Once the ice was broken, Tina and I quickly warmed up to Andi. She was sharp and funny and had a huge heart. Despite all the stuff she went through growing up and the tension and drama she saw daily working as an E.R. Nurse, she had the most cheerful outlook of anyone I'd ever known. Maybe knowing how tense and bleak life could be, she had a better appreciation of the micro-joys of each ordinary day.

A few days later I got a text from a number I didn't recognize. But I had a hunch.

“Hope you don't mind. I got your number from Zoe. What are you doing?”

“I really CAN talk you know,” Andi declared. Startling me. “I just hate the sound of my damned voice.”

I stood in stunned silence. She sounded almost exactly like Harvey Fierstein.

“OK.....” I said. Mostly for something to say. She glared at me.

“SEE???” she held an accusatory finger at me. “THAT'S why I keep my damned mouth shut! That look.... that ….look.... you're giving me.”

“Sorry.” I muttered. “It's just ….so.... I was taken by surprise.”

Andi snorted. “Tell me about it.... story of my damned life.”

“OK.” I said again just for something to say.

She brushed her hand in the air tipsily. “It's a loong story.” she scowled.

“Wanna hear it?” Zoe grinned wickedly. Then she turned to Andi with a pleading look like a dog begging for table scraps.

Andi regarded her for a while. Blinked a few times, then seemed to remember Zoe's request. “....fine.” she sighed. At which point Zoe lit up and beckoned Tina to join us.

I quickly suspected the high-octane margaritas were never intended as a hostess gift. They were Zoe's not-so-secret weapon to loosen Andi up. Dave had pretty much confirmed that. When Zoe beckoned Tina over, he shooed her with a grin and said 'thank God she's finally talking.'

“Hey slowpoke. C'mon....” Andi called out to Tina slapping the sofa cushion next to where she sat, legs folded under her. “I'm NOT telling this twice!” she grinned.

I never knew my father.

My mom said he was in the military for a long time, so our family got a steady check thanks to his years of service. I guess that's why she never worked, like the single moms of a lot of kids at school.

Tina bonded hard and fast with my friends at Sous Vide and they all exchanged phone numbers and social media handles. I will admit I felt a little jealous that she fell in with my friends so quickly, but I was the one who built her up to them, and them to her. They just proved to each other that all my gushing wasn't hyperbole. I felt a little jealous knowing that Tina and my girlies could now connect directly without me as an intermediary.

As much as I adored meeting the Claypooles and staying at their charming B&B, as well as the refuge of Tina's room after my vaguely remembered but utterly mortifying 'girls night out' with her friends, it was heaven to return to the comfort of my own bed.

The bliss was short-lived as I quickly returned to the crushing routine of Tom's workday. I struggled through the first day back and slowly settled into my groove ….or was it a rut?....

The actual subject of their ire made her way out the service door to the alley behind the boutique.... curiously invigorated by the rush of once again outwitting a pack of bullies... and dashed off as fast as her freakishly long legs would carry her, clad in only her under-burka running gear and trainers.... with absolutely NO idea where she was or where she was headed.

Ken smiled and nodded. “No problem mystery girl.”

I could feel the blood leave my face. Already Tina's dad had started snooping. And apparently he hit my firewall.

I tried to take my 'grounding' with grace. I tried to think of myself not as a prisoner of my hotel – which seemed to be crawling with security people... I wasn't sure whether they were from our corporate parent, the local authorities or the hotel's management, none of whom I presumed, would want a violent tragedy associated with their brands. I tried to pretend we were 'ultra-VIPs', so important that the world came to us and we merely 'held court'. That was how I tried to frame this, to keep myself from going stir crazy. It wasn't terribly effective.

When I got back to Tina's room she was still sleeping. I crawled back into bed – avoiding the spoon - and tried to go back to sleep myself, hoping I would wake refreshed. It didn't work. I couldn't get back to sleep. My mind kept churning, trying to reassemble the night.

All I could get was glimpses. Random flashes. Even the tiny snippets were disturbing enough.

I heard Tina's groan and knew she was reluctantly waking. I feigned sleep. I heard her groan. She must have looked at the clock. I heard her leave the room. I guessed shower.

“I'll have a glass of your house chardonnay” Becca said and the bartender turned to me. “Club soda with a twist.” I smiled to disapproving looks from the others.

Lauren was looking the most annoyed, so I addressed her.

“I'm feeling dangerous enough in this dress. I'm not adding alcohol.” I tried a reassuring smile.

“God, Chrissie said you never have any fun. Now I know why.” she said dismissively. “But if you think you're designated driver forget it. No one drives my Lexus but me.”

“I can cab home.” I smiled.

“If you cab home after all we did getting you looking this hot, there is no God!” Becca laughed.

I think only Tina caught my panic response before I tamped it down, quickly replaced by a polite smile.

Life went on. I worked my crazy schedule of part time jobs, still volunteered at the shelter when I could, but I couldn't shake thoughts of Kesey when I was there and I slowly began to emotionally withdraw to the point where Maria and Steve noticed. They were kind enough to ease me out and make it seem like a mutual decision. I truly believed them when they said they would miss me, but they were already missing the old me while the withdrawn me was still there. We all agreed it was time for a change, wished each other well and promised to stay in touch.

By the time I got to Olive garden, Tina and her friends were working on dessert and Tina was nursing an espresso. I raised an eyebrow at Tina the part time barista. She read my mind.

“Just checking out the competition” she smiled raising her demitasse cup to me.

I nodded back with a smile.

“So Chloe... where you been keeping yourself girl?” Tina's friend Lauren asked.

“Oh, I was just exploring Greenville....” I smiled.

“Ooooh. City mouse!” Suzie chuckled.

I settled into my bed & breakfast, which was just as charming as it seemed online.

I met Charles, the proprietor and his mom, Mrs Claypoole. After I got settled, they invited me downstairs to share tea. We chatted and I got an interrogation every bit as thorough as Tina's father. Only this was amiable and seemed based on genuine curiosity. It was also 'full duplex' as my father the engineer would say. I learned at least as much about them as they did about me.

Tina's mom reheated some manicotti and fixed a fresh garden salad.

Tina's dad handled the grilling.

“So how long have you two known each other?” He stared at me.

“It feels like a lot longer that it's actually been” Tina laughed. “It's really just been over a month, but it's like we've known each other forever. Sometimes someone comes along and you really click.... you know?”

Tina's mom nodded smiling. Her father almost hid his grimace.

“You met at work.” He said dryly.

I always gave all the credit to Tina. It was her world, her story and her imagination. I just put a tiny little Prince-like glyph which was a convoluted graphic jumble of my last name. I remained blissfully anonymous, but eventually Tina mentioned to some fan that she didn't do the art.

The buzz over the 'mystery artist' snowballed the more I tried to protect my privacy. I enjoyed being an enigma. Who I was in people's imaginations seemed much more interesting than my rather mundane real life.

I saw Matt again the next morning as he and Nancy saw us all off at the plane. We kept it light and civil. We had already had our private moment. This was just the public scene we both had to play, and we got through it.

Nancy however was a different story.

We quickly settled into our new routine. Tina had classes and study groups and hanging with her friends and working at the coffee shop. I had my two jobs and otherwise raced home to get back into Chloe mode. I had hoped to find the time to get back to my artistic ambitions, but household chores seemed to take more time than I expected. It's not as if my housemates didn't share the workload. Well, at least Tina did. And even Zoe was a substantial improvement over Colin and Dale.