Priscilla turned and waved, calling out, “Stay warm.” The evenings were already chilly and the mornings chillier.
“I’m pretty sure I made Penny pack an extra five sweaters,” Sheila said as she stepped next to me on the sidewalk.
“Yep, I loaded Priss down with instructions to wear layers.”
Pulling my jacket tighter, I took a sip of coffee from my travel mug. Despite being sad over Priscilla leaving, I was a tad thrilled over taking my coffee away from the house. I’d poured my mug and scooted from the kitchen before Tommy came downstairs. I’d been doing my best to avoid his presence, and when I was forced to spend time with him, I nodded a lot and stuck to short responses like “you’re right” or “okay.”
“I’m at a loss with what I will do with two nights to myself,” Dale said as he appeared on the other side of me.
“Not me,” Sheila said as we waited for the bus to pull out. “While those girls are picking apples and braiding one another’s hair, I’m going to make a stiff martini and attend to some serious self-care.”
Dale looked in her direction and raised an eyebrow, and they exchanged a look.
Sheila snorted. “Not that kind of self-care. Jeez, Dale, get your mind out of the gutter.”
I finally got the joke, but was shocked at the level of closeness Dale and Sheila apparently had.
“Bubble bath, reality TV, and a good exfoliation, if you must know,” Sheila said.
Dale nodded, and I went back to my coffee, thinking I hadn’t been properly caffeinated. Or maybe my own transgressions were making me suspicious of everyone else.
“Will you be at the next meeting?” Sheila asked.
“Remind me when it is?” I’d forgotten to put it in my calendar.
“Next Monday. Same place, the Paula.”
Happy to have my phone to pull out and allow my messy hair to fall and shield my face, I felt a blush burn my cheeks. The Paula would forever hold a special place in my heart, since it was where I met Mick for lunch and then drinks.
We’d met for lunch once and a quick happy hour drink since our sushi dinner, now choosing more discreet locations. I wondered if he would meet me at the Paula next Monday.
“I’ll be there,” I finally said, looking up from my phone. Juggling my phone and my travel mug, I turned to Dale. “You coming?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. It’s an excused absence from parenting.”
“That’s the truth if I ever heard it,” I said with a chuckle.
“Hey, thanks for the article you sent,” Dale said to me, brushing his hair back off his forehead.
He was wearing sweatpants, a hoodie, and running shoes, and it was the first time I’d really noticed how handsome he was. He was a good one, a keeper, and he needed to find someone to cherish him. Lord knew, he’d cherish her back.
“What article?” Sheila asked, standing awfully close to Dale.
“Oh, Margaret was kind enough to pass on a TikTok tutorial,” Dale said, and a blush tinged his cheeks. “We ran into each other a couple weeks ago, and I admitted that I don’t know much about it. You know, these girls are going to be living on it soon.”
“I’m so glad they weren’t allowed to take their phones on this trip,” Sheila said, moving on with her own agenda.
I nodded, although I wished I could say good night to Priscilla.
“Oh well, I have to be getting on with my day to myself. You going for a run, Dale?” Sheila asked, her expression blank but her voice a bit too high.
“Yep, a long one, and then off to the office. Signing off on a new product line today, a closet design system for Bed Bath & Beyond.”
“Wow,” she said.
“Lots of luck to you,” I said to Dale, and “Enjoy your self-care,” to Sheila. “I’m heading out to finish writing a piece and then brainstorm some new ideas.”
In reality, I wanted to call Mick. It had been a week since he’d instituted his go-slow plan. Honestly, I was ready to go a bit faster, but I knew better than to push for anything more. Bad decisions only made bad choices worse.
