2. Claire
Claire
"Wheeeee!"
Claire laughed and gripped Lucinda's hand as they rounded the corner of the kidney-shaped bowl again. When her friend had insisted they get out and do something active, she'd never expected Luce to take her to a skatepark. And one so close to her new apartment in downtown Houston!
"I need a break," Claire wheezed, dragging Lucinda toward the grassy seating area where their water bottles awaited them.
"This was such a good idea. I didn't know how much I needed this.
" Claire swiped at an errant ringlet that slipped free of her hair band before taking a long swig of her water.
Normally, she would have braided her unruly red locks for this kind of adventure, but Lucinda had rushed her out the door before she could do anything but grab a hair tie.
Lucinda smirked. "I know, right? But, dude… you are so in love with your new place, I was afraid you'd never leave."
"Not fair! I'm still unpacking. Also, I don't know if you've noticed, but it's scorching out here." Claire grabbed the sunblock lotion from her backpack to reapply. While Luce didn't have to worry about burning with her lovely golden-brown complexion, redheads like her had to pay attention.
"Oh my god, right? I looked it up before getting on the plane.
Houston is actually subtropical. It's sooo hot.
And the humidity is gross. Girl, you know I love you, but I can hardly wait to get back to my NorCal weather.
September should feel like autumn, not the middle of summer still.
" She scrunched her nose and slapped at a mosquito. "Ew."
Claire grinned at her friend, then checked her watch. "This has been the best distraction ever, but we should get back if we want to shower and rest before dinner."
The women traded their skates for sneakers, packed their things, and headed to their bikes. Since bicycling was Claire's preferred transportation method, Lucinda had rented a bike for her visit. They'd peddled around downtown Houston all week and used rideshares when they wanted to venture further.
"I'm definitely coming here again," Claire said.
"I didn't know there would be so much green space in a city this size.
" This skate park sat within a large park ten minutes from her apartment.
With its sloping hills and lush trees next to Buffalo Bayou, Claire could picture herself hanging out here on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Fifteen minutes later, their bikes were secured in her building's bike storage area and they entered Claire's sixth-floor apartment.
"You go ahead and shower. I want to check the pie," she said over her shoulder to Lucinda.
Lucinda headed to the bathroom, and Claire took a moment to survey her new home.
Boxes were strewn everywhere, but far fewer than when they'd begun.
Her furniture had made it from California last week before Lucinda's arrival.
When her friend got here, the place resembled a storage room under siege.
They'd plunged in the first night and arranged the living area, then continued to unpack and organize throughout the rest of this week.
Their days had been a mix of hard work with spurts of play, like the skating adventure today.
Luce was not only helping her move in, but also exploring her new city with her.
Claire got distracted arranging books on her bookshelf while Lucinda showered.
When the water shut off, she remembered she was supposed to be checking on the creamy coffee pie she'd made this morning, then left in the freezer to set.
They were dining later with the Crawford Cookers, a group of residents who got together and shared meals and recipes, and she'd volunteered to bring dessert.
She'd met Brinnie—the gang's informal leader—last week, and the woman had introduced her to everyone in the group.
It had been the fastest initiation to a new living situation she'd ever experienced.
Claire could hardly wait to see Lucinda's reaction to the neighborly group.
"Your water pressure is rad." Lucinda rubbed her wet hair with a towel as she came into the kitchen.
"Yeah, that was a pleasant surprise. I've found nothing negative about this place yet. Although my dad thinks it's too expensive."
Lucinda's mouth dropped open. "Is he aware of how much you paid for that shithole in Cali?"
Claire laughed. "No. And we're not telling him.
" She ticked off the advantages. "I have twice the space as my old efficiency apartment, a giant bathroom, and an actual bedroom—not just a curtain to hide my bed.
Not to mention my fabulous gourmet kitchen.
All this for less than I paid in California. "
Lucinda high-fived Claire, then turned serious. "I saw your pillbox on the counter. Did you get your appointment with your new neurologist set up? I remember you were worried about making sure all your scripts got transferred without a hitch."
"Yeah, I did. Dr. Jane gave me a recommendation for someone she thinks I'll like, and they got me on the schedule pretty quickly. She also gave me a ninety-day supply to have on hand in case there's some kind of snafu in getting everything moved here."
"Any more problems there?" Lucinda bent over and wrapped the towel around her head.
"No. Things settled down once I decided to leave. Not even an aura since my last seizure. Even the word-fishing is better." Nothing like being struck mute because you lost the word you were about to say.
"Good. It'd suck to show up for work and spaz out in front of everyone."
"Rude!" Lucinda yelped as Claire threw a kitchen towel at her, which she deftly caught.
"My grandmother used to call seizures fits.
Can you imagine?" She giggled. "The new word is 'episode.
' Apparently, 'seizure' has too many negative connotations these days.
Whatever. Anyway, the lack of seizure activity proves I made the right decision to leave NanoTechwise.
I've incurred far less stress moving across the country and changing jobs than what I experienced there.
" Claire nodded at her friend, then lifted the next box onto the counter and ripped off the packing tape.
"Are those your mom's things?" Lucinda asked, her eyes softening. Claire shifted her gaze to the box. That sad, puppy-dog look was hard to take. Better to avoid it altogether.
"Yeah. I've already unpacked the everyday pots and pans, but this one holds her bakeware and other miscellaneous items I didn't have room for before. Dad sent them from storage. I intend to bake religiously in this kitchen."
Lucinda moved to give her a hug, but stopped short and pinched her nose. "You need to go shower. I'll start unpacking this box, then you can tell me where everything goes when you're clean and no longer stink."
"What, you don't like my natural aroma?" She shrieked as Lucinda snapped the towel in her direction. "I'm going!"
"I can hardly wait for you to meet Brinnie," Claire said as the elevator ascended. "She's a retired schoolteacher turned painter. I've never seen the woman without paint splashed somewhere on her body."
"She sounds colorful. Pun intended. So tell me about this group we're eating with tonight." Lucinda held the paper plates and napkins while Claire carried the pie.
"I met Brinnie the day I picked up my keys.
And colorful doesn't come close to describing her.
" Claire laughed at the memory of the sixty-eight-year-old woman who'd sidled up to her in the mailroom during her tour of the building.
Brinnie's bright green overalls displayed multicolored splotches of paint, and her mismatched Converse high tops—one red and one purple—completed the look.
Streaks of paint showed in her hair, the colors a stark contrast to the messy tufts of white arranged with no obvious defined style.
"She kind of barged her way into my… um… shoot. What's the word?"
Luce shook her head.
"You know, the thing you call it when you're getting shown around. Starts with an O?"
"Orientation?" Luce asked.
"Yes! She crashed my orientation session at the Crawford Apartments and managed to extract my life story before the twenty-minute tour was over.
Once she found out I liked to cook, she invited me to join the Crawford Cookers.
They're a—and I'm quoting here—'diverse group of people who share a common joy in cooking.
' They trade recipes, sample each other's cooking, and get together once a month to try new dishes. "
Lucinda smiled. "Sounds like you'll fit right in, then."
They exited the elevator and Claire led the way to the resident clubroom.
Enticing smells teased them as they got closer.
The lounge was a spacious area decked out with multiple TVs, various sitting areas, and an attached catering kitchen, which was perfect for their monthly get-togethers.
She spotted Brinnie by the large marble counter and moved to add her dessert to the growing collection of food on display.
As usual, Brinnie's outfit did not disappoint.
She wore a loose orange blouse over a hot pink, knee-length skirt with sunflower-yellow leggings underneath.
Her sandals matched her tights exactly and the orange headband holding back her choppy tresses seemed to come from the same material as her shirt.
"I see you cleaned up for tonight's event." Claire gave her a light hug, then stepped back and introduced Lucinda.
Brinnie clasped the hand Lucinda held out. "Hi, honey, welcome to Texas. You girls get everything done this week? Claire said you were coming to help get her situated."
"Yes, ma'am. She's almost completely unpacked. Just a few more odds and ends to do."
"That's good. And when do you leave to go back?"
"I fly out Sunday morning."
"Oh, wonderful. Three more days to get into mischief.
Oh, speaking of trouble… Claire, I meant to tell you earlier, there's a new yoga studio near the meat market.
We need to sign up." Brinnie looked at Lucinda.
"We've been trying to get a yoga class going here at Crawford, but don't have enough commitments yet from the residents.
When Claire mentioned finding a yoga place, I was excited to discover a fellow practitioner. "
"Um, Brinnie, why is yoga trouble?" At Brinnie's blank look, Claire added, "You said 'speaking of trouble.'"
"Ha! Yes, well, I had to check it out before recommending it. And several delicious-looking men attended the class." Brinnie winked, and Lucinda burst out laughing.
"All right, grab a plate and get some food. We've got plenty." Brinnie fussed at an older gentleman near the end of the counter. "Now, Fred, get your fingers out of the meat. No one wants to eat something that's been picked over. Excuse me, ladies."
Claire watched Brinnie hustle off to corral the wayward Fred, then asked Lucinda. "Well?"
"Feisty."
"So, you start next week…"
Claire recognized the prompt for what it was and sighed.
Her best friend had been helping her all week and not once had they spoken of why she was in a new city.
They lay sprawled across her bed watching a favorite movie, their bellies full from dinner, and apparently Lucinda had decided now was the time.
"Yes."
"Nervous? Excited?"
"Both, I think. I'm definitely excited about the fresh start. No jerkwads trying to undermine me or ruin my reputation?—"
"Stephan Owens was a dick. And your boss was an idiot for listening to him."
Claire warmed at her friend's unyielding devotion. Lucinda had worked at the same company and watched that drama play out in real time. She'd helped Claire clear her name and bring Stephan's actions to light.
"Anyway," Claire waved the topic away, "I won't have that hanging over my head at Caprock. It will be a clean slate without negative vibes about me or my work. And it's a known environment. My dad has worked there forever in sales, so it's not as scary as going someplace completely new."
"Are you concerned about being accused of nepotism?"
Claire grinned and fake-punched her friend's arm. "It's like you know me so well."
Lucinda leaned over and bumped her shoulder. "Smart-ass."
"I am a little worried," she admitted, "but there's no overlap in his job and mine.
He doesn't have any pull in that section of the company.
And the timing was too good to pass up. I was desperate to leave NanoTechwise after what happened.
And Caprock Enterprises has been good to my family.
I mean, I grew up doing my homework in Dad's office after school and riding out to drill sites with him during the summer.
I don't remember anyone ever complaining about them as an employer.
" She paused and took a breath. "I'm aware he's the reason my résumé made it to the IT director's desk here in Houston.
And I don't want to get a job just because someone knows my dad, but…
" Claire shrugged, happy to put those stressful days behind her. "It was a lifeline when I needed it."
Lucinda's arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her tight. Claire leaned into the hug before pulling away. Her friend was the sister she'd never had. Everything felt warmer and sunnier when Luce was around.
"Did I tell you the IT director is a woman?
That's going to make an enormous difference.
I'm less nervous about entering another testosterone-led industry when women hold top management positions.
" Claire gave a tight, wry smile. It was the same complaint they'd voiced for years about tech and it applied just as easily to oilfield services.
"That's awesome. At least someone will believe you when you tell them you're being harassed at work."
Claire frowned. "Um, I'm assuming that will never happen again, thank you very much. Nope, I'm going in with a sunny disposition and zero problems with colleagues. It's going to be wonderful. I have decided."