will I have to use a ladder and go in through the window?”

Enid shook her head and laughed.

“I know. I know. I need to move out.”

“Enid, I’m just joking. I really don’t mind having breakfast with your parents. Your mom’s pancakes are great. Plus, they tell me embarrassing stories about you.”

“Let’s just stay at your place tonight,” Enid replied. “We can just sleep. Will that bother Viv?”

“I don’t know that she’ll trust that we’re only sleeping up there.”

“Because of last time? She walked in on us.”

“Not just that, but because of the Jodie thing.”

“I promise, I’ll be on my best behavior. It’s you who I worry about. You would’ve gotten me off with her right underneath us,” Enid said.

Caroline laughed and replied, “Yes, I would have. I felt you, Enid. You were…” She leaned in as they walked and added, “Hard.”

“Oh, I remember.”

“Viv likes Jodie.”

“What?” Enid asked, turning to look at Caroline.

“I know. I’m pretty sure, though. It’s getting really interesting around my room. Viv is moving out, too. When the fall semester starts, she’s getting a single.”

“What will you do, then?”

“Probably an apartment. I’ll need to get on that soon. They go really fast. I don’t want to end up fighting you for the same place.”

“Right,” Enid said, sounding a little off.

“Are you not going to ask your parents for a loan, after all?” Caroline asked.

“I am. I just haven’t started looking for anything yet. I will probably try to get a one-bedroom place somewhere. I assumed you’d go for a two-bedroom with Jodie. I know I’d prefer it if you two didn’t share a room or a bed.”

“It was one time,” Caroline replied. “And honestly, I think it kind of had to happen.”

“Sorry. What?”

“You know how you told me about Rory and how she liked you, but you turned her down?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure with Jodie. We’ve been friends for a while, and I liked hanging out with her. That night, we were just sleeping at first, and it felt like something stupid after, but in the moment, it felt like I wanted it to happen just to know.” Caroline stopped walking as she considered. “Huh.”

“What?”

“Was that how it was for you with Jill?”

“I didn’t sleep with Jill.”

“I know. But you liked her and wanted to see.”

“I guess so, yes,” Enid said. “It’s confusing when you like hanging out with another woman, but you’re not sure if you like her as a friend or more. I was pretty lonely when I asked Jill out, but I do like her as a person. I just also really liked you, so that wasn’t helping the confusion.”

“I didn’t have anyone other than Jodie to like, and when we did that, it felt good physically but also like that was the only time I’d do that with her. We joked about doing it again after, but neither of us went through with it. Then, I met you, and I guess she started to like Viv. That just all makes sense to me, you know?” Caroline turned to Enid and looked down at their joined hands. “ This makes sense to me. Jodie and I as friends and roommates makes sense to me. Oddly enough, her with Viv also makes sense to me. I hope you end up getting a one-bedroom so that we can have most of our nights there because even with my own room, if Jodie and Viv are dating, they’ll be around a lot. Viv isn’t exactly into the nightlife. I guess they can stay in her dorm room, but that’s just a room without a kitchen and has a shared bathroom.” Caroline shook her head and added, “I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go hang out with your friends. I’ll try to keep in mind that none of them are judging me for not having my life together this time.”

Enid leaned in and kissed her sweetly.

“If anyone picks on you, they’ll have to answer to me.”

Caroline smiled, but she took in Enid’s smile, too, and it looked forced. Caroline wasn’t sure what was going on, but something was different about Enid tonight. She knew Enid had her group meeting and then had to go to work for a few hours with Melinda. Maybe something had happened there because Enid had been relatively quiet since picking her up at the dorm and hadn’t even asked Caroline about her day, which wasn’t like her. Caroline tried not to think about it too hard as Enid pulled them into Candace’s bar.

She had been assured that the whole group wouldn’t be there tonight. Melinda and Kyle were at a double-date dinner. Monica and Bridgette were hanging out with Aaron, Monica’s stepson. Linden and Asher wouldn’t be there, either, doing their own thing, and Logan wasn’t working that night, so she and Rory were on a date somewhere. That left Jill, Sophie, and Sophie’s girlfriend, Bryce.

Caroline felt like she could handle Jill, who had been nice to her before, and she’d liked Sophie enough the first time they had all gone out. Bryce was new to her, but maybe they could make the night about her being in town, and Caroline wouldn’t have to answer a bunch of questions she had no answers to.

“So, are you going to do it?” Jill asked Enid the moment she saw them walking toward the table. “Hey, Caroline.”

“Hey,” Caroline said. “And do what?” she asked Enid.

“Take the job.”

“What job?” Caroline asked.

“It’s nothing,” Enid replied. “Melinda was just offering more hours today. I already agreed.”

Jill gave Enid a look that told Caroline that Enid wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“You remember Sophie,” Enid said, motioning toward Sophie in the booth.

“Hi, Caroline. This is my girlfriend, Bryce,” Sophie said with a wide smile on her face.

“Nice to meet you,” Caroline said and sat down next to Enid, who had taken a seat beside Jill already.

“You too,” Bryce replied. “So, you’re Enid’s new girlfriend.”

“I am,” Caroline said just as Enid’s arm moved over the back of her chair.

“I thought we were doing dinner and then drinks,” Enid noted. “Why did we meet here?”

“Because Candace has food and gives us a discount,” Jill replied. “And I love the burgers here.”

“I haven’t had one yet,” Bryce said as she wrapped her arm around Sophie’s shoulders.

“We had a late lunch, so I’m not that hungry right now. Want to split one?” Sophie asked Bryce.

“And get an appetizer or something, too?”

Sophie nodded.

“What do you want?” Enid asked Caroline.

“Um… Whatever,” Caroline replied. “I’m not all that hungry, either.”

“You said you were starving when I picked you up,” Enid noted.

Caroline only shrugged in response, so Enid gave her a confused expression before she turned toward the rest of the group, who were in conversation about Bryce’s script.

“I still don’t know how it happened, but they’re location-scouting here soon, so it’s really happening,” Bryce explained once they all had their food. “They’ve got me blogging every week about Sophie and me and the progress for the movie to keep people interested. It’s going to be a low-budget deal compared to Hollywood blockbusters, but they think they can get it on Hulu or Netflix. If not, they’ll put it on that queer streaming network, which is still pretty cool to me considering I met the love of my life, and they want to turn that into a movie.”

Sophie smiled as Bryce spoke, and even Jill smiled as they continued to talk about how the movie would be filming later that year because the production company not only lost a movie they were planning on filming during that window, so they had space, but they also wanted to capitalize on the viral nature of Bryce’s blog and her meeting Sophie. Caroline just listened in and didn’t say much because Bryce was talking a mile a minute, but when they were done with their food and had paid, Caroline tapped Enid on the thigh.

“Hey, do we have to get a drink after this? I’m kind of ready to go home,” she said.

Enid just nodded and announced to the group, “We’re going to head out.”

“You’re supposed to help me get laid,” Jill reminded, but then her eyes widened, and she looked around Enid at Caroline. “That came out wrong.”

“She told me. It’s fine,” Caroline said, laughing a little. “I’m just not feeling well, so can she maybe be excused tonight?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jill said. “Feel better, okay?”

“Thanks,” Caroline replied.

Minutes later, they were on the street, with Enid not holding her hand this time. It felt weird almost. They’d held hands everywhere they’d walked since they’d started dating.

“So, you’re really not feeling well?” Enid asked.

“I was feeling fine, but I saw something on your face that had me worried. You were extra quiet with your friends tonight and haven’t really looked me in the eye the whole time, either.”

“Care…”

“Enid, just tell me. Whatever it is, I can handle it.” She stopped walking at the end of the street and stood on the corner that, thankfully, wasn’t busy. “Are you dumping me or something?”

“What? No,” Enid replied, moving closer to her. “Why would you think that?”

“You’re acting weird. What am I supposed to think?”

“I didn’t expect Jill to just blurt that job thing out.”

“Why is that a problem if it’s just a few more hours a week? Did you think I’d be upset that you had to work a little more?”

“No, it’s not that.” Enid sighed. “I got a call about a job today. That’s why you saw my face freaking out in there.”

“A job offer?”

“Someone I worked with in Tallahassee called me right after I said goodbye to you this morning. She has a job for me. Well, I have to interview, but she called me personally to tell me about it, and I’ll be moved to the front of the line because I used to work with her.”

“Enid, that’s great news,” Caroline said. “Why do you look like it’s bad news to get a job offer?”

“It’s not an offer, technically. It’s just an interview. But I read the job description, and I think given that Sylvie knows me and has seen me do a job that’s about the same before, I’ll probably get it.”

“Again… Why is that bad?”

“Because it’s in Jacksonville, Care,” Enid replied.

“Jacksonville, as in Florida?”

Enid nodded.

“After you finish school, right?”

Enid shook her head.

“Now?”

Enid nodded again.

“Remote? Like, you can work from home?”

“No,” Enid replied. “Well, I don’t know, exactly. Sylvie said they want someone in the office, but she’s going to check for me to see if I can work from here instead. I don’t know that it will happen, though.”

“Do you want it?” Caroline asked. “The job, is it what you want?”

“It’s not perfect, and I’ve never been to Jacksonville, so I don’t know if I’ll like it there. The job is fine, I think, but I haven’t researched the company yet, so I don’t know if I’ll want to work there. I was going to do that tomorrow.”

“When were you going to tell me about this?” Caroline asked. “ Jill knew, Enid.”

“No, Jill doesn’t know about this, I promise,” Enid told her, cupping Caroline’s cheek. “I met with Melinda today to talk about work at NOLA Guides, so Jill knows about that part.”

“Extra hours?”

“Melinda and I discussed something more permanent, but it was just talk for now. I can’t do school and work there full-time, with my school program getting harder in the fall.”

“What about school? If you move, what would you do?”

“See if I can switch to the longer program and take it online.”

Caroline nodded and asked, “And what about us?”

Enid slid her thumb over Caroline’s cheek and said, “I wanted to check out the company and see if I really wanted to apply before I told you so that you wouldn’t worry. I really like you, Care. I want this to continue. I didn’t plan on this.”

“Jacksonville isn’t a quick drive, Enid. And I’ve got to finish school, or I’m on my own. I don’t even have a part-time job yet. I couldn’t afford rent or–”

“I know,” Enid said, interrupting Caroline’s mild freak-out. “I haven’t decided anything yet.”

“Would we do long-distance if you move?”

“I hope so,” Enid replied. “We’d have to decide that together because it’s not only about what I want.”

“I’ve never been in a long-distance relationship. I don’t know how to do that, Enid.”

“We’d figure it out together, Care. If you want to, we’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t want to live in Florida. I like it here. But I’d live somewhere else. I just don’t want to move to Florida. I don’t want Texas, either, if I’m being honest.”

Enid chuckled and replied, “I don’t plan on being there forever, either.”

Caroline nodded and said, “Can you maybe take me home? I think I need to do some thinking.”

“Care, don’t pull away. None of this is happening right now.”

“I’m not pulling away, but I don’t know that I have the energy to do anything else tonight, either. I think I just want to sketch and sleep.”

“Caroline, this is new, but I want it,” Enid told her.

“I know. So do I,” she replied.