Page 39 of September

And they were back to Molly again? Juliet bit her lower lip, wondering why her friend kept coming up in the same conversation they’d been using to flirt with each other not all that long ago. Was Gwen flirting withherbut was actuallyinterested in Molly? Or had she not been flirting with Juliet at all, and she’d been reading into it?

“Yeah, she is. What did you two talk about today?” Juliet chanced.

“Oh, nothing much. She had to get back to work, and I needed to get my coffee. Mostly, we talked about Carly.”

“Carly? You talked about my dog?”

“She wanted to visit her while you were gone, and I said I’d have to check with you first.”

“Molly loves Carly,” Juliet replied.

“They spend a lot of time together?”

“Not much, no. But I’ve brought her on hangouts with Molls before, and Carly loves sitting in her lap.”

“So, I should be jealous that Carly loves someone else more than me?” Gwen teased.

“She loves pretty much everyone,” Juliet said. “So, Molls wanted to visit with Carly while she’s staying with you, or you brought it up that she could?”

“Me? No, I wouldn’t just offer someone your dog, Jules. I’d check with you first before I did anything. Molly asked, but then she said that she’d just wait until you got back, so it wasn’t a big deal or anything.”

“She can if you want her to. I don’t mind,” Juliet said, rolling her eyes at herself.

“It’s up to you. Carly is your dog.”

“Would you care if she’s at your house or something?”

“No, but I’d probably meet her at a park with Carly. I wouldn’t invite her to my place to visit withyourdog. And she said she’d wait for you, anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Okay. Well, never mind, then, I guess.”

“I’m sure she would rather visit her with you at home,” Gwen said. “So thatyoutwo can hang out orgoout.”

“Goout?”

“Yeah.”

Juliet did some mental calculations, and based on the path of their conversation so far tonight, she decided to take another chance and ask, “Do you think Molly and I are into each other or something?”

“What? No, I just–”

“Molly is totally, absolutely into someone we work with.”

“Yes, she did mention that.”

“It’s not me, Gwen. That person is not me. We’re just friends. She likes the woman from IT, who happens to have a girlfriend, so she’s a little miserable at the moment. Molls is all-in on Finley, though, not me.”

“Finley?”

“Yes, her name is Finley. And she’s in this annoying on-and-off-again relationship with someone else we work with, which means poor Molly has to wait for the right moment to shoot her shot, but then she never does.”

“Well, that sucks,” Gwen replied.

“Yes, it does,” Juliet said. “So, there’s that.”

“Right. That. Oh, Carly is done,” Gwen told her. “I’m going to go get her stuff and take her back to my place. Want me to call you when I get there?”

“You don’t have to, Gwen. I’m sure you have things to do.”