A broken marriage.
A new job.
She works as a Personal Assistant on the ForNoah Youtube channel.
Noah is on the autistic spectrum and she fixes things for him.
He's a shipwright and creates beautiful works of art.
She's a woman starting over who meet...
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That Morning
"You know that one-week vacation you have threatened me with? I'm taking it. With love, Tari." Carly reads off my two am text message to her for the fifth time.
I mindlessly reach my hand out for the orange and try not to make eye contact with Carly.
"We bought oranges at the farmers' market," says Eve. The Camera from today's film day in her hand. I drop the orange onto the pyramid. Eve's always on the hunt for color shots for the video. Jo-lee with spices in hand rejoins our little group in the fresh produce section. Today's episode is about pickled oranges and onions. At first, I thought it sounded gross, but it's for salads. And as always, Carly was right, just like when we were kids. When it comes to food, no one beats Carly, but she's a second-best for Jo-Lee whose specialty is more hard candies. Jo-Lee came much later in our lives when she moved here for her YouTube channel. Carts pass by, loaded to the brim with bulk items.
"Sooooooooooo?" Carly asks again, drawing out the ooo as long as humanly possible.
"I had some vacation time, I used it. I enjoyed myself." I broke my pussy, then got on and rode some more. A secret smile I should have kept off my face crept up on me.
"What's that smile?" Jo-Lee the ever perceptive asks.
"Something's changed," Eve states, and knows me all too well.
"Give," Carly chimes in.
"I'm in a thing," I say
"That's a little too Cryptic. Is this the fireman, Mr. Black Kryptonite?" Eve asks.
"No," says Jo-Lee. She already sucked me dry of info from the crash and burn date. Eve's head tilts, and she peers at me.
"It's Noah," Eve says in a gasp. "Dood, no way!" Eve has been more like a little sister to me then cousin and the woman can read me. It's annoying, but growing up with her and her uncle after my father died makes her have an inside view of me. The look on the other woman's faces was blank. As if they were running through contact lists, searching for a different Noah. Not the 6'9 massive man who would pass for a wrestler more than an artist.
"Nooo?" Carly whispers, leaning over into the oranges. I don't answer her. I will not get pulled into a convo about sex with Noah in the middle of Costco.
"She did," Jo-Lee gives that confirmed sound in the back of her throat. Like a cat that is midway through the cheese. I've rarely made Jo-Lee proud, but she gave me that. Oh, you did it girl expression. Her fair skin turns red. "Was it good?"
"Weren't we supposed to do some YouTube work?" I blurt.
"We recorded most of it at the Farmers Market," Eve replied while walking away. While I was with the movers for Noah's Crocker Art Museum exhibit, the distraction tactic failed. She went to another aisle, then disappeared down it. Eve returns shortly with a big Costco bulk buy of condoms. I shake my head at her.
