Page 133 of June

“I’m confused, Enid.”

Enid opened the car door and went to the back, where she opened the trunk just in time for Caroline to watch her pull out the bags.

“That’s my backpack.”

“Yeah, Viv packed it for you earlier. I hope that’s okay. I wanted it to be a surprise. She did it while you were in the shower, and I stopped by and grabbed it before I came back upstairs and picked you up a little later.”

“Babe…”

Enid slung Caroline’s backpack over her shoulder and nodded down at the roller bag she’d packed.

“We’re staying in a hotel room tonight, so it’ll be just you and me and some strangers we don’t care about on the other side of the wall.”

“You booked us a hotel room?” Caroline asked as Enid closed the trunk and locked the car.

“I wanted it to be special. It’s your birthday.”

“Enid, this is really nice,” Caroline replied as she took her free hand, and they walked through the sliding glass doors that connected the garage to the hotel.

Enid hadn’t seen the hotel before she’d asked Jill for help. It had been a last-minute thing. But Jill worked with a lot of the hotels for NOLA Guides, and she’d been able to get Enid a steep discount on a room that would’ve gone unoccupied anyway. That had enabled Enid to afford a room with a view of the water, though she wasn’t sure how much of the water she’d be able to see through all the buildings. She assumed not much since the room had been cheap, but she’d take anything for one night alone with Caroline. No younger brother and his loud friends around. No meddling parents. No roommates who would walk in at any minute. It almost sounded too good to be true.

Enid checked them in and gave the guy at the desk her one and only credit card that she tried very hard not to use, but she could afford this; not just because of the discount, either. It would be worth it for one night completely alone with Caroline. The front desk agent gave them their room keys and told them where the elevators were.

“Should we maybe get some snacks or something?” Caroline asked when they passed the small section of the lobby where they sold chips, cookies, drinks, and some frozen meals.

“I’ve got stuff in here, but you can grab whatever you want, birthday girl.”

“You have stuff in your bag?”

“Yeah, it’s only one night. I didn’t need to bring a lot, so I put food and some drinks in there for us. I got a few beers and a couple of those canned cocktail things that probably aren’t very good. There are those chips you like and some of those cookies I saw you had on the shelf in your room. Other stuff, too.”

When they got into the elevator, Caroline pulled Enid against her the moment the doors closed. Enid hadn’t been prepared for that, so she probably looked a little surprised, but she caught the look in Caroline’s eyes and smiled.

“You are absolutely getting laid tonight, Enid Becker,” Caroline said as her arms wrapped around Enid’s neck.

Enid laughed and pressed the button to their floor.

“I’d love that, but I want you to get whateveryouwant tonight. Everything is about you,” she said and kissed Caroline’s forehead.

Caroline then pressed their foreheads together, and they didn’t say anything else until the elevator dinged, indicating they were at their destination. Enid pulled the roller through the door and looked at the sign, which told her their room was to the right. Caroline followed close behind, and they got to the door at the end of the hall seconds later. Enid unlocked the door and let Caroline walk in first.

“Enid…”

“Is it bad? Jill said it was a good–” Enid stopped when she closed the door and looked around. “Oh, damn.”

“Yeah, damn. You got us a whole suite.”

“I didn’t, I swear,” Enid said.

Caroline laughed and replied, “It’s a good thing. Why are you acting like it’s bad?”

“Because of what I paid down there. It was for a regular room. I couldn’t afford this.” Then, it dawned on her. “Jill did this.”

Caroline turned to her and said, “Jill got us this room?”

“I told her that I wanted it to be special for your birthday. She must have asked them for one of the best rooms or something.”

Caroline nodded and said, “Well,Iowe Jill a favor now, too, because this isdefinitelyspecial.”

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