“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to tell you both personally. “You’ve been such good friends to me. I’m really going to miss you.” Her voice cracked, but she battled through it. “I love you guys so much.”
Gloria wrapped Harper into a hug again. “I wish I could talk you into staying.”
“Is there room for me in there?” Aldo grabbed them both and squeezed.
“One joke about a threesome and I’ll smack you with that spatula,” Harper threatened.
Gloria giggled. “Promise me you won’t give up on love.”
“I promise,” Harper nodded. It may have been the first lie she had ever told her friend.
***
If telling Gloria and Aldo good-bye was hard, telling Sophie was proving to be impossible. She couldn’t get the woman to slow down long enough to give her a chance to spit the words out.
“I don’t know Sophie. Karaoke?” Harper listlessly stirred her coffee in Joni’s kitchen. She hadn’t been to Remo’s since she had given up her Friday shifts. She had said it was because she was working nights at the office, but really she didn’t want to face the town.
“Oh please, Harp. You don’t think Luke would voluntarily show up on karaoke night do you? I’m worried about you. You need to get out, have a little fun. Forget about things for awhile.”
As if she could forget, Harper thought wryly. Things were never out of her mind or what was left of her heart.
“How did you even get the night off?”
Sophie shrugged. “I get one Friday off a month. This was it. Are you in?”
Harper rubbed a hand over the ache that never left her chest. Well, maybe it would serve as a kind of good-bye to her adopted town. One last night in the first place that ever felt like home. She would tell Sophie then.
“What time are you picking me up?” she sighed.
Sophie whooped and threw her arms around Harper. “You won’t regret it! I promise! It’s going to be a night to remember.”
“Every night with you is a night to remember.”
“That’s what Ty says,” Sophie wiggled her eyebrows.
“Please don’t joke about sex to the woman who is facing an epic dry spell after —” How could she even label what she shared with Luke?
“Honey, the way you two have always looked at each other — the intensity. That doesn’t just go away. Especially not with a temporary breakup.”
Why did it feel like everyone else was having a harder time letting go than she was? “Soph, we’re done.”
“Never.”
“For the love of God, can we please talk about something else?”
“How about it was reported that Frank came to work this morning whistling a happy little tune and didn’t yell at anyone?”
Harper grinned. “You don’t say? Joni certainly seemed like she was in a chipper mood when she left for work this morning.”
“A well-placed source spotted them at Remo’s for after-dinner drinks last night, where they stayed until almost closing.”
Harper clapped her hands. “It’s about damn time! I asked her how it went this morning, and she actually blushed.”
Sophie squealed. “I love love. I feel like the whole town caught the bug this year. Gloria and Aldo, Joni and Frank, you and —”
“Give it a rest, Sophie, or I’ll tell Ty what really happened to his favorite coffee mug.
“Traitor.”
“What are you going to do when Josh is old enough to realize he’s been mommy’s scapegoat?”
Sophie shrugged. “Probably have another baby and blame everything on that one.”
“Good plan.”
***
Harper let Sophie talk her into the tight navy scoop neck sweater and skinny gray pants. “Why are we getting decked out for a night at Remo’s?”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “I haven’t gotten dressed up since Easter. It’s time to show this town a thing ... or two.” She adjusted her boobs. Sophie turned away from the mirror and eyed Harper’s chest. “If you get any skinnier, you’re going to start losing those.”
Harper crossed her arms in front of her. “Hands to yourself, lady. I’ve been eating just fine.”
Sophie snorted. “Yeah, right. We’re getting nachos and cheese sticks tonight, just so you know.”
“Whatever you say, Soph,” Harper sighed.
Remo’s was packed by the time they got there, but they found an empty table in front of the stage. It was a pretty kind of symmetry to have the beginning and end of her story happen right here. A kind of closure.
“Are you sure we should sit this close?” Harper questioned over the music. “How good can karaoke in Benevolence be?”