“Well, maybe her bad reputation got her on some kind of naughty list, and she needs to bide her time on something like this one.”
“Okay. Sarah’s outthere. Why are you in here?” Maisie asked, walking inside through the back door. “You said you’d come out and take over for me and India.”
“And I am on my way,” Lainey replied. “Talk to Dana here.”
“What? Why? I’ve got to go, too,” Dana said.
“Then, I’ll see you later,” Lainey said and walked out theback just as India walked into the shop.
“Here,” India spoke.
“Hi, babe,” Maisie replied, smiling at her girlfriend.
“Where do you want me?”
“Donotanswer that,” Dana said, pointing at Maisie. “I don’t want to know.”
Maisie laughed and rubbed India’s back.
“Front register. Thank you.”
“I cannot wait until we’re on our trip. You’ve been working me day and night,” India said, kissing Maisie’s lips sweetly.
“Again, I don’t need to hear that,” Dana said, shaking her head. Then, she picked up her purse from the table in the back of the shop they had pulled out to put extra boxes of books on and asked, “And what trip?”
“We’re going skiing again this year,” Maisie explained. “Our second annual ski trip. And I can’t wait, either. I need a break.”
“As well as some relaxation and better luck on your skis this year,” India said.
“Hey,youwere my instructor,” Maisie tossed back.
“And you were the student who kept trying to make out with me and stay inside the room instead of spending the time actually learning.”
“We’d just started dating back then, and you’re gorgeous. What did you expect to happen in a fancy resort in front of a fireplace?” Maisie asked.
“And I’m going to go now,” Dana replied. “Have great sex on your ski trip, though.”
Maisie laughed again and said, “I’m sure we’ll see you before then.”
“I don’t know. I’m about to get really busy with this movie.”
“I can’t believe that’s happening,” India said. “I feel like I’ve been hearing about it forever now, even though it’s only been about a year for me. It’s great that you get to be a part of it. Sophie promised us all tickets to a premiere if there is one. She’s still not sure yet.”
“I’m on Samara Barber duty.”
“Samara Barber duty? The womanplayingSophie?”
“That’s the one,” Dana replied, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “I heard Libby August is nice and doesn’t have a bad set reputation, but I’m a caterer, and since she doesn’t seem to have any dietary restrictions or weird rules, I don’t get to work with her. I’ve been assigned, as one of the more senior members of the company’s staff, to work with Samara, who, I’ve been told, is kind of a nightmare, so I’m not exactly looking forward to heading into work right now to get more details than the fifteen-page email I got this morning about this.”
“Fifteen pages?” India asked.
“Single or double-spaced?” Maisie asked.
“Mostly, a lot of lists,” Dana replied. “And I have to go report in, so I’ll see you both later, I guess.”
“Good luck,” Maisie said. “Hey, as a thank you, want to grab a book? Or, I can make India get you free food from Southern.”
“You can, huh?” India joked.
