Page 4 of Sharing Shane

“So? That’s plenty of time. Let’s go to Frank’s Diner.”

“That’s all the way across town,” Veronica protested. “This is my mid-fellowship review, and I—oh, shit.”

“What?”

“Shit!” Veronica stepped out of the flow of pedestrian traffic to dig through her messenger bag. “I left the folder with all my notes for this meeting in my desk at home.”

“So? Go get it. You can’t be more than what, four blocks away? And you just said you had an hour before your meeting.”

“I know, but Derek is back at the apartment, and he had an important conference call this morning.”

“You can’t go back to your apartment to pick up a folder with important papers in it—papers that are vital to your career as a speech therapist, something you’ve been working your ass off to accomplish ever since you left teaching three years ago—because your boyfriend is on the phone.”

“Anything can sound silly when you put it that way.”

“Yeah, silly is the word I was thinking of.”

“Okay, I’m walking back.”

“Congratulations on being a grown-up.”

Veronica weaved her way through the people crowding the sidewalk. “You’re such a shit.”

“It’s part of my charm,” Delia reminded her. “Hey, have you gone shopping for your trip yet?”

“Not really. I mean, I bought a new bathing suit online, but that’s it.”

“Then we should go this weekend,” Delia said immediately. “You need fun beach clothes.”

“I have summer clothes, Delia.”

“You have summer work clothes,” Delia corrected, “because all you do is work. You need fun play clothes.”

“So, I’ll pick out a few sundresses online.”

“Amateur,” Delia chided. “Come on, go shopping with me. We can go to the outlet mall in Birch Run and I promise not to push you to go outside your budget.”

Veronica snorted in disbelief.

“Okay, I won’t push much. And I’ll only sneak one or two things in. We never have any fun anymore.”

“Okay, okay.” Veronica hurried across the street, racing to beat the light. “How about Saturday? Or today, actually. The office is closed this afternoon, so I’m free after lunch.”

“Ooh, we can have lunch at Frank’s Diner.”

“Sorry,” Veronica said, walking into her building. “I’m going to have lunch with Derek if he’s free. But I can meet you after.”

“Fine.” Delia’s voice held an annoyed grumble. “Playing second fiddle to Dead Dick is getting kind of old.”

“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not,” Veronica said, panting a little as she hurried up the stairs.

“Mostly joking,” Delia answered. “But I do miss you.”

“We’ll do a girl’s night soon, I promise.” Veronica tiptoed up to her front door, digging out her key. “But I’m here, so I have to go.”

“No, wait. I wanted to talk to you about something else.”

“Can’t it wait?”

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