Page 25 of The Hampton Beach Café 2
“About thirty minutes ago, showed up there about fifteen minutes later, apparently,” Vin explained. “Maybe the guy she's been dating works there.”
He sounded genuinely distressed at that thought, but knowing Lucinda, it wouldn't be completely unheard of for her to get a boyfriend in less than two months in a new place.
“I'd go. It's just...” he gestured at the people still milling about.
“No, I'll go. You stay here,” she said. “Alex, can I borrow your truck?”
“Of course, I should come––”
“No, you need to cook, and she'll be embarrassed, so it's better if it's just me.”
This guy must have done something really bad for Lucinda to dip out without saying anything,Frances realized on the way to the car.
FIFTEEN
It had been way too long since she had driven, and Alex's truck was a world away from the nifty little hybrid she had in LA, but as she pulled up outside the casino, she saw Lucinda. Seeing the frantic pacing back and forth, Frances knew she'd have fun there barefoot in a snowstorm if she had to––a crummy driving experience was nothing.
Pulling to the gutter, she parked and gently exited the car.
“Hey...” she said quietly.
Lucinda spun, finger already raised and pointing. “Leave me alone––Frances...how did you? Why are you here?”
The pain in her voice was visceral, and Frances could see the tears in her eyes.
“Because you have a group of people who really care about you and heard you were upset…” she said, “…so I wanted to come and see if you were ok.”
“What? Who told you?”
Frances shrugged and pointed at the cameras. “Security guard is buddies with Vin.”
“Vin saw me here?” She looked terrified. “No, no, he can't know...he's too good for me anyway, but this? No.”
“Hey, hey, come here,” Frances said, stepping towards her friend. “No one's too good for you. If anything, you're too good for them. You're my best friend! I have a terrible judgment in men, but women? Those I get, and only the best, can be my friend.”
For the first time since she had known her, Frances realized the powerful, confident, and always top-of-her-game Lucinda was sobbing into her shoulder.
“Come on, let's go home,” she said, guiding her towards the car. “Whoever this guy is, he can go drink seawater.”
Lucinda broke away from the embrace.
“You think this is about a guy?” she asked, wide-eyed.
“Isn't it?”
Her friend breathed in a long deep breath.
“It would be so easy to lie to you right now, but I can't do that––no, actually I can, but I won't,” she said. “It would be easier to lie, but it's not a guy. I...I have a problem with cards. I knew it was becoming a problem again a few months ago, and I stopped, but then it got really hard again, and so...”
“Wait, gambling? You don't gamble!” Frances said in shock. “You won't even go to the Casino Ballroom for all-you-can-eat lobster, or Poker Theme Nights at bars!”
Lucinda barked a laugh that was more sadness than mirth.
“And why do you think that is?” she asked sadly and slowly.
Frances stopped in her tracks, running over all the things that had happened recently that made her worry about Lucinda.
Her wild mood swings, often immediately after she had checked her phone.
