Page 12 of September (New Orleans #9)

“I did. I take them a lot. A few times a week, depending on where I need to go for work. It’s more fun for me than the bus and means I don’t have to worry about parking my car all over the place.”

“I remember taking one on a field trip for school.”

“So, you grew up here, then?” Gwen asked.

“Yes. I’ve lived here my whole life. You?”

“No, I moved here after college.”

“I went away for college, but only to LSU, so not that far. Then, I was back, and I love it.”

“I love it, too. I never want to move if I can help it. My mother just wishes otherwise. I think she believes this place to be amoral and filled with drugs, sex, and rock ’n’ roll.”

“It is,” Juliet replied, laughing. “It’s just also more than that.”

“True,” Gwen said. “But I don’t want any of that.”

“No sex?”

“What? No, I love sex.” Gwen’s eyes went wide then. “I meant the drugs part. And rock ’n’ roll is fine, but not my thing. I prefer 90’s boy bands.”

“What?” Juliet laughed.

“Yeah. I grew up idolizing my older sister, who is kind of a bitch, but she was obsessed with the Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, and the rest of them, so I let her define my musical tastes.”

“I have so many questions,” Juliet said, laughing. “Your older sister is a bitch?”

“Yes. She always has been, but she’s worse now. Very pretentious, selfish, and doesn’t care about anyone, really. She hated that I tried to tag along with her when we were kids. I’m six years younger than her, so I get it, but she’s still a bitch.”

“And you still love boy band music?”

“There’s a time and place for it,” Gwen replied and ate another fry.

“And what are those times and places?”

“My apartment, usually, when I’m cleaning. I blare the stuff. No headphones. Letting my neighbors hear it.”

“Oh, you’re the worst kind of neighbor, aren’t you?” she teased.

“I don’t sing along at the top of my lungs,” Gwen said. “Just a little, but not loudly.”

“Will you be exposing my dog to this kind of music?”

“Probably,” Gwen replied with a smirk.

Juliet laughed and said, “So, streetcar?”

“Want a ride? I’ll buy,” Gwen offered. “Just let me finish this burger and have some water with your martini. Candace probably made it strong.”

“You know her?”

“She’s friends with Rory, Logan’s girlfriend.

It’s all a little complicated; very lesbian of us,” Gwen said and picked up her burger.

“Basically, Elisa met Myra about a month ago, and Myra knows a lot of lesbians who hang out here. Rory is one of them. I started coming here when Elisa did. It’s good food, good drinks, and Candace is great. ”

“And no tourists,” Juliet added.

“Rarely, from what I’ve seen. It’s great. A different scene than around the Quarter, which I like.”

Juliet reached over and stole a fry from Gwen’s plate.

Gwen lifted an accusatory eyebrow at her and then gave her a playful smile.

When Gwen had finished the burger and had only had a few sips of the martini, Juliet prepared to pay, but Candace told her she didn’t have to pay for a drink she didn’t actually drink.

“She’s a real mixologist. It’s a sacrilege to leave one of her drinks untouched,” Gwen explained when they were walking out the door. “You’ll have to come back and ask her to create something for you. It’ll cheer her up.”

“Shit. Sorry,” Juliet said. “Wait. What about your sister-in-law?”

“Oh. She and Myra are going to go home and tear each other’s clothes off, so I just texted her that I was leaving. Don’t need to see them making sex eyes at one another for the next hour.”

Juliet laughed, and they walked down the sidewalk side by side in silence for a minute.

“You really don’t have to drive me home,” she said to make conversation. “I can just get a car.”

“But the streetcar…”

“I can ride with you for a few stops until it gets to where the shared rides like to congregate and get a car faster there.”

“I’m not drunk, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’d never–”

“I’m not. I have a feeling that if I asked you to touch your nose and walk a straight line right now, you’d be just fine.”

Gwen laughed and said, “Yes, I would.”

“I just don’t want to put you out.”

“Where do you live? Albuquerque?” Gwen joked.

“No, I’m only about twenty minutes from here.”

“Okay. I think I can manage that. And the stop is over here.” Gwen pointed to the corner of the street. “It should be here in a few minutes.”

“How did you get into dog walking and stuff? I don’t think I asked that earlier.”

“After college,” Gwen replied. “It was just something to do to make some money at first, but I really enjoyed it. I couldn’t have pets growing up.

My older brother is allergic to dogs, and my younger brother is allergic to cats.

My sister is somehow allergic to the whole petting zoo.

I’m the only one who made it out unscathed. ”

Juliet laughed and said, “The whole petting zoo? Really?”

“Yes. Goats, donkeys, horses, and whatever else they have at petting zoos.”

“But now, you have Larry, and he’s great,” Juliet said.

“He’s my main man,” Gwen replied.

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Oh, just the three. My older brother and sister are twins. Then, I have a younger brother. Grant is four years younger than me. You?”

“I’m an only child,” Juliet shared.

“That sounds amazing,” Gwen replied. “No one to be bitchy to you when all you want to do is borrow their Backstreet Boys CDs.”

Juliet laughed as the streetcar arrived.