Epilogue Nine Months Later
Epilogue
Nine Months Later
Heidi sat on the edge of the king bed, her hands gripping her thighs. “What if no one talks to me? I’m too old for this. Everyone else will be nineteen. What if I can’t understand the lectures? Can’t do the study?” She absently fondled Poppy’s ears, and the cockerpoo gazed at her in adoration.
Morgan sat next to her and smoothed the skirt of her maroon business suit over her thighs. “You can talk to anyone. And why wouldn’t anyone talk to you? You’re interesting.”
“What if I recognize someone I had to throw out of the bar? During orientation week, there were a few underage kids trying to sneak into Oscar’s. They’ll hate me because of it.”
“To be honest, I doubt they’d remember. And if they do, they’ll be way more embarrassed than you.”
“I’ve never studied at college level before.” Heidi raised wide eyes to Morgan. “I’m not book smart. My smarts are streetwise.” Her hands stilled on Poppy’s ears.
Poppy raised a paw and patted Heidi’s leg until she resumed petting her.
“You are plenty good enough.” Morgan kissed Heidi’s cheek, sliding around to her mouth. “You were snapped up by DU.” She gave Heidi a gentle push. “Get in the shower. You smell of sex.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing!”
“It’s a very good thing. But maybe it’s not what you want on your first day of college.”
Heidi got off the bed and headed for the en suite.
As the water heated, she brushed her teeth.
“I can do this,” she told her reflection in the mirror.
“I’ve earned my place in this course.” She showered, using Morgan’s expensive body scrub, as she always did, and washed her hair.
She should probably give up the pretense of using her own grocery store shampoo as well.
Morgan’s one made her hair so soft. She smiled to herself.
Morgan and she now officially lived together, and Heidi’s old bedroom was now the guest room.
And they shared expenses in proportion to their income, so there was no reason for her to feel she was sneaking Morgan’s shower gel.
She finished her shower and, wrapped in a towel, returned to the bedroom.
Morgan was sitting in front of the mirror, putting on her makeup. “Mm, rosemary shower gel. My favorite.”
Heidi laughed. “I was just thinking I should stop pretending to use the cheap stuff.”
Her cell phone chirped, and she picked it up.
“It’s Franco. He says, ‘Good luck on your first day—you’ll ace it.
But now that you’re an uppity college kid, don’t forget to be on time for your shift tomorrow.
’” She snorted. “As if.” She dropped the phone back on the bed. “What’s happening in your day today?”
“Sally and I have a meeting with a potential new client. Someone famous. Someone you will cream your jeans if I tell you who.”
“So tell me.”
“If we get the business, I will. And, yes, Sally and I have agreed that if we get her business, we’re inviting her to dinner, partners included.”
Morgan was flying in her new position. Sally was proving as good as the hype, and Morgan worked a lot less hours than she had at Mattingley.
She was second only to Sally in seniority, and she mentored the junior advisors.
Some of her old clients from Mattingley had followed her—Brandon from Altitude Investigations being the first.
Heidi grinned. Her own assistant manager’s job at Oscar’s paled in comparison to Morgan’s, but that was fine. She’d be able to work her hours around her study commitments, and the neighborhood bar was laid-back and friendly—everything she loved.
“We’ll have to talk about Thanksgiving soon.” Morgan swiveled on the stool to watch as Heidi dropped the towel and rummaged for clean underwear. Socks spilled out of the drawer, and Heidi kicked them aside.
“Since you and I will be in Australia for Christmas, Mom and Dad are happy to come to our place for Thanksgiving.” Morgan fastened her gold bracelet and shook her wrist to settle it.
“You’ll have to up your turkey game, though.
Figure out how to make proper cranberry sauce rather than opening a can. ”
“As long as you remember to shop in time to get fresh cranberries!” Heidi said.
“Hopefully, we’ll hear from Linda soon. It would be great if she could come.
Now that she’s got the final all-clear and she’s back at work, it might be more doable for her.
” She pulled on a pair of black panties and an old cotton bra.
She went over to the closet and found clean jeans and her New York Jets hoodie. “Think I’ll blend in in this?”
“More so than if you wear your Queensland sweatshirt.”
“I’m ready.” Heidi stood, dressed, her chestnut hair falling over one side of her face. Her colored streak at the front was dyed crimson and gold—the colors of the University of Denver—in honor of her first day. The red jasper pendant that Morgan had given her nestled at her throat.
“And I’m ready too.” Morgan stood and smoothed down her skirt. She held out an arm to Heidi.
Poppy shook herself and went to lean against Morgan’s legs.
“This is us, together, ready for the next stage in our lives.”
“As long as we have love, we’ll be okay.” Heidi pressed herself to Morgan’s side. The feel of Morgan’s body against her own warmed her, and she let herself bask in her girlfriend’s love.
Hand in hand, they went downstairs. Heidi gave Poppy a kiss on her curly head, and then, together, they walked out of the front door and into their shared future.
~ ~ ~