Page 27 of January

“Breakfast?” Kyle asked, tucking her hands into the front pockets of her jeans.

Her eyes appeared vulnerable to Melinda somehow, and Melinda didn’t know Kyle well enough to feel that way, but that was how they looked to her. Kyle was wearing a dark-green hooded sweatshirt that went really well with them, too. She looked ever the tourist, and Melinda had to smile.

“Yeah. Let’s go,” she replied.

They left the lobby, and Melinda let Kyle lead the way, but by the time they got near the restaurant, Melinda knew where they were going, and it was one of her favorite breakfast places in the city.

“So, I know you’ve lived here forever and that you’re a tour guide, but I don’t know what is your… favorite movie?”

Melinda laughed as she placed a napkin in her lap and said, “Favorite movie?”

“I don’t know.” Kyle laughed, too. “Do you have any siblings? Is that better?”

“I have two sisters and a brother,” she replied. “And I know you have a sister.”

“I have a younger brother, too,” Kyle shared. “Well, he’s a half-brother. Same dad, but his mother is my dad’s new wife.”

“Are you close?” Melinda asked.

“Not really. My dad and I are somewhat, but my brother is so much younger than me that we don’t exactly have anything in common. I’m sure when he’s older, we will be.”

Melinda listened intently as they talked while waiting for their drinks and then their breakfast to be brought to them. Kyle ordered scrambled eggs and bacon, and she ordered pancakes. Then, Melinda watched as Kyle added Tabasco to her eggs and thought that this woman was looking more and more like a local to her all of a sudden.

“Love hot sauce?”

“Not normally. I read that this was made in Louisiana, though.”

“Avery Island, yes,” Melinda confirmed.

“I thought I’d try as much local stuff as I could while I’m here.”

“And how are you liking it so far?”

“Other than the beer and manure smell I mentioned before?” Kyle asked.

Melinda laughed and said, “Yes, other than that.”

“It’s really growing on me.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean, it’s muggy all the time, it seems, but that just makes my hair look frizzy. No big deal.” Kyle pointed to the ponytail she’d pulled it back in. “See? I’m learning.”

Melinda smiled and continued eating, letting them settle into a comfortable silence until they finished. A few minutes later, when her phone buzzed on the table next to her plate, she looked down and saw that it was Bridgette texting.

“Do you need to get that?” Kyle asked.

“No,” she replied. “Just a friend texting.”

“Did I interrupt plans? You can tell me, Melinda.”

“Mel.”

Kyle nodded and said, “Okay. Mel.”

“And no. I was just about to crack open a book when you called, and I had nothing to do after that.”

“Sometimes, those are the best days, though,” Kyle replied.