Page 23 of September

“You did?” Candace asked.

“I cleaned up after myself and managed to make it to the toilet. I just had these oysters for lunch today, and I think they’re unhappy with me, or my stomach is unhappy with them. I need to get home before it happens again.”

“I’ll come with you,” Juliet said and went to leave the booth.

“It’s okay. It won’t be pretty. I drove us, though. Can you get a ride home?”

“Are you sure? I can–”

“Jules, I don’t want you to see this,” Molly said, holding one hand over her stomach and the other up to wave her off.

“Okay. Yeah, I’ll get a ride. Text me later?”

“I will,” Molly replied and walked briskly out of the bar with her head down.

“Well, I imagine you don’t want anything to eat now,” Candace said to Juliet.

“Not really, no,” she replied.

Candace then walked away with a small smile, and Juliet looked over at Gwen.

“I don’t supposeyoucan give me a ride home.”

“I took the streetcar,” Gwen replied. “But if you want to ride that with me, it gets me to my apartment, and I can drive you from there.”

“I can just order a car. It’s fine. I should really go after her, shouldn’t I?”

“I wouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“You’re work friends, right?”

“Yes.”

“She doesn’t want you to see her throw up all over her bathroom because you work with her. I get it. I’d just text her later if she doesn’t let you know how she is,” Gwen said and ate a French fry. “Want a fry?”

“No, thanks,” Juliet said. “You really took the streetcar here? I don’t think I’ve taken one of those in years.”

“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?”