Page 64 of Whatever Lola Wants

“No, he told me,” Lola assured her. “It just slipped my mind, is all. Did you just get here?”

“Last night,” Ginger said with a nod that had her ponytail bouncing. “I’m sorry to stop by so early.”

“It’s not too early,” Lola assured her. She still didn't know what time it was. “I was awake and hunting breakfast.”

“Well, I wouldn’t bother you, but it looks like I left my charger back in Ohio and this thing is almost dead.” She waved her cell phone. “You wouldn’t have one I could borrow?”

“Sure.” Lola stepped back. “Come on in and I’ll dig one up for you.”

Ginger followed her into the apartment. “I really appreciate it.”

Lola let the way to the open kitchen. “It’s no problem. I forget something every time I go somewhere.”

Ginger grimaced. “I also forgot my birth control pills.”

“That I can’t help you with,” Lola said with a laugh and pulled open the wide drawer under the kitchen counter that served as a junk drawer. She sifted through it, looking for the bright blue cord she’d bought on a trip to New York last fall when she’d forgotten her own charger.

“Here you go,” she said, finally unearthing it under a handful of takeout menus. She held it out. “Keep it as long as you like.”

“You’re a lifesaver.” Ginger took the charger with a grateful smile. “I’ll buy one in the next day or two and get this back to you.”

Lola waved her off. “Keep it. I have at least a dozen others.”

“Thanks,” Ginger said. “I thought big city people were supposed to be rude and mean.”

Lola grinned. “We take Sundays off.”

Ginger laughed, a musical tinkling of sound. “Good to know. I’m sure my mother—who is positive I’m going to be assaulted, murdered, sold into sexual slavery and coerced into doing hard drugs in this godforsaken city—will be relieved.”

“A worrier, huh?”

“She bought me a stun gun as a going away present.”

Lola’s eyes widened. “Um, it’s illegal to carry those in the state of Illinois unless you have a Firearm Owner’s Identification card.”

“Oh, good,” Ginger said with obvious relief. “Now I have an excuse not to carry it.”

Lola snickered, enjoying Ginger’s easy humor. “Listen, would you like to get dinner some night this week? I could show you around town a little.”

Ginger’s eyes lit with delight. “I’d love that.”

“Great. Let me give you my cell number.” Lola began digging around in the drawer for a pen and a piece of paper.

“Here.” Ginger pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Go ahead. I’ll call it now, and I’ll have your number and you’ll have mine.”

Lola recited her number, and Ginger punched it in. The jangling of her phone echoed from the bedroom down the hall. “I’ll call you tomorrow to set something up?”

“That’ll be great.” Ginger tucked her phone away. “Well, I’m going to get back to unpacking. Thanks again for the charger.”

“Anytime.” Lola followed her to the door, holding it open as Ginger padded out into the hall on bare feet. “I mean that. If you ever need anything, or you just want to hang out, just pop on over.”

“I’ll do that.” She took out her keys to unlock the apartment across the hall.

“Hey, Ginger?”

Ginger looked up, a question on her face.

“Welcome to Chicago.”

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