Page 40 of February

“You know her?”

“This is the fortune teller Mel and I told you about.”

“The one who says you are having two kids?” Bridgette replied.

“Yeah, apparently.” Kyle laughed.

“None for you two, though,” the woman said, pointing between Monica and Bridgette.

Bridgette laughed and replied, “Well, yeah. Obviously.”

“Agreed,” Monica added. “Obvious.”

“No kids, but a dog.”

“Huh?” Bridgette said.

“Yes, a dog. One to start and another one later.”

“For them?” Kyle checked. “Together?” she asked the fortune teller as if she believed her.

“Yes,” the woman confirmed.

“And…”

“Everything else,” the woman added.

“Care to fill me in on what’s going on here?” Monica asked Bridgette.

“Can’t. I have no idea.”

CHAPTER 10

“Ijust need to go to the hotel to change,” Monica said. “I’ll meet you back at the office.”

“I can go with you,” Bridgette offered.

“I can manage,” she replied as she nodded toward the office entrance. “I’ll be twenty minutes. Are you worried they’ll think you murdered me and tossed my body into the river?”

“A little,” Bridgette said with a smile.

“If I’m not back in twenty, you can tell them to send a search party.”

“Okay.” Bridgette chuckled a little and headed into the office building.

Monica stood for a moment before she started walking toward the hotel to put her painting away and change back into her more workplace-appropriate attire. Of course, she was the only person in the office wearing anything so nice. All of the employees, including Mr. and Mrs. Musgrave, wore jeans and looked comfortable. Monica’s tennis shoes were incredibly comfortable, too, but they didn’t exactly go with her business suit, like Bridgette had pointed out earlier, so she needed to change. She stopped at the light, waiting to cross the street, and thought about the fortune teller in the Square.

It had been her first experience with one, if she could even call it that. They hadn’t paid the woman any money. They hadn’tsat down at one of her folding chairs. She’d just started talking to them, joining their conversation, and then Kyle, who, Monica had learned, was Melinda’s girlfriend, had walked up to them as well and started talking to the woman, seemingly believing every word she’d said. Suddenly, Monica was standing next to Bridgette, and this supposed psychic was telling them about the dogs they’d have. It had been strange, and she still didn’t know what to make of it, but they’d left Kyle at the tour office after walking her back and then had grabbed sandwiches to-go at Subway after Bridgette had made fun of her for not trying a local place again.

“Subway was closer,” Monica had argued. “And I can trust it.”

Bridgette had laughed, but she’d gotten herself a sandwich, too, and paid for both of their meals. Then, they’d sat on a bench, per Bridgette’s suggestion, and they’d eaten their sandwiches and the accompanying chips. Monica hadn’t ever eaten a messy sandwich while sitting on a bench before, and she’d done her best not to get it all over her shirt that she’d planned to wear for the rest of the day. Bridgette, on the other hand, had seemed much more casual, as if she’d done this before: people-watched while eating a sandwich. Monica had tried to relax a little, and when she did, she’d thought she kind of liked it. There was a calmness about not having to keep up a conversation and just sitting there eating and watching people go about their days.

When the doorman let her into the hotel with his customary greeting, Monica made it up to her room, where she’d planned to change back into her work clothes. She stared at them for a moment before placing her new painting on top of the desk. Putting her cash and cards back into her wallet and tucking her room key into the small pocket in the lining, she considered for a minute. Everyone else in the office was wearing jeans and tennis shoes. She liked business suits because they made her feelpowerful in her executive meetings, but in this place, she didn’t need to feel powerful. She needed to blend in more. She needed them to feel like they could talk to her so that she could make the best recommendation for the business.

Monica decided to wear what she was wearing back to the office for the afternoon, and if it didn’t go over well, she’d be back to business suits tomorrow. Then, she thought that if itdidgo over well, she would not have enough clothes to wear since she’d only packed the two pairs of jeans she’d already worn and only a couple of sweaters. She could call her assistant and have her go pick some stuff up and send it, or she could go shopping here. She was still considering when her phone chimed with a notification. Monica checked the readout and was surprised to see a Facebook notification until she remembered that she’d reached out to Sophie last night. She opened the app and read the message to herself.

Sophie Santiago: You’re in town? Yeah, let’s hang out. I haven’t talked to you in forever. I’m pretty free, so just say when. You can text me, by the way. Number is the same. Let me know if you need it, though.

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