All good, solid reasons to avoid said stupidity.
“Bringing this back to me,” Lilah said. “Put tomorrow night at Crystal’s on your fancy spreadsheet calendar thingie and send it to Dell. Wait-are you still forbidden from sending him any more spreadsheets?”
This had happened a few months back after Jade had accidentally (on purpose) mixed up his social calendar, causing him to pick up the wrong woman on the wrong night. “Nah, he got over it.” Dell got over everything, it was part of his easy charm. Nothing much got to him.
“Make it seven o’clock tomorrow night,” Lilah said.
“I’ll be there.”
“Want me to come by and get you?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll honk for you.”
The usual routine. Jade looked around her loft. Eighteen months, and though Lilah had picked her up numerous times for a girls’ night out or dinner or any of a hundred other things, Jade had never invited Lilah inside.
Or anyone.
At first it was because she’d been protective of her privacy. And then as she’d made friends, it had been a way of keeping her heart protected from becoming too attached.
Which, of course, was far too late. She drew in a breath. “Don’t honk,” she said.
“What?”
“Tomorrow night. When you get here, just come up.”
“You mean you’re finally finished painting?” Lilah asked, sounding excited.
Jade bit her lip, feeling a flush hit her cheeks at the shame of the little white lies she’d told everyone to protect herself. “Yeah. I finally finished painting.”
“Well, it’s about damn time, considering you’re leaving next month, sheesh! Can’t wait. See you tomorrow.”
Jade hung up the phone and looked at the kitten sitting in the doorway of the foyer, watching her with those narrowed feline eyes. “Baby steps,” she reminded the both of them.
When Lilah picked Jade up the next night, she was grinning as Jade opened the front door. “Lemme in, lemme in,” she said, pressing past Jade.
Jade held her breath as Lilah walked through the place. “It’s-”
“Nice,” Lilah finally said, turning in a circle. “It’s… wow nice.” Lilah lived in a tiny cabin, one that was both adorable and ancient. At any given moment either the plumbing or electricity were threatening to go out and stay out. But the place had been purposely, carefully, lovingly furnished by Lilah herself, and every inch of it was… well, Lilah.
Jade looked around now, trying to see her loft as if for the first time to decide what these furnishings said about her. Smooth lines, glass, mostly white or pale earth tone colors.
Clean.
Neat.
They said
“So neat,” Lilah said, sounding amused. “I shouldn’t be surprised at that.”
There was very little clutter. Jade had always been proud of that, and the clean lines. It said she was on top of things. Successful. Smart.
An illusion, and one easily shattered at that.
“It’s so light and airy,” Lilah said. “Fancy.”
And costly. The word went unspoken, but it was true. She paid for the tight security and a good neighborhood, made all the more pricey because she was on a month-tomonth, not an annual lease. The owner charged her more to give him the security he needed in case she bailed.
And she did plan on bailing.
Sooner or later…
Or so she’d been saying every month for over a year now.
“Mew,” said the stray kitten that Jade hadn’t given to Lilah this morning.
Lilah scooped the kitten up for a hug. “Aw. You’re what, four months old? You’re precious.” She looked at Jade. “I thought you were going to bring her to the kennels for adoption.”
“I am. Tomorrow.”
She’s meant to do it today, but there was just something about those green eyes that said the little thing had seen too much for her few months. And the way her little ribs stuck out, it grabbed Jade by the heart and wouldn’t let go. She wanted to fatten her up first, is all, give her a day off from the cruel realities of the big, bad world out there.
“You have beautiful taste,” Lilah said, something new and a little different in her voice now, and Jade paused. She understood Lilah’s confusion. Jade had once told her that she’d come to Sunshine for the good winter skiing and a break from her life.
Obviously the receptionist job and ski-bum premise didn’t quite add up to being able to afford a place like this. “I lease it furnished.”
Lilah looked at her as if she was speaking another language. “Really? Why?”
Jade hesitated. She could tell Lilah the whole sordid story. That’s what friends,
But she couldn’t tell. She couldn’t tell anyone, not without falling apart, and falling apart was not on today’s to-do spreadsheet.
But she could be honest about something, at least. “I leased it furnished, because as you know, I never intended to stay in Sunshine long.”
Lilah nodded. “So the whole ‘I’m painting my place’ thing…”
“I’ve never painted anything in my entire life,” Jade admitted. “I’m sorry. I-”
Lilah set the kitten down and squeezed Jade’s hand, her eyes warm with understanding. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Jade. Not until you’re ready.”
It was the first time that Lilah had ever let on that she knew that Jade hadn’t been honest with her, and the knowledge made Jade’s throat burn. “Thanks,” she whispered.
“But you can tell me something else.”
“Anything,” Jade said, relieved.
Lilah watched the kitten jump up on the couch and make herself at home. “Why did you keep her?”
They both looked at the kitten now daintily licking her Lady Town.
Jade bit her lower lip. “I don’t know. Anyone claim her?”
“Nope. And she’s going to leave hair all over that pretty couch.”
“I didn’t want her to be put down,” Jade said.
“I don’t put animals down. Ever. And you know that.”
Jade sighed. “Look, she acclimated. I can’t kick her out now.”
Lilah grinned. “You are so full of shit tonight. All the way around. Why can’t you just admit you’ve fallen for her?”
“I don’t fall.”
At that, Lilah laughed outright. “Oh, honey. Haven’t you learned yet? You can control a lot of things-work, what you watch on TV, how much ice cream you inhale-but you can’t control what your heart does.”
Jade brooded over that for a moment. “You can control how much ice cream you inhale?”
Lilah laughed again. “Come on, Brady’s meeting us at the bar. He told me I had to be on time tonight or he wouldn’t put out later.” She took one last look around and sighed wistfully. “Someday,” she murmured. “I’m going to have a place like this.”
Jade followed Lilah out and carefully set her alarm. Maybe she had the more expensive place and bigger savings account, but out of the two of them, Lilah with her tiny cabin, kennels, and adoring boyfriend was by far the richer.
