Page 32 of June (New Orleans #6)

“T hanks, Mom,” Caroline said into the phone.

“Why couldn’t you come home for your birthday? We wanted to plan something for you.”

“Mom, it’s my twenty-first birthday. I wanted to spend it with my friends,” she replied.

“Well, you could have gone out with them tomorrow. Your father and I wanted to invite the family over. Grandma and Grandpa wanted to tell you Happy Birthday.”

“I know. I’ll be there for a weekend soon,” she replied, lying a little because she didn’t want to give up any weekends with Enid while she was still here.

Her interview was probably going on right now. They’d woken up together, and after Enid had wiped the sleep from her eyes, she had smiled wide at Caroline, and she’d told her Happy Birthday. Unfortunately, Enid couldn’t give her the birthday gift Caroline had wanted, which was Enid on top of her, touching her, because Viv had walked in earlier and had been packing up her stuff to go to class or something. She knew that what she really wanted was for Enid to stay. That would’ve been the best birthday gift, but Caroline couldn’t ask her to do that. Instead, they had shared a quick kiss, and Enid had gone home to shower and get ready for her video interview.

Jodie had stopped by to pick Viv up and walk her out, which had been adorable. Caroline had watched them kiss at the door and had also seen Jodie’s blushing cheeks. She’d get the details later, but things seemed to be going well after their first date and night together. Caroline’s parents had called to wish her Happy Birthday not long after Viv and Jodie had left, and now, her mother was trying to make her feel guilty for spending an important milestone birthday with her girlfriend and friends instead of making the short trip home to have dinner with her family, where her mom would likely pour her a glass of red or white wine and stare at her while she drank it. Of course, her mom didn’t know about Enid yet, and Caroline wasn’t planning on telling her, either, until she knew what would happen with Enid’s job. So, that only gave her the friends and turning twenty-one excuse.

“We sent your gift this morning. It should be in your account.”

“Thanks, Mom,” she said, knowing that they sent her money and added it to her bank account.

Caroline was already mentally picking out the art supplies she’d get with it. She’d probably tell her mom that she bought a few books on finding her life’s purpose, though. It would help them avoid an unnecessary argument.

“Well, I’ll let you go, I suppose. Your father says that he’s comfortable with the rent amount you asked for and that he’ll give you a food allowance that’s the same as what you would’ve gotten with the dorm.”

“Really? Thanks, Mom. That’s great!”

She sat up in her bed.

“Furniture and everything else will be your responsibility, Caroline. Maybe use some of your birthday money for that.”

Her parents had sent her two hundred dollars for her previous birthday. If they had done the same this year, that wouldn’t be enough to cover furniture for an apartment and everything else they would need, so Caroline put the phone on speaker and checked her banking app, trying to figure out if her mom had any idea how much furniture cost these days, even the cheap stuff. When she opened her account, though, there was an extra two thousand dollars in there.

“Um… Mom? Did you mean to add that extra zero?”

Her mom laughed and replied, “Your dad gave you the two hundred. I gave you the rest. It should be enough for that cheap furniture store all college kids use for their first apartments. Make sure you remember you need kitchen stuff, too, Caroline. Pots and pans and utensils. Everyone always forgets that.”

“Mom, thank you,” she said, smiling because her mom could be a pain, but every now and then, she did something like this, and Caroline was grateful.

“I’ve had my own first apartment. I know how it is. Just be frugal and smart with your money.”

“I will. Thank you,” she said.

“Have a great birthday, honey. Your father and I both love you.”

“I love you both, too,” she replied.

They hung up, and Caroline lay back on her bed. She could get a lot of art supplies for two-thousand dollars, but she wouldn’t. She’d go over with Jodie what they’d need to buy and how they could split things up first. If she had any money left over after that, she’d use it for the supplies she wanted. It was her twenty-first birthday, and she really only wanted a night in with Enid. It would have to be in a dorm room or Enid’s parents’ house, but it would just be the two of them. As much as Caroline also wanted to go out with her friends to have that first legal drink, with Enid about to move to another state, she thought the drink thing could wait. She wanted to make love with her girlfriend and spend the night holding her while silently pleading for Enid to never go.

◆◆◆

“Babe, can we just stay in tonight?” she asked when she called Enid after Enid had texted her that she was taking her out tonight.

“You don’t want to go out?” Enid asked.

“Not really. I’d rather be alone with you. It’s my birthday, so I can ask Viv and Jodie to stay in Jodie’s room. They’ll understand. Or, we can stay at your place, if you want.”

“I wanted to take you out to celebrate and buy your first drink.”

“We can do that another night.”

“Care?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you give me, like, an hour? I know it’s your birthday, but I was hoping to take you out, even for a little while. If you really don’t want to, though, we don’t have to, and we can stay at my place tonight.”

“You really want to buy me that drink, huh?” Caroline asked with a smile.

“Yes.” Enid chuckled.

“How did your interview go, Enid?” she asked.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, which gave Caroline her answer.

“It went well,” Enid finally replied. “I’ll tell you more when I pick you up. Can you be ready in an hour?”

“Yes, I can do that,” Caroline said, knowing she didn’t exactly sound enthusiastic. “What should I wear, though? I don’t know where we’re going.”

“Casual,” Enid replied.

“Okay. I’ll go hop in the shower. See you in an hour.”

They disconnected just as Viv walked through the door.

“Hey,” Viv said with a smile on her face.

“Hello, roommate I haven’t seen much of today.”

“Shut up,” Viv said, laughing.

“I take it, everything went well with you and Jodie?”

“Yes,” Viv said with a blush creeping over her cheeks. “We’re dating.”

“Yeah? That’s great, Viv.”

“Jodie’s back in her room, but she wanted me to ask you what you wanted to do tonight. Or, if Enid was taking you out, ask if we could join.”

“She couldn’t ask me herself?”

Caroline hopped down off her bed.

“She’s… recovering?” Viv asked more than said.

“Oh, my God!” Caroline laughed as she walked to her closet. “She has to recover?”

“We’ve been busy. She’s still…” Viv looked down at the floor. “Naked.”

“On your first date, Viv?!” Caroline said in mock- outrage. “Nice job, by the way.”

“So, what’s your plan for the night?” Viv asked while laughing a little.

“I don’t know. Enid told me to be ready in an hour. I think we’re going to go to dinner and back to her place. Maybe we can do the friend thing tomorrow night? I’m not really up for the whole night-on-the-town thing.”

“Are you sure?” Viv asked.

“Yeah,” she replied. “But go back to Jodie and give her something else to recover from.”

Caroline winked at her and grabbed her stuff to head to the shower.

◆◆◆

“Hi, baby,” Enid said with a wide smile.

“You dressed up,” Caroline noted, looking Enid up and down. “You’re wearing a blazer, Enid. A blazer.” She pointed at the soft gray jacket Enid wore. “And a tie. You have ties? You wear ties ?”

“I let my mom dress me,” Enid replied. “Is it bad?”

“What? No. It’s hot. You’re hot,” Caroline said.

The tie was a skinny one that matched the gray of the blazer, which hit at just the right spot on Enid’s hips, and a white button-down shirt under it with a pair of dark jeans and white-and-gray tennis shoes.

“I’m wearing jeans and a sweater. You said casual,” she added.

“You look perfect,” Enid replied. “It’s your birthday. You should wear what you want.”

“I want to take that off you,” she stated, pulling on the tie until Enid was inside the room. “Viv is in Jodie’s room. Come in here.”

Enid laughed and said, “Later. We have to go.”

“No, we don’t. If you made a reservation, cancel it. I just want you tonight, Enid.”

“You will have me tonight, I promise. I only need an hour or so, and if you want to leave where we’re going, we’ll go, okay?”

“Fine. But you look so good, Enid. Do you have more ties?” Caroline asked.

Enid laughed and said, “No. My mom bought me this one yesterday when I told her that I wanted to dress up a little for tonight without going too fancy.”

“Your mom is a smart woman. But also, it is really cute that your mom went shopping for you so that you could look nice on my birthday,” Caroline replied.

For a moment, she’d forgotten all about the damn job interview. It had been a nice moment. She kissed Enid hello and finally let go of the tie before the thought of the job had reentered her mind.

“Let’s go,” she added.

The drive to wherever Enid was taking her was a short one, which was good because Caroline wanted to ask about the interview, but she also didn’t, so the ride was a silent one, with Enid’s hand on her thigh, squeezing it every so often. Caroline recognized where they were when Enid parked but waited to say anything until they were walking toward Candace’s bar.

“One drink, and we go?” she asked, leaning into Enid’s side.

“Sure,” Enid said, but when she pulled open the door, and Caroline walked in first, Caroline knew it wouldn’t be one drink.

“Surprise!”

The bar was decorated for her birthday, and standing around the room, Caroline could see all of Enid’s friends and a couple of her own.

“Jodie?”

“Yeah, hey,” Jodie said. “Surprise!”

“I thought you were still recovering.”

“Recovering from what?” Jodie asked.

Viv just cleared her throat and said, “Happy Birthday, Care.”

“Thanks,” she replied before she turned to Enid and asked, “You planned this?”

“I wanted you to have a party. If you really don’t want to stay long, we can go. I’m sure Candace would love to have her bar back.”

“We’re a local place,” Candace spoke as she walked up to them. “We support our local community. First drink is on me. What will it be?”

“Um… Candace, she’s my girlfriend. I was going to buy her first drink,” Enid said.

“I’ll take your money,” Candace replied, laughing.

“I don’t know,” Caroline said. “A beer, maybe.”

“What? No way,” Rory spoke from behind Caroline as she walked up to them, holding Logan’s hand. “Candace is a professional, badass mixologist. She’s a genius behind the bar. Have her make you something good.”

“Favorite flavors?” Candace asked Caroline.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I like citrus stuff.”

Candace appeared deep in thought and replied, “Give me a minute. I’ll bring it out.”

“You don’t need to know anything else?” Caroline asked.

“Nope,” Candace said and walked off.

The next several minutes were busy for Caroline, and Enid got a little lost in the crowd as everyone told Caroline Happy Birthday. Linden and Asher approached her first, offering to buy her a drink later. Melinda and Kyle were next, and they did the same. On and on it went until they were all sitting around tables that had been pushed together, sharing drinks, food, and some laughs. The drink Candace had made for her had been perfect, and Caroline knew it was her new favorite drink by far. She loved it. She found herself laughing and learning more about Enid’s friends, and this time, it was much easier. No one asked her questions about school or finding a major or career. Caroline thanked Melinda for the introduction to the street artist, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she had something to talk about.

“You two knew about this?” she asked Viv and Jodie later, finding them snuggled up in a booth.

“Yeah. Enid asked us not to say anything,” Jodie replied.

“Sorry, Care. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise,” Viv said.

“She’s great, isn’t she?” Caroline asked about Enid, who was talking to Rory and Logan by the bar.

“She is, yeah,” Viv replied.

“I really don’t want her to go,” Caroline admitted.

“Hey, it’s your birthday. We’re getting a new apartment, and things are good. Just remember that tonight, okay? Worry about the rest tomorrow,” Jodie suggested.

“It’s kind of hard when Enid is being the perfect girlfriend. She just gets me, guys.” Caroline shrugged. “And I get her. I know I’ll do the distance thing if I have to. I just don’t want to. I want her here walking around New Orleans, hand in hand with me.”

“ Tomorrow ,” Jodie said. “Tonight, you’re supposed to be getting drunk.”

“You don’t have to get drunk,” Viv interjected, tapping Jodie’s stomach playfully.

“I don’t really want to get drunk. I do want to have, like, thirty of the drink that Candace made me, but that would kill me, so I’ll have one every so often instead.” She looked over at Enid. “We’re going to stay at Enid’s tonight, but I forgot to pack a bag, so I’ll stop by the room and grab some stuff if she’s okay with it. You two can stay in the room tonight if Jodie’s roommate is back.”

“I would suggest talking to Enid about that plan first,” Viv said.

“What? Why?” she asked.

“Just trust her,” Jodie said as she pulled Viv in closer.

“Are you two just going to be all over each other forever now?” Caroline asked with a smile at her friends.

“I hope so,” Jodie replied.

“Me too,” Viv said, resting her head on Jodie’s shoulder.

Caroline then turned to see that Enid was still talking to Rory and Logan. She missed her, and Enid was in the same room, no more than fifteen feet away. How was she ever going to handle her being in another state?