"Housekeeping!" Ch. 02

"Mm." Colleen paused to gulp down the greens, almost done with the salad already.

"Well..." the ginger gave a sigh. "I was about halfway through law school when I, uh...met Julie. And, well..." she repeated with a shrug. "I hate to keep bringing her up, but you know how she is; she's got this persuasive way of making you forget about stuff when she's around. And...I coincidentally felt like I could use a semester off. So...mmph..."

This was very awkward for her, but she made herself spit it out.

"After we...went to California, I was pretty much just coasting, on her. Turns out wine pourers take home a bigger paycheck than I thought. Flight back here was all me, though. The little hunk of plastic in my purse's collecting a good lotta debt. I really should go back and finish school. My folks help me pay for it, and they don't really mind me taking time off. But I'm not getting any younger."

"Mm, true. Well, for what it's worth, my applause on your conscientiousness."

"Thanks." Just about finished, Colleen took a breath and summoned some more courage.

"...Lilly?"

"Yes?"

"Are...um...are you having a good time?...Y'know, right now? With me? So far?"

Lil had to take a minute to think about her answer. Indeed, up until just a few hours ago, she'd thought this luncheon would be about as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. But maybe, just maybe not. She reviewed the visible pros. On her own, Colleen seemed...like a perfectly fine—not to mention comely—redheaded young lady. Not the whorish girlfriend-poaching, pussyteasing, skanky little skunk with whom Julie'd replaced her in December. This Colleen Flowers was pleasant and personable, with admirable airs and manners. Lilly could appreciate those things. She wasn't a half-bad conversationalist either. Lil had to thoroughly consider this. Just how bad a time was she really having? Where were the cons? Honestly...she could only see the one. That Colleen had stolen her girlfriend. But it didn't matter; Lil was over her. Besides, Julie was gone. Fifteen hundred miles away. They never had to see her again. Of course, Lilly thought before this she need never see Colleen again either.

It briefly crossed her mind that Colleen was trying to be friends with her as a ruse. An elaborate scheme to get even with her, for the horrible torture Lilly'd put her and Julie through that night. But this was pretty far-fetched, considering the way Colleen'd turned the waterworks on full blast yesterday morning. Lilly couldn't swallow that. She'd always been a good judge of character, and saw far too few red flags to be concerned. Like it or not, try to deny it or not...

"...I am. Y'know, I'm not gonna lie to ya, Flower girl, I really didn't think I would. But...yeah. This is...nice. I have to admit, I like it."

Lilly saw something she didn't expect to see. Colleen's face brightened, into one of the happiest big beautiful smiles she'd ever laid eyes on. How...surprisingly pleasant. It would seem her validation of the meeting had made Colleen's day. Maybe the ginger had put a good deal more stock into this encounter than Lilly'd thought. Strange as it struck her, Lil found herself developing an unplaceable and yet genuine...affection for Colleen.

They shared a piece of cheesecake for dessert. Now that Lilly was enjoying herself in big red's company as well, she could certainly see them doing something else after this. She still had the entire day free. So she asked Colleen if she'd care for a little trek through the Glens Park, and then...something else after that, possibly?

Again, she was unprepared for the Flower girl's reaction. Colleen tossed a hug on Lilly and smooched her cheek.

"Of course, Lilly! I'd only love to!"

Something told me you'd feel that way.

*****

Thursday In The Park With Flowers

Thursday, June 9th, 2016, 1:54 p.m.

Lil was still taken just slightly by surprise. The ginger was so elated by this follow-up offer, Lilly felt a little disoriented. In her experience, individuals who put off such a loving, benevolent vibe usually had ulterior motives. Or something to hide. Yet, at the same time...she could tell Colleen was different. The truth was in her eyes. All she wanted was...

"...Colleen?" Lilly said as they entered the park.

"Yes, my friend?"

"May I...uh...ask you another kinda personal question? Or two?"

"Certainly! Consider me an open book. I'm very good at baring and sharing my soul. Besides, speaking of baring, I mean...you've seen me totally naked, and...done stuff to me totally naked. Some would argue that we're past the point of personal questions."

Lilly suddenly felt a little bad, a pang of guilt pricking her heart.

"...Good point. My apologies, Colleen. I didn't know what a...pretty nice and cool person you seem to be."

"Well, apology accepted. Hey, I'm sorry I stole your girlfriend. I didn't even mean to. But she got stolen from me too, though, so..."

"Accepted. It's okay, though, there's really no need to bring her up. I'm over it."

"I...oh, I know. I suppose it's just part of my nature. Y'see, I'm...I'm just a neurosis or two shy of being a basket case. Don't get me wrong, I'm not crazy. But I am too apologetic and emotional for my own good. When I'm happy, I'm the happiest person you'll ever meet. When I'm sad, look out. I'll drown you in my tears. I'm such a crybaby. No exaggeration. You give me a sappy scene in a movie, or someone performing an act of complete selflessness, forget it; I'm gone."

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily consider that a bad thing. Getting your emotions out's much better than keeping things bottled inside."

"I guess. I still think I kinda take it to extremes. One time I walked by this lady who was with her kid, and I heard her say, 'You're such a good little boy, I think I'll buy you an ice cream cone!' And I just...melted. No pun intended. Those moments of life that're just the sweetest, most adorable things you've ever seen...oh, God, they get me! Sometimes I cry for what feels like absolutely no reason at all. It's not even P.B.A. or anything, it's...just the way I am."

"You have a great big delicate heart, I can see."

"Yeah, then on the other end, I can get to feeling bad about things that aren't even my fault. Or anyone's. Like, here's a good example of that. My parents took me and my brother to the neighborhood Easter egg hunt when I was about nine. And, I came up zeroes. So, well, you know how kids can be this way. I felt really lousy, 'cause it seemed like everybody else found eggs. So then it was time for lunch. And my parents were all, 'C'mon, Colleen, come get something to eat!' And I was still bummed and blue 'cause I didn't find any eggs. Even that young, I felt...ashamed of myself. Like a loser. I didn't think I 'deserved' to get anything to eat. Make any sense?"

"Ah, that's unfortunate. Yeah, I think I understand that."

"Oh, it's all good now. One of the cool things about growing up is you learn that you're not the only one who loses at things, or screws up now and then. Another good thing's you're not so naïve anymore. One more true story. I'm telling you, you won't even believe this one. But it's absolutely the truth, honest to God, swear to goodness. When I was thirteen, I saw a TV show hosted by my favorite singer. And this is how naïve I was then. I'd only listened to his albums, so I had only heard him sing up to that point. So when I saw him talking on this show, thirteen-year-old me was like—no irony; I legitimately, actually thought this—'Oh wow, he talks? Like, normal? I thought he just sang.' That is honestly the way I thought back then! I am not, even, kidding."

"...Um...wow. Yeah, y'know, Colleen, I think you're right; I'm not sure I do believe that."

"Cross my heart. Wow, gosh, I'm sorry; I've been monopolizing the conversation, haven't I? I told you, I just love pouring my crossed heart out. Once I get going, it can be tough to stop me. Maybe you could share an anecdote or two with me."

"Oh, I don't have any stories at the ready, I don't think."

"That's okay, maybe later. Hope I'm not boring you to death with mine."

"On the contrary; I'm enjoying them. They're interesting. And touching."

They let a bit of silence pass, admiring all Glens Park had to offer. Fellow parkgoers picnicked, fished, cloudwatched and socialized. Kids frolicked on swings and play structures. Dogs sniffed one another and chased frisbees. Birds and squirrels did their respective duties in and around full-bloomed trees. Feeling a closeness drawing her to Lilly, Colleen screwed up a little courage and linked pinkies with her. Lil neither undid the action nor reprimanded her, so Colleen smiled, feeling warmth well up. They rested on one of the benches, mere moments before a tennis ball bounced by. Before they knew it, the tennis ball hunter hopped up onto the bench to greet them. It was an exuberant, energy-loaded dachshund. He chose Colleen to say hello to first, placing his paws in her lap, smiling at her, whapping her leg with his tail.

"Oh, gosh!...Well, look at you! Aren't you the cutest thing!" Colleen laughed, scratching behind his ear. "You kinda remind me of a dog I had when I was little. Snickerdoodle. She was a dachshund mix."

Rapid footsteps approached. Colleen and Lilly looked up to see a blonde belonging to said footsteps.

"Weenie? Weenie!" she called, scampering to collect him. "Oh, you! Always claiming new friends wherever you go!"

She looked up to address them. "I'm sorry; he just loves people. A lot. Hope he didn't bother you too much."

"No bother at all!" Colleen assured, tickling the pup's ears. "He put a little extra sunshine in our day. Of course, I'm sure most have that reaction. He's so beautiful! I was just saying, he looks like my old dog Snickerdoodle—or Snickers for short. What's his name?"

"Oh, we call him Weenie. Weenie for short, Hollaweenie for long. Guess you can tell what holiday I happened to get him on."

"Aw! Well, nice to meet you, boy!" the ginger greeted, scratching him next under the chin. "Hey, can he shake?"

"Of course, give him your hand. Weenie, paw."

The dachshund obliged. Colleen and Lilly were impressed.

"What a smart little fella you are!" Lil piped up, offering her hand next. Colleen turned back to the owner.

"Colleen Flowers. Wish I had Snickers here so I could show her off. She'd sure turn the charm on Weenie."

"Penny James," rejoined the dog's owner/Mommy. "Flowers, huh? That's pretty cool. D'ya happen to go around giving them to people? Sort of a calling card?"

Colleen laughed. "No, but y'know what, I really should; fun idea," she chuckled. "So, Penny, what do you do?"

"Well, I and my girlfriend co-manage a non-profit shelter for homeless people and animals. 'S actually just a few miles from here, in St. Ingmar. We've been doing it for just a little less than a year now."

"Oh, wow," said Lilly. "So is it funded by the city?"

"Well, we might need it to be at the some point in the future," Penny said. "But right now, it's funded by me. Y'see, I, eh...sorta became a multi-millionaire in the last couple years. Lady Luck landed me lotsa lotto loot."

Lil hopped right up from her seat, mostly to show she had a sense of humor. She snatched and kissed Penny's hand with a curtsy.

"Lilly Amshire, Your Wealthiness. An absolute pleasure, and then some."

They shared a giggle. "So what do you guys do?"

"Uh, well, I, Your Grace—" Another curtsy. "...Am a humble maid at the Meridian Inn and Suites."

"And I'm...well, staying at the Meridian currently. But kinda...not exactly employed. I'm technically a student, but...not really in school right now either. Uh...it's a long story. To be honest, I'm a...little stuck."

"Oh, dear." Penny furrowed her brows. Then she dug into her purse.

"Well, hey. I can give you a card. If you're strapped for a place to stay, just drop by. And, we take on both employees and volunteers. Depending on what you can do for us, I might be able to offer you compensation. If you're interested."

Colleen was pleased. "Cool!" she assessed. "I will definitely keep that in mind. Thank you, Penny!"

Lilly watched as the Flower girl tossed a hug on Miss Penny James as well. While she supposed what was going on here was good, something unexpected happened in her mind. She was faced with an emotion she certainly didn't expect. She thought back on the affection Colleen'd heaped on her yesterday and today, and looked on as the ginger now doused Penny in the same. This dog owner and fellow parkgoer they'd barely known for ten minutes. It was remarkable, and yet...did Lilly actually feel a bit...

...Jealous?...Am I jealous?? That seems inconceivable. And yet...

But processing this, she couldn't see what she had to be jealous of. Colleen's 'x's and 'o's for Penny were out of gratitude. And Lil supposed she could say the same about herself, having granted Colleen her much-desired company. Even so, Lilly got the feeling Colleen might...like her. Like-like her. Despite their rocky beginnings. But that was all in the past. It was a new year, a new summer, a new outlook for her, and perhaps for Colleen too. There was no need to credit a hint of envy watching big red be so affectionate to someone else. If Colleen was in fact carrying a torch for her—and Lil honestly believed she might be—her fondness for Lilly could (and would) prove greater than for anyone else. She waited for Colleen to break the hug, took Penny's paw and shook with both hers.

"Ditto, I second that," Lil told her. "If you could do something for Colleen that would help her out, that would make me happy too. Like she said..." She paused to turn the Flower girl's way. "...She is my friend."

She linked her fingers with Colleen and held her hand, calling Colleen's attention downwards to see. She noticed.

And didn't deny it when her heart gave a small flutter.

*****

...Feed Her For A Day

Thursday, June 9th, 2016, 5:56 p.m.

Lilly couldn't believe she'd been so trepidatious about this one solitary meal with Colleen Flowers. Ever since the park, she was enjoying the hell out of this day. And the way Colleen was beaming, so clearly was she. After resting on the bench a spell, they decided to spend the next chunk of the day at the aquarium, which sat in walking distance of Glens Park.

The Juniper Aquarium was absolutely humongous, a must-visit for all lovers, admirers and students of marine life. From the tiniest guppy to the sharkiest great white, from the most tentacular octopus to the most electrifying jelly eel, every imaginable variety of fish was represented. And like at the planetarium, the white in their clothing glowed under ultraviolet ambience. They elected to go once ascertaining their phones were good on battery life and photo capacity. A few admission bucks, dozens of informational plaques and a hundred pescado pics and sea life selfies later, the gals made way back to the entrance. They could've gone around again if so desired, but agreed they'd had their fill of aquatic atmosphere and fish facts for today.

By the time they returned to Café Petite to resume the car, they were surprised to see it was almost 7:00. The afternoon had simply flown by, and the June daylight wouldn't retire for another two hours. Perhaps all the strolling around factored in, but now once more sitting in front of the restaurant they'd dined at six hours ago, they found themselves getting hungry again.

"You wanna hear something kinda sick?" Colleen asked with a giggle.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Yes."

"Ah, what the hell; go ahead."

"I kinda feel like seafood for dinner."

Lilly laughed. "Well, I can see how that could be taken in a sick way, yeah. But in and of itself, that's not so sick. I'll tell you what's sick. Going to the aquarium with condiments, utensils and a lobster bib. That's sick."

Colleen laughed out loud. "No, no no, I'll tell you what's sick, actually. If you said you wanted fish, and I dropped my panties..."

She thought she'd be able to make this suggestive joke with a straight face, but didn't make it past the word "panties." She burst out laughing and blushed yet again, her cheeks matching the hue of her hair.

"Ohhh...I think it's really a toss-up for whom that'd be a more satisfying meal," Lilly remarked. "You wanna keep going with this fish theme, though, I'll have you know that I've graduated from cunning linguist to full-fledged 'pusscetarian.'"

Colleen guffawed so hard tears spilled out.

"Well, you're a bit more academically advanced than me," she chortled, catching her breath. "But, uh...speaking of the 'l'-word..."

Lil arched her eyebrows.

"...Is there a Red Lobster around here?"

The nearest was about ten miles south. So for their second consecutive meal together, Lilly ferried them on down. Now feeling a little braver, Colleen waited for her to release one hand from the wheel, and reached over to clasp it.

"Y'know what, Lil?"

It was the first time Colleen had addressed her by the monosyllabic form of her name. It charmed her.

"What's 'at, Col?"

Col waited a moment to tell her what.

"...I dare say this has been one of the nicest days of my life."

Lilly gave a chuckle.

"What a coincidence, Flower girl. I was just thinking this has been one of the nicest days of your life too."

*****

Chummies And Tummies

Thursday, June 9th, 2016, 9:33 p.m.

The seafood supper was concluded as well. Lil Amshire and Col Flowers, bellies full of tilapia and crab and scallop linguini respectively, finally headed on back to the Meridian. There was still time to take in a movie or go dancing, but the lasses agreed to save some of the fun for another day. And it turned out to be an especially fortunate decision.

"So, eh..." Lilly began, as they vacated the parked car. "...Wanna hang out with me in my room awhile?"

Colleen considered. "Well, golly gee, ma'am..." she said, affecting a cute unplaceable accent. "Wwwwwhat're your, uh...intentions?"

Lil found herself suddenly in the mood to flirt back. She flashed the ginger a coy but naughty smile.

"Well, now, I guess there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Colleen's heart did a small pirouette. She followed Lilly into the Meridian and up to suite 1200, where the Amshire Mer-maid called home. Once Lil took her inside, Colleen truly saw what she meant. She'd never seen a hotel room so thoroughly...furnished, she guessed would have to be the word. It really did look like a small apartment. And it really was Lilly Amshire's humble abode. In view sat bookshelves, knickknacks, calendars, a couple of laptops, wall and furniture décor, and other comforts of home sweet home. The Meridian's suites were pretty generous in their space. And yet, Colleen remained surprised just how many belongings Lilly managed to keep inside—while maintaining order, cleanliness, and ease of moving about. Though tidiness shouldn't surprise her; this was Lilly's profession, after all. And she had said she needed that structure in her life. Lil showed her in, gesturing to the twin queens.

"Two beds, my lady, no waiting."

"Why, and how lov-e-ly," Colleen smiled, making the silent 'e' less silent. She removed her shoes to crawl in. Lilly turned the TV on.

"There we go, some nice entertainment..." Lilly slipped into the other bed, lying on her side to gaze into Colleen's eyes.