Page 106 of Better Luck Next Time

“I know I said I’d drop by tomorrow, but can I come by today instead? Like, now?”

Blue must have heard the desperation in her voice because she didn’t ask any more questions. “I’m still at the studio,” she said. “I’ll wait for you.”

“See you in a few minutes.”

Adalia grabbed her charger and her purse, then headed out the front door, Tyrion’s leash in her hand.

“Will you be out long?” Jack asked, looking up from his book. Jezebel was now draped over his shoulders, licking her paws.

Adalia cocked her head. “Do we have some kind of witchery in our bloodline?”

He chuckled. “She’s a good cat. You all are just overreacting.”

“You’ve seen her at her worst, Jack.”

He reached up to pet the back of her head. “She just needed someone to understand her.”

“I’m not sure you should say that so openly,” she said, descending the steps. “Some people might think you’re a hellcat too.” She opened the passenger door of her car and let Tyrion in. “I have no idea when I’ll be back, but I brought a charger for my phone. I’m going to see my friend Blue.” A partial truth, but it was all he really needed to know.

She closed the door on her dog and started around to the driver’s side.

“Addy,” he called out. “You can talk to me, you know. I’m a good listener, and I know how to keep my mouth shut.”

“Thanks. I might just take you up on that, but I have something I really need to do first.”

She drove to Blue’s studio, her heart a jumbled mixture of anticipation and grief. Blue met her at the door before she got Tyrion out of the car.

“I hope it’s okay that I brought him. I’ve been gone all day, and I didn’t want to leave him again.”

“That’s okay,” Blue said with a soft smile. “I’d ask you about what happened, but the look in your eyes suggests I shouldn’t.”

Adalia headed toward her, leading Tyrion on the leash. “I’ll tell you, just not now, okay?”

“I understand,” she said, stepping out of the doorway and letting Adalia and Tyrion enter. “You have the look of an artist with an idea that needs to be let loose.”

She nodded. “Something like that.”

Blue showed her around, then gave Adalia a key to the space. “I had this made after you and Finn came by. I was hoping you’d want to work here.”

“Thanks, Blue,” Adalia said, taking the key and clenching it to her chest. “I’ll be happy to pay rent and utilities.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” Blue said, taking a step backward. “Right now I have to go meet this guy from a dating app I signed up for.”

“Oh, you took the plunge.”

“Yeah, I got to thinking about it after I had drinks with you and Maisie. It was time.”

“Are you getting a drink?” Adalia asked, glancing at the clock on the brick wall that read 7:30.

Blue grimaced. “Dinner. First date.”

“Amateur mistake,” Adalia said, itching to start working. “Always go for a drink or coffee first.”

“Yeah, I hope I don’t regret it later.” She left, waving as she headed out the door.

The space felt huge, cavernous. It was getting dark outside the windows, and while she preferred natural light to the industrial lights overhead, it wasn’t going to stop her.

Taking Tyrion with her, she went to the back door, propping it open, then found a dumpster and climbed inside, thanking the stars above that it was a trash receptacle for artists who produced little actual waste garbage, and had thrown out assorted items she could use. Empty paint cans, a pallet, some broken pieces of pottery, along with multiple other pieces of junk. It took several trips to drag inside everything that called to her.

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