CHAPTER 5
“Sunday night game night,” Arlowe said.
“You act like this is a tradition or something. This is the first time we’ve done this,” Sarai replied as she set out a plate of cookies that Enya had baked earlier that day. “And we had people over on Thursday. Why are we having them over again on Sunday?”
“It’s not the same people. It’s just Violet and Stella.”
“She missed Violet and doesn’t want to admit it,” Enya explained. “I’m thinking about dialects.”
Enya sat down at the kitchen table and picked up one of those cookies.
“No segues today, huh?” Arlowe replied. “And I don’t miss Violet. I saw her on Friday.”
“You miss her living with us. And you knew Stella was a football fan because you support the same team, so when your team was playing on Thursday, you decided to host a whole thing. You only invited Mitchell because he likes the team, too. He then brought his girlfriend, and Clay was standing there when you invited Mitchell, but you really only cared that Stella and Violet show up – particularly, Violet – because you miss her.”
“She’s a genius,” Sarai said. “And is that why we’re doing a game night with them tonight, and you went out and bought, like, five board games?”
“I thought it could be a new tradition. Sue me.”
“I miss her, too,” Enya admitted with a shoulder shrug. “Why do you think I baked two dozen cookies today?” she added as she held up a cookie.
“You miss Vi, so you bake?” Sarai asked.
“It felt right,” Enya said.
“A distraction?” Arlowe asked.
Enya nodded.
“I get it. I miss her, too,” Sarai said. “But we should be fine with this, right? I mean, she and Stella were pretty much over at her place–”
“Their place now,” Enya interrupted.
“I know. I’m just saying that they were there all the time lately anyway, so we got used to Violet not being here, but it’s still weird for it to be official.”
“Yeah. Arlowe’s in Vi’s old room, and Arlowe’s room is empty.” Enya added. “I went in there last night and just sat on the floor in the middle of it, trying to think about what we should do with it now.”
“We might not have a say. Arlowe promised the room to Gabi.”
“Sarai, I didn’t promise her anything. I just said that she could move in. And she hasn’t called me back yet, so I doubt she wants to.”
“Well, that might be because you were clearly flirting with her while you were showing her the place,” Sarai retorted.
“You flirted with Gabi? Sarai’s Gabi?” Enya asked.
“She’s not my Gabi,” Sarai protested, her heart racing a little at the thought.
“We know her because of you is what I meant.” Enya turned to Arlowe and added, “You flirted with her?”
“Yes, but barely, and I didn’t really put any effort into it. Sometimes, it just comes out, and I can’t stop it. She’s hot now.”
Sarai glared at first before she remembered how easily her friends could read her face and pulled that glare back.
“She wasn’t then?” Enya asked Arlowe.
“No, she was, but she was younger than us. Like, just-out-of-high-school young. And I was also in love with someone else when we met her that weekend, so I wasn’t looking at any other woman that way. She was cute. I guess that’s what I would call her. Now, she’s all grown-up, and she’s hot.”
“So, your genius plan was to do what? Flirt with her, hope she takes the room, and then she’s just right down the hall for you to sleep with?”
“What? No, Sarai. I told you, the flirting just slips out sometimes with a pretty, single woman in the room. I didn’t do it intentionally.”
“So, if she does move in, you’re not going to try to sleep with her?”
“No,” Arlowe said, shaking her head. “I want her rent money more than sex. And I wouldn’t want to confuse anything. She seems like a very nice person who might not be my type.”
“You think she’s pretty, but she’s not your type?” Enya asked.
“I meant in the bedroom department. And I do want a relationship one day. I’d like to not be the last one living in this house alone. No offense.”
“Offense,” Sarai joked.
“None of us wants that for ourselves; let’s just be real,” Arlowe said.
“At the same time, right now, I’m in that making out in bars with strangers phase and rarely going home with a woman, but when I do, it’s usually just sex or a couple of dates, sex, and maybe another date or two after that if it’s good sex.
Gabi just doesn’t seem to be that kind of person to me.
I’ve only talked to her for a few minutes, really, so I’m guessing, but I’m pretty good at picking up on those vibes because I try to stay away from them for obvious reasons. ”
“Have we decided what we’re going to do if she does say that she wants the house?” Enya asked. “Also, these cookies needed more salt. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I haven’t eaten one yet. I just put them down on the table when you walked in,” Sarai said. “I’m sure they’re fine.”
“Just, like, one more pinch, and they would’ve been. I’ll make another batch for the party tonight,” Enya stated and stood.
“It’s not a party; it’s a game night. And it’s only Violet and Stella. You’ve already made twenty-four cookies, Enya. Well, twenty-three are left now, but I don’t see the five of us eating more than that,” Sarai told her.
“I want them to want to come over and hang out. If the cookies aren’t good–”
“I don’t think great instead of perfect free cookies are going to prevent them from coming over to hang out now that Violet is there permanently,” Arlowe said.
“And Enya’s right: we should talk about it.
I don’t know if she’ll call or not, but if she does, and she wants the room, what do you want me to tell her? ”
“I’m fine with it,” Enya said. “I tried to think about how I’d use the extra room, and I’m pretty set in my ways.
I like what I’ve got in my room and in the garage, so I’m fine with us having a little more money coming in each month.
If it’s not her, though, I don’t really want to open up the house to a stranger.
Someone else we know is a maybe for me, but I get a good vibe from her, so I think I’m okay with Gabi moving in. ”
“Sarai?” Arlowe asked. “I was thinking that with our rent being much more expensive than when we first moved in, it would help out, but I had this idea last night that maybe we could take Gabi’s money and apply it to something specific for the business or even something we all want for fun.
We don’t really need it. It’s a nice-to-have, but maybe we put whatever she pays monthly into an account for a fun vacation or something, and when we have enough for whatever we decide to do, we go.
We could do one of those lesbian cruises, get separate rooms, and try to meet someone. ”
“Someone who probably lives in another state or country because we’re on a cruise?” Sarai challenged.
“Well, we could use it for the business. It could pay for another freelancer for me or Enya in another country where the labor is cheaper,” Arlowe suggested.
“You were just telling us that you don’t think she’s going to move in,” Sarai noted.
“I’m saying we should have a plan in case I’m wrong.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you admit that you were wrong before,” Enya said.
“And I didn’t admit it now. I said if I’m wrong.” Arlowe winked at Enya. “Sarai, is it a yes or a no?”
Sarai picked up one of Enya’s cookies in an obvious attempt to stall as she tried to weigh the pros and cons.
One con was that they’d be back to sharing a bathroom between three people, and she’d kind of liked only having to share it with Enya, who was super low-maintenance.
A pro would be having a little more money coming in, no matter what they used it for.
They had the investment money now, but that was enough to keep them moving, and if they had a little more coming in each month, they could use it for something that they might not otherwise be able to afford.
Another con was that since she’d seen Gabi in that bar about a week ago, she hadn’t been able to focus on much.
She kept flashing back to Amsterdam and showing Gabi around.
It had been one weekend, and yes, Sarai had had a small crush, but it had been just a mild thing, really, that had gone away shortly after.
They’d shared text messages for a bit while Sarai had still been in Europe, and they’d talked about that possible trip to Paris for Sarai and maybe even Gabi coming back for another weekend, but Gabi had had a big plan for her gap year.
Sarai couldn’t recall all of it, but on the second night of her visit, Gabi had filled her in on her intention to travel as much as possible.
Then, when Sarai had gotten back to the US, with Gabi’s traveling, Sarai being busy with school and later graduation and work, mixed with the confusing time differences, meant that their texting had faded pretty quickly.
They hadn’t talked since they’d run at each other at the bar, and now, Gabi was all she could think about… again.
She didn’t know what the right answer was about Gabi moving in should she decide to, but she also didn’t want to mention to her friends that the reason she was so hesitant had to do with the fact that one morning, she’d woken up in her dorm room to a beautiful face looking up at her from the mattress on the floor, and the memory of those brown eyes was still enough to make her smile.
“It’s fine, I guess. She’s not going to want to live with us anyway. I mean, who would? I’m sure we’d be annoying to anyone but Violet, with our history and inside jokes and the fact that we all work together and she wouldn’t.”
“So, if it’s Gabi, it’s fine. If it’s someone else, it’s not,” Arlowe summarized.
“Sure. Why not?” she replied.
“I think I was supposed to use a half teaspoon, and I only used a quarter,” Enya said, looking down at the plate of cookies.
“Enya, maybe make brownies or something. I think we have enough cookies,” Sarai suggested.
Arlowe’s phone rang on the table, and she looked down at it.
“Speak of the possible roommate… I’ll just put her on speaker.”
“What?” Sarai asked.
“Hey, Gabi. You’re on speaker. Sarai and Enya are here, too.”
“Oh. Uh… Hi, everyone.”
“Hi,” Enya said. “What’s your opinion on brownies?”
“Sorry?” Gabi asked.
“Icing or no icing? If you put icing on brownies, does that make the brownie cake?”
“I don’t think so,” Gabi said with a little laugh.
“This is Enya, by the way.”
“Yeah, I figured. Not a question Sarai would ask me.”
“Why not?” Sarai asked, curious.
“I don’t know. I think you’d ask me if I liked brownies or cake better, and if icing on the brownies would make any difference.”
Sarai wanted to ask why she thought that, but she didn’t. Gabi was right, though, which was something.
“So, what’s up?” Arlowe asked.
“Oh, yeah. Listen, that other place I was hoping would work out… It didn’t. I went to check it out yesterday, and it’s a no-go.”
“Why?” Enya asked.
“Um… Well, I gave up on living alone and tried to find a place with a roommate. And she was nice, but she failed to mention the three pets that she owns in the ad.”
“Three? How big is that apartment?” Arlowe asked.
“Not big enough for the five of us. It was two dogs and a snake, by the way. She said the snake was always in its container or whatever it’s called, and it’s a small breed, according to her, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about the thing getting out and slithering its way into my bed at night, or even eating one of the dogs.
One was a corgi. And the snake was small, yeah, but I’m pretty sure if it were hungry enough… ”
“Oh, my God,” Enya said.
“I couldn’t get that thought out of my brain, and I was only there for about fifteen minutes, but the stress got to me, so I left.
I don’t know if the room is still available, or if you three have talked more about it and changed your mind, but I really would like to get out of this hotel soon. I miss being able to cook for myself.”
“You cook?” Sarai asked.
“I’m not a chef or anything, but I like it.”
“That’s great. None of us is any good,” Arlowe replied. “Well, Sarai can cook, I guess,” she added.
“Hey!” Sarai said with a laugh.
“Oh, we’re having a game night tonight,” Arlowe said as if she’d just remembered. “Want to come by? You can bring some stuff over if you want.”
“Wait. I can move in?”
“Yeah. We all talked about it, and it’s cool.”
“That’s amazing,” Gabi replied. “The bed in this place is so uncomfortable, and mine is in storage right now. Oh, I have some furniture that I’ll need to decide what to do with since I’m not getting my own place.”
“Just come over tonight, and we can all talk about if we need anything,” Arlowe suggested.
“Okay. What time?”
“Seven. I’ve got a few board games, but if you want to bring something of your own, go for it.”
“Whatever I have is in storage.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got enough here. And we have cards, too, so we should be covered. Enya is about to make brownies.”
“Or is it cake, really, if I put icing on them?”
“Enya, just put the damn icing on the brownies. You know you want to,” Sarai told her.