Page 18 of September

“Because you saw her at the gay bar?” Myra asked.

“She confirmed it for me. We talked a little while I got to know her dog, Carly.”

“You’re going out with a client? Is that allowed?” Elisa asked.

“It’s not like I’m a psychiatrist or something. But also, no; I never said that we were going out. I just said that I met a prettygirl. Blonde. Beautiful green eyes. Sexy in a hoodie. My kind of woman.”

“And you’re going to walk her dog?” Elisa asked.

“Yes. And pet sit. She got a new job that requires travel, so I’ll be hanging out with Carly a bunch.”

“And you’re hoping for something more with Carly’s mom?” Elisa asked.

“Juliet,” Gwen elaborated. “Pretty name, huh?”

“What’s a pretty name?” Candace asked when she approached the booth.

“Juliet.”

“As in Romeo? Yeah, pretty. Classic. What can I get for you?”

“Just a beer. Abita.”

“Sure,” Candace replied and walked off.

“So, you think she’s pretty, but are you going to ask her out?” Myra asked.

“I don’t know yet. Maybe. She’s going to be gone a lot, it seems, so not sure there’s much of a point, but we’ll see. So, how’s Adele?”

“In love,” Elisa replied. “And she filled me in. Well, she gave me some of what was going on, at least. She said you helped her.”

“Not really. I think she just needed a non-mom to talk to, and I was there.”

“It was more than that. And thank you. I’m buying your drinks tonight,” Elisa said.

“Just one drink. I’m not staying long. I mainly wanted to make sure that Adele was okay.”

“She’s probably still on the phone with Wendy. I overheard a little of the conversation.”

“You were eavesdropping?” she teased.

“No, the walls are thin, and I overheard while I was in the bedroom. They’re in love. It’s adorable.”

“Yes, it is,” Gwen said with a smile. “And she’s going back tomorrow?”

“She has class on Monday, so she has no choice, but I think she would’ve driven through the night to get to Wendy had I let her. I convinced her to leave first thing in the morning instead and stop by Wendy’s for a while before heading back to campus. They’re about an hour apart, so it’s not a huge distance. I have no idea what she would’ve done had Wendy been hours away.”

“Pine,” Myra added, wrapping an arm around Elisa’s shoulders.

“Probably,” Elisa said. “Oh, and we decided that Myra is going to add a bay window to my bedroom.”

“You are?” Gwen asked.

“Yeah, it’s easy enough. It’ll be an open wall, though, so Elisa will stay at my place while the work is going on, but I think it’ll really add to the house when it’s done. It’ll give a bay window in the kitchen, too, for a nice little nook.”

“That’s cool,” she replied, thinking that it sounded like her friend, who was really more a sister to her than a friend, was happy, and it made Gwen happy as well to know that. “And now, you won’t have to worry about the kids coming home and walking in on you two getting it on,” she teased.

Elisa laughed and said, “We were just kissing this time. We weren’t getting it on. And the kids could at least text me to let me know that they’re on the road. For safety.”