Page 20 of January

“About your family or New Orleans?”

“Both, I guess,” Kyle replied. “I’ve never been here, and it’s… interesting so far.”

Melinda chuckled and asked, “Is that interesting good or bad?”

“Both as well, I guess.” Kyle laughed. “Mostly good, but does the Quarter always smell like bad beer and manure?”

Melinda laughed louder and said, “It comes and goes, but mostly, yes. It’s just the Quarter, though. The rest of the city smells amazing, I promise. Besides the swamp, have you gone anywhere else yet?”

“Not really. Just my grandma’s house that’s not far from here.”

“You have to explore more of the city than just the Quarter. I tell everyone that.”

“I plan to, but she’s booking the tours,” Kyle replied, hooking her thumb toward her sister.

Melinda swallowed and said, “I can take you around, if you want.”

“Like a private tour or something? Does your company offer that?”

“We have small group stuff, but no; I just meant me,” she replied. “I’ve lived here my whole life. New Orleans isn’t just home. It’s my favorite place.”

“And you’re a tour guide?” Kyle smiled and took a drink of her water. “That kind of works out, huh?”

“It’s why I do it.” Melinda smiled back. “And you can say no, obviously, but I can show you some of my favorite places, and you can pick some out, too.”

“How much?” Kyle asked.

“Sorry?”

“How much would that cost? I wasn’t planning on–”

“No, I don’t mean for money,” Melinda interrupted.

“You’d just show me around for free?”

“Why not?”

“Because you do this for a living. It’s your job. You should get paid for it.”

Melinda looked past Kyle and noticed that the groupwas finished and ready to go to the next restaurant.

“I really wouldn’t mind. Now, we have to move on, but if you’re interested, just let me know before we end here, okay?”

“She’s interested,” Jolie said.

“Jolie!” Kyle turned to her sister.

“I want you to get out of the house, Ky, and you won’t unless you’re told to. So, if she’s offering, you should do it.”

“I’m out of the house right now. We’re on a tour.”

“And after this, you don’t want to go out and enjoy yourself. Hell, I had to force you to come to this thing and the swamp boat one. Just take the kind and generous woman up on her offer already.”

“And what about you?”

“I’ve got my new Cincinnati friends, remember? I’m good.”

Melinda stood and gathered the group, wondering where her invitation had come from. She’d never volunteered to give someone a private tour of her city before, nor had she ever thought to offer. She couldn’t take it back now, though, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. As they walked and she introduced them to the next place on their tour that had some of the best shrimp in the city, she thought about how shecouldget out of it if she wanted to. She knew she could come up with some excuse. But when they arrived back at the office at the end of the tour to say goodbye to everyone, she waited, hoping the woman would approach her and bring it up again.

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