“Did you ever figure out what you wanted to do with your situation?” I ask June.
Grace jerks back and whips her sunglasses off. “Did you tell her?”
June glances at both of us and puts her focus back on the road. “Do we really need to talk about me?” she asks.
“She’s lived here for five minutes and you’re … no offense, Mae. I’m just surprised, is all,” Grace says quickly.
June groans. “No, I didn’t tell her everything, but we talked about life situations.”
“We did, but you seemed like you were still trying to figure things out,” I offer, realizing I opened a can of worms and didn’t know it.
She sighs. “No, I didn’t.”
Grace settles back in her seat as we come into town, and June looks for a parking spot. “You’re going to have to decide one day. Put each other out of your own misery or give in. You know my thoughts,” Grace mutters.
June hits the brakes hard as she parks her truck.
“Yes, Gracie, I’m well aware of your thoughts, but it’s way more complicated than that.”
She huffs. “Is it?”
June growls. “I need a drink. Do you want a drink, Mae? Let’s get drinks, Gracie’s paying.”
“Whatever,” Grace says, shoving out of the truck.
Grace leads the way into a bar and grill, and I catch June’s elbow. “I’m sorry I didn’t know things were … I’m sorry you don’t have to tell me anything.”
June smiles and pulls me into a hug. “No worries, you didn’t know about the landmines in our lives. But I have a feeling you’ll learn them soon enough.”
I frown, not sure what that’s supposed to mean.
Grace gets us a table all the way in the back corner, and the drinks start flowing.
Looks like I’ll be the one driving us home.
After we sit down, one of the waiters brings us a large pitcher and places three champagne flutes in front of us. He starts to pour for each of us, and June waves him off, taking the pitcher and doing it herself.
She takes a long drag and sets her glass down.
The air turns awkward, and I wonder if it was my fault.
I take a drink and glance at my phone. I know I shouldn’t have taken the time from the shop, but when June and Grace invited me to go out with them, I couldn’t say no. I like hanging out with them.
“So, Grace, are you working on something new?” I ask her, trying to break the odd tension between them.
She hums and leans back, throwing her whole glass back.
June snorts.
“I think the darling of country is stuck,” June says.
I frown and glance at Grace slumped in her seat, glaring at June. “Let me put it this way, the pressure can be a lot to handle.”
I nod, waiting for her to continue, but she remains tight-lipped.
“So how’s it going with Cooper? And please, no details,” June says.
I smile and take a sip. “It’s great, too great.”
