“That’s weirdly judgmental coming from you. You always give someone the benefit of the doubt.” River was genuinely puzzled, as Audrey was one of the kindest people she knew.
“I told you. She thinks like she’s using a bullhorn. And I heard enough to know she’s not worthy of my best friend.” Audrey flapped the notepad against the counter as if to underscore her point.
River considered that for a moment. “If someone could read all your thoughts every day, or even if they just happened to read them at one p.m. on a given Wednesday, would you always be proud of what they heard?”
Audrey sighed. “No. I wouldn’t. Point taken, but please be careful with your heart and your trust.”
River leaned across the counter and kissed Audrey’s cheek before standing. “I will be, I promise. I need to head out if I’m going to be on time. Are you okay to lock up?”
Audrey shooed her toward the door. “I’ll call William to come help and walk me home. The Lime is having transmission issues.”
William was a local teenager who had just started at the University of Chicago. He’d been a toddler when his mother had started bringing him into the shop for her weekly tarot reading and a good chat, and when she’d passed, he’d kept coming, as though it was his way of staying close to her. Audrey and River had helped him study for his entrance exams and were like two proud aunts at his graduation, cheering right alongside his father.
River half-ran to catch the next train, the Blue Line that would take her most of the way. She should have just taken the bike, but she never rode without full safety gear, and the thought of having to wear all that heavy, thick material in this heat made her itch. She hadn’t needed a car, since the bike and public transportation were usually enough, but maybe she should rethink that. It would make moments like this, where she wanted to get somewhere fast, a hell of a lot easier. And it would have a/c.
As she stood in the center of the train holding onto the overhead rail, packed between a man with sweat stains way too close to her face and a man eating straight out of a jar of pickles, she wondered where the nearest car lot might be.
By the time she got off the L, she was hot, sweaty, and edging irritable. But the moment she saw Marina leaning against the fountain wall, all that evaporated. She jogged up and ran her hand through her hair, suddenly aware of how beautiful Marina looked in a tailored suit and…sneakers.
“You know, some butches like a woman in heels. But I think some New Balance sneakers arewayhotter.” She made a growling noise and winked.
“If I was worried about what you found hot, I might have stayed in my heels. But since we’re just going for a platonic walk, I figured these would keep you honest.” She turned one foot andthen the other, modeling them. “And I think you’ll find they’re Dior.”
“Silly me.” River motioned toward the path. “Shall we?”
They set off and soon fell into step easily. The first leaves were just beginning to change color, a reminder to River that change was coming in other forms too. “I didn’t think you’d see me,” she said suddenly.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to.” Marina glanced at her and then away again. “You’re almost illegally attractive, and you’re just my type. But I’m on a career path that means I don’t have time for entanglements, and I think you would get me…tangled.” She shook her head like it was the best she could do.
“I like that you’ve thought about why you can’t date me. Which means you want to.” River grinned when Marina rolled her eyes. “But who says I’d want to get tangled with you? Maybe you’re not my type.”
Marina looked a little surprised and then bumped River’s shoulder when River couldn’t keep a straight face. “Honestly, I don’t know why I agreed to meet with you. There are so many issues at play. But when you texted, I couldn’t help myself.” She stopped and looked at her. “I’d like to know more about you.”
It was so genuine that River didn’t know how to respond right away. “Okay. What would you like to know?” They started walking again.
“Where do you live?”
“I live in South Shore. My house is about three blocks from my shop, which I’ve already told you about.” She felt the strange, subtle shift in Marina’s energy but couldn’t tell what caused it.
“Why there?”
“My parents owned the house I live in now. They bought it for next to nothing when they got married, and they were always really proud of it. Even when there were problems in the neighborhood and the crime rate went up, they were wellrespected. Like village elders or something. That protection applied to me too. My mom actually helped me buy the building for my shop before she died, and I can’t imagine giving it up.” She blew out a breath. “That was a lot of personal information in a short burst, wasn’t it?”
Marina nodded, her expression thoughtful and her energy distant.
“Sorry. Was it too much?”
“No, no. Not at all. I was just thinking that it would drive me crazy to stay in the place I was born. I got out of Pilsen as fast as I could.” Marina gave her a quick smile.
“But you didn’t go too far.” River laughed. “It’s what? A thirty-minute L ride?”
“Twenty-three minutes, actually.” Marina frowned again. “I haven’t been back for three years.”
River felt the sadness that swelled in Marina like a wave. “Do you still have family there?”
Marina nodded. “Both parents, two—onesister.”
River waited for more, but Marina seemed lost in thought. The difference in numbers was telling. “But I imagine you’ve seen them outside of Pilsen over the years?”
