Dana nodded and held out her hand for her to take. Samara looked down at it and knew it was just so that Dana could take her wherever they were going, but there was something else in it forher. She took it, and Dana walked her back behind the main part of the kitchen and toward the dry storage room, which had two old bar stools sitting there, alongwith shelves and shelves of alcohol and ingredients that didn’t require refrigeration.
“Are these chairs safe?” she asked.
Dana flopped down on one, and when it didn’t break, she nodded.
“Ever the risk-taker.” Samara laughed.
Dana stood and sat down on the one next to it.
“They’re probably just torn or something, but safe.”
Samara wiped at the now-empty chair and sat down.
“So, what did you mean by things being a lot?”
“Bryce said you’d be here with your sister, and she was bringing Sophie. I thought maybe Paige might be here, too, but there are more people than I anticipated.”
“Ah,” Dana said. “I didn’t know that, either. Maisie and Lainey used to date a while ago, and after they broke up, they stayed best friends, so Maisie is more like my sister than just a regular friend, you know?”
“That’s nice,” Samara said.
“And she and India kind of come as a package deal these days,” Dana added.
“Does that bother you or something?”
“No, I like India for Maisie, but with Lainey and Paige being engaged, and Maisie and India always around, I’m–”
“The fifth wheel,” Samara guessed.
“Yes,” Dana replied.
“Who are the others to you?”
“Friends. Tangential, mostly, but Logan and Rory used to work here, so I know them well enough, I guess. You know Bryce and Sophie.”
“Sophie a little less so. Bryce and I have spent time together for pre-production, but not much. Honestly, out of all of them, I knowyouthe best.”
“I would’ve invited you, by the way,” Dana said. “I just didn’t think you’d want to come.”
“Why not?”
“Didn’t seem like your scene; a local pub with no vegan options,” Dana said with a smirk.
“I think you just proved that they have some vegan options.”
Dana chuckled a little and said, “Sure. Let’s go with that.”
“You didn’t have to make me vegan mayo, you know? I would’ve settled for ketchup or mustard.”
“They don’t have your mustard brand here, and I didn’t know if you’d want just good old American ketchup.”
Samara turned a little toward her on the stool and said, “Can I tell you something?”
“Yeah, sure,” Dana replied.
“I don’t really tell anyone this, Dana. I don’t want the world to know, okay?”
Dana turned more serious then and replied, “Okay.”
