Page 34 of January

“If you want me to, sure,” Kyle said. “I’ve never really understood the whole ‘love of expensive drinks’ thing, but that’s probably more due to the fact that I wasn’t ever able to afford them.”

“Well, this place isn’t bad when it comes to cost. New Orleans has the benefit of a ton of tourists, which means the drinks aren’t exactly cheap everywhere, but they don’t have to be crazy expensive because they sellso many of them.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“So, your mom…” Melinda began but paused to give Kyle the chance to either glare her off the topic or tell her if she didn’t want to talk about it. “Are things okay?”

“Not really,” Kyle shared, and Melinda loved how open this woman appeared to be with her. “She’s been laying a guilt trip on me since I was born.BeforeI was born, probably; I just don’t remember that. Jolie has a better relationship with her. Not by much, and it comes and goes, but she’s the baby and not the one who got Mom kicked out of the house, so it’s different for her. My mom isn’t going to win any Mom of the Year awards, but she did the best she could, I guess.”

“You mentioned your dad before,” Melinda said.

“Yeah, he’s all right. They split up a long time ago, and we aren’t always the closest. It’s hard. He has the life he always wanted, and that doesn’t really involve his two daughters. My mom didn’t make things easy on him, either, but he helped us pay for college and did what he could when he was able. I think that pisses my mom off more somehow.”

The waiter arrived and placed two napkins on the small round table.

“Can I get a beer? Whatever is local,” Kyle requested. “Light, preferably.”

“I’ve got something you might like. Do you like citrus beers?”

“Yeah.”

“Tap?”

“Sure,” Kyle replied.

“Do you like cucumber?” Melinda asked Kyle.

Kyle nodded.

“Cucumber martini for me,” Melinda told the waiter. “Can you make it extra good for this one here? She’s never had one, and she’s going to try mine.”

He laughed and said, “Will do.”

When the waiter walked off, leaving them alone, her phone buzzed, so she checked the screen. It was Bridgette, asking her what she was up to for the night. Melindaswallowed because while she hadn’t exactly been avoiding her friend, she also hadn’t volunteered the fact that she’d started up a possible friendship with the woman from the pub.

“Just one second,” Melinda said. “Sorry. It’s my friend, Bridgette.”

“No problem,” Kyle replied, looking around the bar.

The pianists were about to start their duel, so they’d timed their trip perfectly. Melinda replied to Bridgette, letting her know that she was out with a friend, hoping that would be enough, but shortly after, Bridgette asked her where she was and if she could join them. She probably should’ve told her that it was a date, but that would’ve been a lie, and she didn’t want to lie to her friend. Melinda told her where they were and glanced up at Kyle, who was still staring off at the pianos on the small stage.

“So, my friend wanted to know if she could join us. Is that okay?”

Kyle turned to her with those green eyes, and for a second, Melinda thought she seemed disappointed.

“I can tell her no,” she added, wondering how she could take back what she’d already typed to Bridgette.

“No, it’s fine,” Kyle replied.

It didn’t feel fine, which gave Melinda hope that she shouldn’t have. If Kyle was disappointed in them having a third wheel in a few minutes, that meant that she might be interested in more than just friendship. The part Melinda had to keep reminding herself about, though, was that Kyle didn’t live here. She’d be leaving after taking care of her grandmother’s stuff, and that would be the end of her vacation friendship with a local woman she’d soon forget all about.

“Here you go,” the bartender said, placing their drinks on top of their napkins.

“Thanks,” Melinda replied at the same time Kyle said the same thing, and they both smiled at each other for a second as the bartender walked away.

Melinda then pushed her martini toward Kyle and nodded to it, so Kyle picked it up and took a sip. Her face after waspriceless. Her eyes squinted. Her nose scrunched. And her tongue swiped along her lips.

“So, that’s a no, huh?” Melinda laughed.