Page 88 of Tell Me You Love Me

“Knowing you?” I question. “I’d bet your boss is pissed always, simply because she has to work with you every day. You coming back to Plainview anytime soon?”

“I’m here right now, aren’t I?” She scoops her purse onto her arm, resting the straps at her elbow, and peeks over her shoulder. “Anyone else feel like taking a decontamination shower after this? I swear, the only people who actually give a shit are standing right here. All the rest of ‘em just hate the idea of missing out on the most exciting thing to happen in Plainview this month.”

“I’m here! Oh mygod!” A woman tip-toe-runs across the cemetery lawn, drawing eyes and snide lip-upturns from scandalized mourners. “Jesus, Alana! I’m here. I made it. I’m not late.”

It’s funny how our group tightens just a little more. How Chris and Oliver, and even Eliza, step closer and protect those they considered the enemy not so long ago, because now, as a woman in heels and a skirt suit, long tan legs, and flowing brown hair, noisily dashes this way, they create a wall of safety.

The woman walk-runs on uneven grass. Big, brown eyes zeroing in on those we shield behind us. She has expressive eyebrows and,evidently, zero spatial awareness, because she bowls straight through us, dragging Alana into a hug and tugging Franky in, too, so his poor face is crushed against the woman’s ribs.

“It took me half an hour to get here when the GPS said it would only be three minutes.” She leans back, cupping Alana’s cheek. “Someone’s a filthy rotten liar, or the GPS lady doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about.”

“It couldn’t be that you didn’t listen to the instructions, right?” Alana’s eyes glitter with unshed tears. Her jaw trembles. And then she yanks her friend in again and squeezes extra tight. “Holy shit, it’s good to see you, Fox.”

“Aw, hey.” She swipes the tears from Alana’s cheeks. “Don’t cry for me, pretty girl. I told you I’d come.”

“Uh, excuse me, hi?” Eliza muscles her way in. “It might be normal in New York for folks to conduct a conversation and rudely exclude others, but here in Plainview?—”

“Here, people are rude to your face,” Alana finishes with a soft chuckle. She wipes her face and gestures. “That’s Eliza Darling. She’s mean.”

Protective, Fox sneers at Eliza’s offered hand. “I’ve heard about you. I sharpened the heel of my Louboutins especially for this visit.”

“And that’s Oliver.” Alana marches right over the girl drama. “He’s Eliza’s brother. Raquel,” she adds, as Fox moves from one person to the next. “They’re siblings. Tommy?—”

She burns me to a damn crisp. Her stare vengeful and unkind. “I know of you. I’ll reserve my judgment for now.” Then she turns on her own to the only other person here who looks just like me. “Makes you Christian.” She takes his hand and studies him with long sweeps of her eyes. “Heard about you, too. I’m assured you’re mostly decent to my friend.”

“Mostly.” He looks her up and down, too. Appreciating, maybe. Then smirking. “Most of the time.”

“And last but not least—” She tosses his hand and meets Franky’s eyes. “My boy! Holy heckin’ chicken poo! I’ve missed you.”

She pulls him in and…

Well, he doesn’t shove her away. Which surprises me until I remember she’s been in his life since infancy. She’s allowed to be eccentric and loud. She’s allowed to hug because she’s basically family to him. She’s known him longer than any of the rest of us combined.

“I think you got more handsome, Franklin.” She allows him to step back, but cups his cheeks and earns a goofy smile. “Grew a whole foot since we last broke bread together. I’m not pleased, little boy.”

“Pop quiz,” he beams. “What’s the fastest land animal ever?”

“Er… the bunny.”

“The largest?”

“The mouse.”

“And what’s the seventh digit in Pi?”

“Apple.”

His eyes dance with amusement, soft laughter rolling along his chest. “Wrong, wrong, wrong. You were supposed to study, Aunty Fox.”

“I did study! You’re just too smart for me.”

“Hang on.” I frown, earning twin stares from the pair. “She’sallowed to claim the largest animal on Earth is a mouse, but I mess up a chess board one time, and I become the antichrist?” I set my hands on my hips. “I smell favoritism, and I already have to tolerate so much with your clear preference for Chris.”

“You prefer Chris?” Fox wrinkles her nose, smiling. “Why am I not surprised?”

“We should go.” Alana kills that line of discussion and draws a deep breath as she glances out at the crowd waiting in the mid-morning sun. Shenervously nibbles on her bottom lip, then takes Franky’s hand in hers. “We’ve made them wait a pretty long time.”

“We don’t like ‘em anyway,” Raquel teases. “Bunch of gossips.”

---