Page 134 of February

“Monica, you’ve just laid a lot on your old Dad here.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Yesterday, though, everything was so up in the air and complicated, and I just want things cleared up and in the open for all of us.”

“So, you’re there for a while. When will you come back? When do you plan to announce that you’re leaving?”

“I need to talk to Bridgette, but I was thinking I’ll be down here for the next month. I’ll work from here and start grooming Darius, if you want. That’ll give us enough time to get settledhere, and then, I’ll bring Bridgette up for a week, if she can get away, so that you and Mom can meet her. We can announce then. I can pack while I’m there, and I’d do another few weeks here and so on until you have my replacement.”

“This is a lot to ask, honey.”

“I know.”

“If I agree to this, you have to promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You have to be the one to tell your mother,” he said.

Monica laughed. Then, she and her father ironed out a few more details, and by the time they finally hung up, she breathed in deeply. The weight of the world had just lifted from her shoulders, and it felt amazing. Monica was quitting the only job she’d ever known and giving up the only plan for her life she’d ever had, and she was smiling because this was what she wanted.

The day before that, she and Bridgette had made love all over her apartment, and Monica was still sore in places she’d never been sore before, but in the best way possible. They’d gone to get Po-Boys for dinner and eaten them back at Monica’s hotel. There, she’d packed an overnight bag, but before they left, they’d made love again, messing up the bed she hadn’t slept in. She’d left an extra tip for the maid staff, feeling bad, and they’d gone back to Bridgette’s apartment, where they’d just watched a movie and talked about nothing serious before they’d finally gone to bed.

That morning, they’d woken up early, and Bridgette had decided to run out and get them coffee from the place on the corner because it was better than what she could make them here. Monica wasn’t sure she’d really meant that, but earlier, she’d mentioned to Bridgette that she wanted to talk to her father to get things out of the way, so she guessed Bridgette was giving her some time alone to do that. When she heard Bridgette’s key in the door, she smiled, picturing this being partof her life now: Bridgette coming home from work and Monica being there to greet her and kiss her hello. It sounded so good.

“Hey,” Bridgette said when she walked in. “Did I interrupt?”

“Nope,” she replied as she stood up from the sofa.

“So, how did it go?” Bridgette asked as she placed a tray carrying two coffees and what looked like a small brown bag of pastries onto the kitchen counter.

“Can I tell you later?”

“That bad?”

“No, thatgood, and I want to celebrate with you before we have to leave for the office,” she said.

“Celebrate?” Bridgette asked.

“Yes. So, take everything off. You’re about to get lucky, Miss Musgrave.”

“Fuck,” Bridgette whispered in realization.

“Yes,thatkind of lucky.”

CHAPTER 33

“First two days in charge, and you were out sick for one and late for the other,” her mother teased when she and Monica walked in.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bridgette said, rolling her eyes. “Seriously, though, Iamsorry.”

“It’s all right. I think if your father and I had just met and he told me he was leaving, I probably would’ve needed some time, too.”

Bridgette looked over at Monica, who seemed not to notice, or at least, not show that she cared, that her mother had just compared their relationship to her marriage, which had already lasted thirty years.

“I’m here. You can put me to work.” Monica volunteered with a raised hand. “For free, I might add. Now that I’m not here for Arnette, I can just be here. Maybe two of us working today will make up for Bridge not being here yesterday.”

“You don’t have to work,” Bridgette’s mom replied. “You’re on vacation. I didn’t even expect to see you here. I thought maybe we’d all have dinner this weekend or something; get to know you more as Bridgette’s girlfriend and not Monica Arnette.”

“Sure. We can do that,” Monica said. “And I meant it. Iamon vacation, but only sort of. I’m still working a little while I’mhere, and I’d like to help however I can. I’ve made transitions like this with other companies we’ve bought in the past, so I can offer some advice, or I can just stay out of your way.”

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