October to October

{Chapter Thirty-Four}

  "If you keep that up I'll never get out of this room," Joan said breathlessly as she hid her face in Lauren's shoulder after the kiss ended.

  "That is the plan."

  Finally she let Joan go with pleas to call her as soon as she got to work; they were always checking in with one another. Lauren never worried about someone so much in her life. Jake had been over-seas most of their relationship; in countries she'd never visited, but she hadn't given it a second though. Now she worried about Joan simply going to work or walking alone. They had to call and tell the other they were okay every time they left and went somewhere. It was a rule, but they still reminded each other every time.

  "You know I will," Joan said.

  Lauren walked Joan to the van. She kissed Joan [but not before looking both ways to see if anyone was watching] and stood and waited until the van turned the corner. 

  She was just walking back into the so-called 'common area' of her new home when she heard the front door open and slam shut, and the sound of Ruth and Monroe's excited voices. They always came home for lunch these days, and they seemed to expect Lauren to join them. They loved trying new recipes and reminding Lauren of the time when she and Joan were first falling in love.

  "We have all the ingredients for the veggie burgers," Ruth said Lauren as they walked to the kitchen. The place was broken into apartments, but they only had enough money to outfit the downstairs with a stove and refrigerator.

  "Yum," Lauren said without enthusiasm as she personally liked her burgers made out of hamburger and not tofu, but Ruth said they should try new things. She always tried to get Lauren to try new foods as a kid and retry foods that Lauren swore she hated. It never worked, and it was annoying.

  "We have some exciting news that might make up for the veggie burgers," Monroe said as they unloaded the shopping bags on the table. It was brand new and not to Lauren's taste as she preferred antiques, but Ruth wanted a fashionable and sleek black table from a magazine, and it had been mostly her money that went towards it.

  "Oh really?" Lauren asked.

  "We met your soul mate," Monroe said as she exchanged a gleeful look with Ruth.

  Lauren smirked, and she tried to tamp down her annoyance. "... My soul mate?"

  "Yes, he's perfect for you," Ruth said quickly as she saw Lauren was about to object. "He's in one of Monroe's classes, and he came to look around the store. She kept telling me that she thought he'd be perfect for you, but I didn't believe her until I met him. You guys have so much in common it's ridiculous!"

  "His name is Paul," Monroe said before Lauren could say anything as she pretended to be interested as she leaned against the counter and watched them work. She rarely did that much to help cook which irritated Ruth, but she always redid anything Lauren did, or Ruth told her Lauren she wasn't doing it correctly. 

  "And he's twenty-one!" Ruth finished Monroe's sentence. "He's in a band, and it isn't a Christian band before you even ask."

  "But he does go to church, but he isn't insufferable about it like Alex," Monroe said and then shot Ruth a guilty look. "Sorry."

  "No, he is insufferable," Ruth said with a wave of her hand. "We talked about music though, and Paul likes all the same stuff as you plus he's just really sweet and has that look you always went for."

  "What look?" Lauren was perplexed. "I never went for a look."

  "Geeky and tall," Ruth said. "You know, he has that messy hair and those hipster glasses. I personally hate that whole look, but remember that phase you went through where you always said you'd never date someone unless they wore glasses?"