Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103621 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103621 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Darlin’…
I tell myself it doesn’t mean anything, that he’s just a sweet-talking bayou boy who throws around endearments the way some men throw tips at bouncers to get into the good clubs on Bourbon Street.
I tell myself the way I’m tingling is ridiculous.
I warn the giddy, reckless hope blooming in my chest that girls like me don’t get fairy tale endings. We get reality. We get outsized obstacles and rapidly narrower paths forward. We get bootstraps to pull on and the challenge of being strong for our babies all by ourselves.
But sitting here, with the echo of his touch still lingering on my skin, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to let myself believe in fairy tales…
Just for a little while.
Chapter
Twelve
From the texts of Eloise Thibodeaux
and Makena DeWitt
Makena: Where are you? What happened? Are you still alive? I stopped by your place with a surprise pastry this morning to boost your job-searching spirits, and there were EXTERMINATORS EVERYWHERE. It looked like your building was ground zero for the zombie apocalypse. The entire east side of your floor was closed off, and a scary man in an oxygen mask aggressively shooed me back onto the elevator.
AFTER TAKING MY PASTRIES!!
I was mad about it at first, but then I started to wonder if the air in the building was so poisonous that my pastries had instantly become death pastries the moment I stepped inside. If so, if I’d managed to hold onto them and get them to you wherever you are now, could I have potentially MURDERED YOU WITH SUGAR? Completely by accident?!
WTAF?!
Also, WHERE ARE YOU?
Please text me ASAP, babes, I am so worried about you and Mimi.
Elly: Oh, honey, I’m so sorry! We’re fine. Don’t worry. But wow, that’s crazy! I mean, I knew we had rats in our walls, but they must have found something else after Mimi and I left last night. When our movers showed up this morning, they said they had to fight the guy in the scary mask, too. And they warned us to destroy our furniture “just in case.”
Whatever that means?
Thankfully, we were just moving our belongings, anyway, but God, what a shit show. I’m going to touch base with the gossips in the building later and see what I can figure out. Myrtle on the seventh floor has been there FOREVER. If she doesn’t know the tea, no one will.
But anyway, yes, we’re okay. Great, actually. Mimi is at school, I’m working on some more applications, and all is well.
I’m sorry your sweet pastry treat was confiscated, though. That was so thoughtful of you.
Mimi wants to hit Sweet Magnolias for fresh brioche on Sunday. Want to come with us? We could walk around the quarter for a while after. It’s supposed to be the first cool day in a while. Could be nice.
Makena: Yes, obviously, I’m always in for brioche and walking, but you need to take about a thousand steps back, lady.
Rats in your walls? What the hell do you mean, rats?
IN YOUR WALLS?
And since when were you moving?! Was it because of the rats? Also, why didn’t you tell me about the rats? You totally could have stayed with me. I know I live in my shop illegally, and that’s sketchy as hell, but there are no RATS here, and we could have made room for three for a few nights.
So, where are you now?
I hope it’s somewhere safe, where you and Mimi feel good about the situation.
Elly: Yes, we feel great about it. And no, the move wasn’t because of the rats, it was…for other reasons I can’t talk about right now. But I will, I promise. It’s just a story best told in person.
Makena: Fine. I’ll be over in ten minutes. Give me the address. It’s dead after the lunch rush, so I’ll close up early. I can’t wait until Sunday for the juicy gossip.
It’s juicy. I can’t tell.
You’re never this secretive unless it’s SUPER juicy.
Elly: I would normally tell you, Makena, you know I would, but…
Well, I haven’t discussed the “having people over” policy with my new roommate. I want to know what they think about that first before I start handing out our address, even to friends.
Please don’t be mad.
You know I trust you with my life and Mimi’s.
I just can’t make that kind of decision for another person, you know?
They might have strong feelings about not having people over to our place for some reason.
Makena: They? So, is the roommate non-binary? That’s cool, but I’m assuming you had them thoroughly vetted and background checked and all that before you moved in? You know me, I’m all for loving the he’s, she’s, they’s, and everything in between, but no one gets to live with my favorite people unless they have a clean criminal record.
Elly: The roommate is a man, actually. LOL. I don’t know why I said ‘they.’ Guess I’m still getting used to living with someone. But yes, he has a clean criminal record. He had to undergo an extensive background check for his job, so he’s all good. And he’s sooo nice, Mack, just a total sweetheart who’s so kind to Mimi and me and well…I think this is going to be good for us! A fresh start with no rats in the walls, a great new friend, and a chance to save money on rent while I look for work.