Rosie arched her eyebrow. “Now you’re taking it too far.”
“What? Why?”
Lori’s attempt at a serious expression only made Rosie laugh. “You know why.”
“Animals are very complicated beings. They get depressed too.”
“I’m sure they do, but I don’t think they’d respond to Jung.”
“That’s what I like to see: my two favorite women smiling and laughing.” Karen slid back into the booth opposite Rosie and Lori. “Are you ready to tell me why you got into therapy?”
“I’ll give you the Cliff notes version after I’ve eaten this Bolognese. I can’t eat it cold.” Or rather, she wouldn’t. Too many frozen meals not properly warmed had fostered a serious antipathy for lukewarm food.
Lori and her mom filled in the gaps with talk about the upcoming auction. “Sounds like it’s going to be a wonderful event,” Rosie said after listening to dress-code details and menu choices.
Karen smiled widely. “It will be the charity event of the season. Chicago has seen nothing like it before, and never will again.”
“Until we host another auction?” Lori asked, amusement clear in her eyes.
“Until we host another event, yes.” She raised her eyebrow at Lori then turned her gaze to Rosie. “Will you be bringing someone?”
“Maybe,” Rosie said.
“Ooh, great segue, Mom.” Lori nudged Rosie. “Will you be going with Shay?”
Rosie narrowed her eyes. “Who said anything about Shay?”
Lori chased some sauce around her dish with a dough ball before scooping it into her mouth. “Gabe may have let something slip in a text about Shay not coming home until Sunday evening.Tell all.”
Rosie gave Lori the side-eye. “Maybe notall,” she whispered.
Lori grinned. “Oh, sorry. Save the finer details until Mom’s gone.”
Rosie hadn’t seen this playful side of Lori for years. She’d almost forgotten how embarrassing she and her mom could be with the way they shared almost everything. “We got to talking while you and Gabe were playing pool, and we hit it off. She came to my place after we dropped you at home.”
“So will you be bringing Shay to the auction with you or not?” Lori asked.
Rosie placed her fork in the pasta dish and pushed it away. Her stomach was already protesting at the amount of food she’d eaten. No doubt, she’d be bloated like a puffer fish for the rest of the day. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh.”
The way Lori said that single word broadcast her wider understanding of Rosie’s “love” life. Lori knew better than anyone that Rosie hadn’t had any luck in finding her Princess Charming. And they were well aware that Shay was quite the prolific player who had zero intention of settling down. “I haven’t spoken to her since she left my place on Sunday.”
“She hasn’t texted you?” Karen asked.
Karen arched her eyebrow in that protective momma bear manner that Rosie so appreciated, even though it’d taken a while to get used to. “It’s no big deal, Karen. I wasn’t expecting a repeat performance. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting her to be into me at all. Shay’s kind of a goddess; imagine a late-thirties Angela Bassett. She’s got those same perfectly full Cupid’s bow lips and high cheekbones. She could easily be her daughter—maybe she is.” It wasn’t like they’d spent any time talking about anything of significance. Their pre-sex conversation had been all about the flirting and foreplay, which had been fine. But post-sex had been perfunctory and shallow, and there’d been no promise of extendedcommunication, let alone round two.
“Do youwantto see her again?”
Rosie smiled at Karen’s concerned expression. “I don’t have much say in that.” She glanced at Lori, who pressed her lips together and looked rueful. “Gabe is Lori’s friend, and Shay is Gabe’s friend. The math means that I’m Shay’s friend by default, and that’s okay. There’s no need for it to be awkward. I knew what I was getting myself into, and I did it anyway.” And God, the sex had definitely been worth it.
“Hey, lovely people.”
Rosie looked up to see Lori’s dad. “Hey, Hank.”
Lori’s love for him was clear in her adoring expression. “Hi, Dad.”
“You’re done already?” Karen looked at her watch. “Oh, time flies, doesn’t it?”
