Page 74 of June

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Enid replied and placed a hand in the back pocket of Caroline’s jeans.

“Smooth move there, Becker,” Caroline noted.

Enid just gave her ass a squeeze, making Caroline laugh.

CHAPTER 18

Their date had been perfect so far, and Caroline had wanted it to continue, but she wasn’t sure she really wanted to go to a bar to meet Enid’s friends. She wanted them to take a walk or maybe go into the city and grab dessert after their concession stand dinner at the arcade. They could have gone back to Caroline’s room. Viv would’ve left them alone, and they could’ve just hung out for a while. That would have been awkward, but Caroline didn’t think she could invite herself over to Enid’s house, and that was especially true because she wasn’t ready to meet Enid’s parents or brother. She was barely ready to meet Enid’s friends.

“You’ll help me with names, right?” she asked when Enid parked a couple of blocks away from the bar they had driven past and Enid had pointed out. “And you’re sure it’s okay that I go in there? I don’t want Candace to get in trouble.”

“Rory asked her, and she said it was fine as long as you don’t drink anything. I’ll help you with names, too. I don’t even know who will be there. Rory said it could be everyone.”

“Who exactly is everyone?”

“You want the rundown while we walk?” Enid asked.

Caroline nodded, and they got out of the car. Enid took her hand, which felt like it was supposed to be there, and that madeher a little less nervous about meeting some of Enid’s friends for the first time.

“Okay. So, it’s a long list, and I don’t know if everyone reallywillbe here, but let’s just start with Melinda and Kyle. They’re engaged. Melinda runs the tour company Rory and Jill work for, and she’ll own it one day. Kyle just moved here about a year and a half ago, met Melinda, and they fell in love. She’s a French translator.”

“Kyle is a woman?”

“Yes,” Enid replied. “Next up is Bridgette, Melinda’s best friend from high school. She’s engaged to Monica, who is an Arnette, as intheArnettes.”

“The Arnettes who kind of run the world?”

“Those Arnettes, yes. She and Bridgette are engaged, too, and Monica now owns the greeting card company with Bridgette that Bridgette’s parents started. She might notown it, own it yet, but they work together there.”

“Okay. Kyle and Melinda. Bridgette and Monica. Got it.”

Caroline wasn’t completely sure she did, but she could fake it for now.

“Sophie and Bryce are next, but Bryce lives in Tennessee. She’s coming to town soon. She and Sophie are actually having a movie made about their relationship; how they met, technically. Bryce is writing the script for that, which is kind of cool. Sophie already knew Monica through work, and she still works at Arnette, but I’m not exactly sure what she does there. Bryce is going to be moving here soon, I think.”

“They’re having a movie made about them?” Caroline asked.

“Crazy, huh?” Enid squeezed her hand. “Anyway, after those two, there’s Linden and Asher. They are both wedding planners. I know Linden through Rory, who met her while she was in a wedding party at one of the weddings Linden planned, and theybecame friends. Linden and Asher were best friends for a decade or something before they recently started dating.”

“Ten years?”

“Yup. Then, there’s Rory, who I’ve told you about. She just met her girlfriend, Logan, last month, but they’re head over heels for each other. It’s cuteandannoying.”

“Will we be cute and annoying?” Caroline asked, leaning into Enid.

“I hope so,” Enid said. “Candace owns the bar. Logan works here. Candace, the only straight woman in this bunch, is engaged to Keith, but I’m not sure if he’ll be here tonight or not. Rory is in grad school for social work and has, like, three jobs. I think that’s everyone.”

“Um… You missed someone.”

“You already know me.”

“Jill, Enid. You missed Jill.”

“Oh, shit,” Enid said. “Um… Yeah. Jill is a tour guide at NOLA Guides, the tour company. I told you that before, though. I met her through Rory.”

“And that’s everyone?”

“Pretty sure, yeah.”

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