Sizing them up, more likely. Why else would he get in touch with Diane first? Lauren would have bet Randolph had designs on this building and was here to look at the retail space. Sure enough, he said, “Mind if I peek in there?” He gestured toward the cat room.
“All right.”
Not surprisingly, Newton stayed put, standing near the counter with his hands shoved in his pockets. Diane shot Lauren a look that briefly expressed her displeasure at the situation.
Randolph came back a moment later and said, “Cute.” To Diane, he said, “And next door is a veterinary clinic?”
“Yes. One of the biggest in the neighborhood. They’re actually the only clinic in this part of Brooklyn that does emergency medicine and stays open all night.”
Randolph nodded thoughtfully. “Interesting. Good to know. Well, it was nice meeting you ladies. Maybe I’ll see you around the neighborhood.”
Randolph left with Newton in tow. Diane stayed quiet until they’d vanished from view. Then she said, “He’s trying to buy the building.”
“I figured. I heard a developer bought the Star Café.”
Diane turned to Monique. “Can I have an herbal tea, dear? Do you have that rooibos today?”
“I do,” Monique said, fetching a cup.
Once Diane had her tea, she headed toward the cat room, so Lauren followed her there. Diane greeted Paige and Evan before settling on a sofa.
“That Randolph fellow wants to buy this building, too,” said Diane. “Which is comical. I have no intention of selling. Honestly, I think he wants to buy up buildings on this block to level them and put in a mall. No appreciation of history, these developers. This building has been here since 1923! It’s got character! There’s a rumor that Truman Capote slept with a man who lived in this building! How can you tear it down to put in a mall that no one is even going to shop at?”
“Or they’ll put up a flimsy new apartment building that looks all sleek and modern on the outside but falls apart once tenants move in,” said Paige. “A friend of mine lives in one of those new buildings in Crown Heights and all her appliances broke down the first month she lived thereandthe building has mice.”
“Gross,” said Evan.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Diane. “I’m not selling. I figured I’d meet with the guy when he contacted me to see what he’s about, but he practically got out the tape measure when he was in here, and I did not approve of that.” She shook her head and groaned. “What’s up with you girls? And Evan? How are you all?”
“Lauren hated the new vet, then she loved the new vet, then she hated him again,” said Evan.
“Traitor,” Lauren muttered.
Diane laughed. “That sounds fun. Winnie and I got our start that way, actually.” Winnie was Diane’s late wife.
“Oh?” said Evan, leaning forward.
Diane sipped her tea and gave Evan an appraising look. “Our first meeting was very awkward and we got off on the wrong foot. That was, gosh, 1975, maybe? I had just finished law school, and I went to this reception for female law professionals. Safety in numbers, you know. It was very hard to get a job if you were a woman in those days, unless you wanted to take dictation for one of the partners, which I didnot. Winnie was a paralegal for a huge, evil corporate firm in Midtown, and I got a little idealistic with her the first time we met.”
Lauren chuckled, picturing it. Diane had a bit of a retired hippie vibe. Winnie had died before Lauren had met Diane, but she’d seen pictures, and she could just picture someone as crunchy granola as Diane meeting a buttoned-up paralegal.
“Anyway,” Diane said, “I ended up getting a job at her firm, because I have principles but I also had rent to pay. So of course I ran into her in the company cafeteria one day, and she let me have it for being a hypocrite, which I deserved. Things were pretty prickly between us for a while. But gosh, she was just so beautiful. My Winnie had a lovely face and these pretty blue eyes, and she wore her hair long in those days, and I had such a crush on her even though we generally argued whenever we ran into each other. And then one day I ran into her and we didn’t argue. I didn’t know if she was gay, and I didn’t know how to ask her, but we got to be friends, and then one day we got to kissing, and the rest is history.”
“That’s so sweet,” said Paige.
“So what I hear you saying,” said Evan, “is that you met this woman and then you argued whenever you met and then one day, instead of fighting, you made out, and then you fell in love.”
“That’s about it, yeah,” said Diane.
“Don’t even, Evan,” said Lauren.
Evan crossed his arms and looked smug. “Because Lauren and Caleb fight, except one time, instead of fighting, they made out.”
“Evan!” said Lauren. Although she probably should have felt relieved Evan didn’t say she and Caleb had slept together.
“I can’t believe you told her that,” said Paige, giggling.
Diane laughed. “Oh, honey, I know exactly how that goes.”
