“Oh, yeah. I told her that I knew you liked her. Why?”
“When did you tell her that?”
“Not all that long ago, so you can probably thank me a little for the fact that you’re together now.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Harlow replied. “What did she say when you told her?”
“You two haven’t talked much, have you? If you’re not making out or having sex,andyou’re not talking, what exactlyareyou doing?”
Harlow looked away from her toward the suddenly very interesting building to her right.
“Oh, my God!” Aggie exclaimed and slapped her playfully on the shoulder. “You had sex with my sister?”
“Aggie, come on.”
“What? You did, didn’t you?”
“You make it sound dirty when you say it like that and smack my shoulder. It’s not dirty. I love your sister.”
“Have you toldherthat yet?”
“No, obviously not. We just started dating. And please don’t tell her that I told you that. I want her to hear it from me first.”
“I already told her that you loved her.”
“Well, this is different. And what did she say when you told her that?”
“Honestly?” Aggie shrugged. “She didn’t believe me at first. I’m not sure she believed me up until you, apparently, finally asked her out.”
“She didn’t believe you?”
“No. You know Larissa. I’d say her head is in the clouds, but it’s just aimed down at her computer, really. She’s also seen you with girlfriend after girlfriend, so I’m sure that didn’t help. By her logic, you could’ve told her at any time and not dated every third woman on the planet.”
“I haven’t datedthatmuch.”
“Maybe not. I’m prone to hyperbole.” Aggie shrugged again. “Now, I’ve got to run, or I’m going to be late, but I’m glad for you both, Harlow. I mean that. I always wanted it to be you for her, even when I thought you were a dumbass and a coward for not telling her how you felt.”
“Not sure that’s the compliment you probably meant it to be,” Harlow noted.
“I’ll get ‘em next time, then,” Aggie said and winked at her. “Have fun at lunch.”
When Larissa’s sister walked off, Harlow stood there for a moment before realizing that she was going to be late, too. She hurried off in the direction of the union, where she’d met Larissa many times over the years for one meal or another, and found her at a table near the corner, staring at her computer, with a pen in her mouth and her glasses down on her nose. She smiled and shook her head before she walked over to her and sat down across from her.
“Babe?”
Larissa looked up, wide-eyed, and Harlow reached for her glasses with her index finger and pushed them up Larissa’s nose.
“I need to tighten them again, I see?”
“They’re fine,” Larissa replied. “And hi.” She smiled at Harlow. “So, now that we’re dating, do we get to kiss whenever we see each other, and when one of us leaves?”
“I think thatisthe protocol, yeah.”
“Want to lean over so I can kiss you, then?”
“Nope.”
Harlow stood up, walked over, and sat down next to Larissa.
