(Not So) Secret Admirer

Girls' Night In

Linda sighed as she listened to the popcorn pop. Even though Tom was a leach, she felt awful and sad and lonely. She dumped the popcorn into the bowl, grabbed a tub of ice cream, and plopped on the couch. She turned on some sappy made for tv romance, and drowned her sorrows in corn and frozen milk.
The doorbell rang and Linda got up to answer it. "Who is it?"
"It's Maria Baez! I brought a friend with me."
The blonde opened the door and smiled. "Hey. What're you doin here?"
"You said, and I quote, 'come by around 8:00. Bring a friend and cheap wine. I'm gonna need it'. So, here I am with a friend and cheap wine."
Linda smiled, "thank you. You're a good friend."
"Linda, this is Erin Reagan. I've known her for forever."
"Hi, Erin." She shook her hand, "Come in. Please excuse the mess."
"What happened?" Erin wondered as they all sat on the couch.
"I broke up with this guy."
"Was he cute?" Baez wondered.
"Sorta. I wasn't even really dating him. I mean, I went out with him because..."
"Because?"
"I don't know." She stood up and continued talking, "he wasn't all that great. See those roses?" She took out three wine glasses while nodding to the roses. "He sent me those. And these." She grabbed the big box of chocolates and dropped them on the table. "But it was every single day."
"Was he rich or something?" Erin wondered, reaching for a chocolate, then drawing her hand back.
"Yeah. Go ahead. Take one. Take ten! I have three more equally as large boxes in my fridge."
"Wow." Baez took a piece of chocolate. "This guy... what's his name?"
"Tomas J. LaRue." Linda said airily as she started to put the wine.
"Like LaRue from Hillstreet Blues?" Erin wondered.
"Yeah, only LaRue isn't clingy. And he's kinda handsome."
"And he was a detective." Baez smiled, drinking her wine, referring to the eighties' tv show Hill Street Blues.
"We, my brothers and I, we used to tease my oldest brother that he'd grow up and be a Belcker," Erin laughed. 'Belcker' was a detective with anger problems, who growled and bit people.
Linda and Baez laughed, forgetting about Bill.
"So. Your brother, he's a cop?" Linda stood up and went to the kitchenette. "Anyone want popcorn?"
"Yes, please!" The two friends followed her into the kitchen.
"Yeah. My big brother Danny." Erin leaned on the counter.
"Fresh from the academy?"
"Yup. Just like my other brother, Joe. He entered the second he turned eighteen."
"I know Erin won't answer this, but are her brothers cute?"
"Her baby brother still is. Not sure how long that will last..." Baez shrugged her shoulders. "He's what? Thirteen?"
"Yup. Jamie's his name." Erin took the big bowl of popcorn and headed back to the couch.
"I always thought Jamie was a cute name," Linda smiled and handed her friends spoons. She set the gallon tub of ice cream next to the popcorn. Suddenly, something dawned on her, "Reagan... like the PC?"
"My grandpa." Erin nodded.
The rest of the night was spent talking about siblings, actors, and stupid guys they had gone out with. Linda, Erin, and Maria quickly became best friends.