CHAPTER 6
“What are you doing?” Harlow asked, returning from the bathroom a few minutes after Murphy and Della left.
“Writing.”
“Writing what? Your notes?”
“No, I’m working on a chapter about them.”
“Already? They just left.”
She sat down next to Larissa.
“They inspired me, I guess.”
“I wouldn’t know by the way you kept talking to them about breaking up.”
“I didn’t keep talking to them about breaking up,” Larissa argued as she looked up from the computer.
“Have you saved that?”
“Yes. Why?”
Harlow closed the laptop.
“Hey!”
“Lou, it’s after eight. You haven’t eaten dinner.
I have not eaten dinner, and I’m starving.
Let’s go. You can pull that thing, that seems perpetually attached to you, out when you get home, if you must. Personally, I think you should either get some sleep or work on actual school stuff, but I’m sure I sound like a broken record to you. ”
“I don’t feel like cooking.”
“Thank God for that,” Harlow teased. “I don’t, either, though. Want to go out?”
“Diner on Fifth?” Larissa suggested.
“Sure, but you’re buying.”
“Deal.”
“I’m getting the regular fries. You get the sweet potato ones, and we’ll share.”
“Whatever you want,” Larissa replied with a little laugh.
“Whatever I want?” she checked.
“Why?” Larissa asked, lifting an eyebrow at her.
“Because I really want wings from Dave’s.”
“Wings? Really?”
“Yes. And a beer.”
“Well, you did basically help put all this together for me. I think the least I can do is buy you wings and a beer tonight.”
“Really?” she asked. “Wait. Were you just really careful with how you worded that?”
“What?”
“You said you could buy me wings and a beer but failed to mention that you’d be sitting there across from me at the booth, eating some of your own.”
Larissa laughed and replied, “Harlow, I’m going to eat dinner with you, but I’m not getting wings. Are the wings a requirement? They have a pretty good turkey burger. I was going to get that.”
“I’ll allow it,” she joked. “Come on.”
“Am I allowed to say goodnight to Samantha, or are you going to pretend she’s busy and keep me away from her again?”
“What? No, you can say goodbye to her,” she replied, hoping Samantha had already gone home for the night. “I doubt she’s still here, though. I think she works the day shift. She probably left right after we got started.”
Luckily for her, Samantha was, indeed, gone by the time they made it to the lobby.
Harlow had gone to Larissa’s after work to pick her up so they wouldn’t have to deal with two cars, and that had turned out to be a smart decision because when they got to Dave’s, which was only a few blocks away, there was only one parking spot.
They didn’t want to leave the car at the co-working space, so Harlow drove them the short distance, street-parked, and hurried Larissa inside the restaurant because she really was starving.
“Can I get the Wild Moon Ale and a dozen of the spicy wings?” she asked their waiter when he walked over.
“Sure. And you?”
“Turkey burger with lettuce, pickle, and tomato,” Larissa said. “No mayo, mustard, or anything else on it.”
“Okay. Fries, chips, or onion rings?”
“Oh, get the onion rings,” Harlow suggested. “I want to steal some.”
“Fine. Onion rings,” Larissa said with a laugh.
“And to drink?”
“Just a water with lemon.”
“She’ll have the Mild Moon,” Harlow said.
“No, I won’t.” Larissa laughed.
“It’s a light beer. You’ll be perfectly fine. I’m having the dark one.”
“I don’t need–”
“Just bring it for her. I’ll drink it if she doesn’t.”
“Sure. I’ll bring that water with lemon, too.”
“Why are you trying to get me to drink tonight?” Larissa asked after he was gone.
“To celebrate. You’re starting on the book now, which means soon, you’ll be able to finish school and start your actual career.
I thought we could have a drink to celebrate.
The Mild Moon is barely even a beer. You’ll be fine.
The one I got is a real beer. You can try it if you want.
It’s got more alcohol in it and actually tastes like a beer, not water with a side of hops. ”
“You think I can’t handle my booze?”
“No, I know you can. I knew you in college when you knew how to have fun. Well, you had fun once every three or four months, anyway.”
“I’m not twenty-two anymore,” Larissa replied.
“I know. Neither am I. But I can still have a beer with my wings and toast to my friend who’s doing something she’s really into.”
“Do you think they’ll make it?” Larissa asked her.
“Who? Murphy and Della?”
“Yeah. They’re so young, only eighteen and nineteen. Did you know who you were at nineteen?”
“I’m not sure I know who I am right now,” Harlow returned.
“Here are your beers,” their waiter said, placing them on the table, along with two water glasses.
“Can I get a shot, too?” Larissa asked him.
“Sure. Of what?”
“A shot?” Harlow laughed. “You? When was the last time you did a shot?”
“College.” Larissa shrugged. “I’m going to try to have fun, like you suggested.” She turned to the waiter. “Can I get a shot of tequila?”
“Any kind?”
“Whatever is fine,” Larissa told him.
“She doesn’t mean that,” Harlow said quickly. “Don’t bring her the top-shelf stuff. She can’t tell the difference anyway.”
“She’s right,” Larissa added.
“Do you want one, too?” he asked Harlow.
“No, I’m driving. But can you bring her two shots instead? Should be fun.”
“Hey!” Larissa laughed.
And it made Harlow think about the first year of their friendship when Larissa had been a little more open to going out and having a good time.
Her first year of grad school had been relatively easy, or so Larissa had told her more than once, but the second year had been a lot harder, and after that, she’d been all about studying.
Harlow supposed Larissa had always been that way, but it had gotten worse the harder school had gotten for her.
She’d been a TA and then teaching more and more the longer she was in school as part of her Ph.D.
program, which had added to her load, and their nights out every so often had turned into once or twice a year.
Grabbing food at the diner because they had to eat was one thing, but actually going out just for the fun of it wasn’t something they’d done in a long time.
She knew part of that had been her fault and had nothing to do with Larissa’s propensity for staying in with her books and laptop.
Harlow had been in relationships, which meant going on dates and spending time with someone other than Larissa, and since Larissa didn’t have any other close friends outside of her sister, most of the time, she was staying in.
“Here you go,” their waiter said and placed two shots in front of Larissa.
“Thanks,” Larissa replied and tipped one back without hesitation. “Oh, that’s awful.”
“Hold on a second. You don’t–”
But Larissa was already downing the other shot.
“Have to do them both right now,” Harlow finished her sentence. “Lou, you haven’t eaten since when?”
“I had toast for breakfast.”
“Should I take these away?” their waiter asked of the shot glasses.
“Yes, please,” Harlow said. “And can you bring her that turkey burger as quickly as possible? She’s about to get really drunk if she doesn’t eat something soon.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
The guy laughed a little and walked away.
“See? I can have fun.”
“Just downing shots isn’t fun if you get so drunk, you can’t walk or you throw up later.”
“I’ll be fine,” Larissa said and took a drink of the beer Harlow had ordered for her.
“Okay, stick to the water for now.”
“Why are you always taking care of me?” Larissa asked.
“What?” She laughed nervously and pushed the water glass in front of Larissa.
“You make sure I eat. You tell me to have fun. You’re worried I just drank too much.”
“I’m your friend.”
“Yeah, but I’m probably such a mess to you.
You always tell me I’ve got my head stuck in some book, and yet, you still stick around.
I’m sure you could be having fun with someone else right now, and they wouldn’t be thinking about how much they want to get home and start writing.
Hey, you never answered the question from earlier. ”
“You’re already rambling,” Harlow noted, smiling.
“What?”
“You ramble when you drink too much. It’s already kicking in somehow. When did you say you ate that toast?”
“Probably around eight or something.”
“Jesus,” Harlow said, shaking her head. “No more alcohol for you until you’ve at least eaten your whole burger.”
“Harlow, do you think they’ll make it?”
Harlow thought back to the first time she saw Larissa standing in a room filled with people.
Larissa had been wearing a pale-blue sundress, and at first, Harlow had thought her eyes were blue to match, but as she’d gotten closer, she had noticed that they were hazel.
Her long blonde hair had been around her shoulders and mostly straight, with a rogue wave or two.
Her glasses had been a little different back then, but still dark-rimmed, and they made her eyes pop.
She had been beautiful, and Harlow’s stomach had gotten the same butterflies that Della had spoken about earlier.
“I think they can, yeah,” she replied. “They’ll probably have to work for it, but it will get easier when they’re both at the same school.”
“You don’t think moving in together that young is a bad idea?”
“Who knows? Every couple is different. It could be a disaster, but they might still end up together. They seemed mature enough to me, but even if they’re too young to live together, they could just move into separate rooms but stay a couple.”
“Yeah,” Larissa said, her eyes a little watery.
“Oh, wow. It’s hitting you already, isn’t it?”
“A little. And tequila is gross. Why did I order it?”
Harlow laughed and replied, “You wanted to show me how tough you are, I think.”
“Well, I’m not.” Larissa sipped her water. “Not tough at all.”
After they ate, Larissa was still a little tipsy, which was probably because she finished the beer Harlow had ordered for her on principle, as Larissa had told her. Then, Harlow drove them home, and when she tried to unlock the front door with her key, Larissa practically fell against her side.
“Are you going to throw up?” she asked as she wrapped an arm around her and helped her inside.
“No, I’m just really tired. Can I go to sleep?”
“Yes. But can you drink a glass of water for me first?”
“No, I drank one already.”
“I know. And I think you should have another one. You don’t ever drink like this. Just let me get you a glass, and I’ll help you get into bed, okay?”
“Okay. Whatever you say.”
Larissa leaned against the counter after Harlow basically placed her there.
“Don’t fall over,” she ordered.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Larissa mock-saluted her, and it was so damn cute, Harlow just wanted to kiss her.
Instead, she poured her a glass of water and watched her drink it in front of her.
Then, she walked her back to her bedroom and watched her kick off her socks and pants.
When the pants fell to the floor, Harlow turned away.
They’d never seen each other naked, and while she’d seen Larissa in a bathing suit, she’d never seen her in her underwear.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
Harlow turned around to see that Larissa had put on a new shirt but was still only in her panties.
“Do you need to pee and brush your teeth and stuff?”
“Oh, yeah.” Larissa laughed.
“I’ll wait out here. Yell if you need me.”
Harlow sat on Larissa’s bed and waited a few minutes for her to reemerge from the bathroom.
“You know something?”
“I probably know a few somethings,” she teased as Larissa sat down next to her and rested her head against her shoulder.
“You’re the best.”
“I am?”
“You make me better, I think.”
“How do I do that, exactly?”
“You push me. No one else does that. Maybe my mean sister, but she’s my sister, you know? I need it sometimes. I should thank you more for that.”
“Okay. Well, how about we just get you to bed tonight, and you can thank me another time?”
“Do I do that for you?”
“What?”
“Push you? Make you better? I don’t think I do.”
“You do,” Harlow replied.
“But how?”
“You really want to talk about this now?”
“Yes.”
Harlow sighed and said, “You challenge me to be better all the time. You want me to be the best version of myself that I can be. Hell, you’re the one who made me apply for the job I have now, even though I didn’t think I would get it and wasn’t really qualified for it.
I only went to that damn interview because you drove my nervous ass there. ”
“You were shaking. I didn’t want you driving while you were shaking.”
“I really wanted it, but I was scared to admit it. Now, it’s been a while, and I’m not the biggest fan of my job anymore, but it pays the bills, and I wouldn’t have it in the first place if you hadn’t pushed me.
So, yeah, you make me better. And I’ll give you more examples, if you want, when there’s a chance you’ll actually remember us having this conversation. Deal?”
“Okay,” Larissa replied, sounding tired.
“Come on. Let’s get you to bed. I’ll put a trash can here just in case you need it later, okay?”
“Thank you,” Larissa said. “I had fun tonight.”
“So did I. We can do it again soon, but next time–”
“No tequila,” Larissa finished her sentence as Harlow tucked her into bed.