Pippa tilted her head, her expression skeptical.
“Did I mix them up in my head?”I asked, feeling a little unsure.“Was it Augusta and Carl from Kentucky?The guys started talking sports, and I filled the conversation in the words-in-words-out file in my brain.”
“It’s not that,” she said slowly.“The way Jasper said Louisville makes me think he’s not actually from there.”
“How did he say it?”
“He called it Lou-ee-ville.”
Gilly frowned.“That’s… not how you say it?”
Pippa let out a soft snort of amusement.“I went there for training years ago.Almost got crucified by the locals for saying it that way.They insisted it’s Lou-uh-vuhl, like your tongue’s too lazy to finish the word.”She shrugged.“I meant to mention it last night, but I forgot.”
“They could be transplanted natives,” I suggested, thinking aloud.“They’ve lived there long enough to call it home, but not long enough to pick up the accent.”
“Possible,” Pippa allowed.“But I was there one week and left sounding like a local.”
Before I could respond, the man behind the counter cut in with a booming, cheerful voice.“Buenos días!Who wants tacos?”
I didn’t hesitate.“I’ll take one al pastor, one pork carnitas, and one birria.”
“I’ll do the same,” Pippa added.
“Me too,” Gilly said, making it an easy hat trick.
The man grinned.“Ah,muy perfecto, mis amigas bonitas!You’re gonna love these.Best tacos on the whole ocean!”
“Gracias,” Gilly thanked him, her grin matching his energy.“We’re holding you to that.”
He handed us a number, his grin widening as he looked at Gilly.“For you,bonita, I’ll make them with extra love.If they’re not the best tacos you’ve ever had, you come back and let me try again.Deal?”
“Deal,” she replied.When we walked away, my best friend of over fifty years had a little kick in her step.“I still got it,” she muttered.Gilly had the thickest, wavy brown hair—from a bottle these days, but let those of us without any gray coverage cast the first stone—big brown eyes and curves for days.At fifty-six, she still knew how to bring all the boys to the yard.
“Damn straight,” I concurred.“Come on.”I nodded toward Carl and Augusta’s table.“Time for introductions.”
We made our way over, dodging other passengers lining up for food.
“Hey, you guys,” I greeted them with a wave.“Fancy meeting you here.”
“Nora, Pippa,” Augusta said warmly.“It’s so nice to run into you.And this must be your seasick friend, Gilly.”
“That would be me.”Gilly plastered on her friendliest smile.“I’m only sorry we didn’t get to meet last night.Nora said you’re a lawyer, and Carl is a pediatric surgeon.”
“Guilty as charged,” Augusta sang jovially.“On all counts.”
“Lawyer joke.”Gilly snorted a laugh.“Very clever.”
Carl chuckled softly.“She likes to think so.”
Gilly added a dramatic flourish with her hands.“Well, if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance…”
“…baffle them with bull,” Augusta finished, grinning wide.
“Oh, I like you,” Gilly said, laughing.“I’m keeping you.”
Carl gazed at his wife with a mixture of love and pride.“She’s a total catch.”
“Oh, Carl.”Augusta pished him, but a rosy flush in her cheeks gave away her pleasure.I couldn’t believe they’d been married for forty years.If marriages were a competition, they would’ve taken the gold.“He’s such a sweet-talking charmer,” she said.“It’s the reason I told him no the first time he asked me out for a date.”
