Page 96 of January

“You do?”

“They’re your friends. Of course, I do,” Kyle replied. “Can I leave the stuff here?”

“Are you staying tonight?”

“I’d like to.”

“Then, leave whatever you want here,” she said, kissing Kyle on the tip of the nose. “And I need to put on pants so that we can go.”

“Jill’s here! Stop having sex!”

“They’re having sex?” Jill asked on the other side of the door.

“We arenothaving sex!” Melinda replied loudly.

“Yet!” Bridgette added.

“I’ll go out there to stop the rumors,” Kyle offered and pecked Melinda on the lips.

Then, Kyle left the bedroom, giving her a minute alone to take a deep breath. Melinda was in trouble. She’d told herself a million times not to fall for someone so fast because it would never end well, yet here she was.

Having gathered herself and put on pants, she opened her bedroom door and saw Kyle and Bridgette sitting on the couch, talking. They looked like they might actually become friends. Jill was standing over by the window, looking down at her phone. When Melinda walked over to Kyle, ran her hand through Kyle’s ponytail, and left her hand on the back of her neck, Bridgette looked up at her and lifted an eyebrow before shaking her head. Her best friend knew it, too, now: Melinda was falling in love.

???

Two hours later, they were walking down Bourbon Street after a nice dinner that Kyle insisted on paying for. Melinda wondered if she was trying to make a good impression on her friends, but they liked her whether she paid for their meal or not. Jill had said as much when she and Melinda had gone to the bathroom before they’d left. Bridgette had told her the same when they’d walked into the restaurant. Now, Melinda was holding Kyle’s hand, leaning into her as they wove their way through the crowd and toward their destination.

“Our people,” Jill said when they walked into one of the gay bars. “I’m getting a pitcher.”

“Sounds good,” Bridgette replied.

“Let’s get a table,” Melinda suggested and pulled Kyle over to one of the empty high-top tables, with Bridgette following behind.

It was a small table without a ton of room for them to congregate around, but it would hold their drinks while they stood there and talked, at least.

“So, it doesn’t look like Jill and I are together, does it?” Bridgette checked.

“Huh?” Melinda asked.

“You two are all over each other, but we’re not, obviously. I’m hoping that it doesn’t look like we’re on a double date.”

“Stand, like, six inches apart,” Kyle suggested.

“And lean away from her,” Melinda added.

“Yeah,” Bridgette said. “I’m not looking to hook up anymore, but if the love of my life is in this room, I don’t want her to think that Jill and I are together.”

“Okay. Beers for all,” Jill announced, placing a pitcher on the table along with four plastic cups.

Melinda grabbed a cup for herself and for Kyle, and a minute later, everyone had their drink, and the conversation continued flowing.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Jill, but can you stand, like, a foot away from me?” Bridgette requested. “There’s a woman over there who keeps looking my way.”

“No offense taken. The one she’s standing next to keeps looking atme.”

“This is good beer,” Kyle noted.

She was on her third drink now, which was odd for her because she didn’t usually drink all that much, according to what she’d told Melinda before. When she finished her third beer, Kyle dismissed herself and went to the bar to get them another pitcher. After she returned, she poured herself and Melinda another drink, leaving the rest of the pitcher for Jill and Bridgette, who continued to talk about the two women who had, apparently, caught their eyes.