They didn’t exactly drive through LA traffic as much as they crawled an inch at a time, but unlike Miami, no one around them seemed keen on crashing into them like they were playing bumper cars with uninsured motorists.
“It’ll clear out later,” Alix said, still holding Grace’s hand when she pointed to the haze covering the city. “Then maybe I’ll show you the beach. A little lunch in Venice maybe after we drop your stuff off?”
Grace couldn’t look at anything but Alix. With her sunglasses on and her wavy dark hair freshly cut, she was irresistible when she was nervous. Grace wouldn’t have been able to see it before. Alix didn’t display it in bright neon, but Grace saw it in the way she’d tried to anticipate everything Grace might need between the airport and her house.
“Venice?” Grace belatedly registered the suggestion. “Isn’t that far from your house?”
Alix shrugged. “It’s really pretty.”
Buzzing, Grace laughed even though nothing was funny. She leaned over the incredibly tiny center console and kissed Alix’s cheek. “You’rereally pretty.” She kissed her jaw. “And I’ve missed you so much.” She kissed her neck. “And I don’t want to waste time sitting in the car to see sand and palm trees that are only slightly different from what I have back home.” She rested her free hand on Alix’s thigh. “Not when I have such little time with you.”
“Jesus, Grace. Do you want me to crash?” Alix muttered like she couldn’t keep her eyes open and speak at the same time without considerable effort.
“Your foot is on the brake,” Grace pointed out, tone teasing while she ran her hand up the inside of Alix’s thigh.
“Not if you keep doing that,” Alix groaned.
Grace kissed a line down to Alix’s collarbone. The ride to Silver Lake was going to be agony.
“This is so much cuter than in pictures,” Grace said when they pulled up to an adorable bungalow with Alix’s longboard and an old swing on the porch.
“What pictures?” Alix asked after she parked on the tree-lined street and jogged to the trunk to get Grace’s things.
Grace cocked her head to the side. Certainly it was too soon to admit that curiosity had gotten the best of her one night and she’d done a little Googling.
“Is Phyllis here?” Grace asked instead of answering the question.
“She’s here and she’s in a hurry.” A woman with short white hair and a forearm sleeve stepped out of the house hauling a suitcase large enough to fit a corpse. “Kid, put this in the car for me while I say hello to Grace.”
Alix dutifully started up the short walkway. “Well, there’s one way to make introductions.”
“Hi, Phyllis, it’s so nice to meet you in person.”
“I’m taller than I look in your little screen,” she replied before greeting Grace with a hug like they were old friends.
When she broke their hug, Phyllis didn’t let Grace go. While Alix struggled with the impossible task of fitting an enormous bag in a microscopic car, Phyllis held Grace’s hands and soundlessly examined her.
After the longest, most unusual seconds of Grace’s life, Phyllis gave her a deep nod and a “Yep.” Another second later, she added, “You’re a good egg, Grace.”
“Thanks, I?—”
“All right, I can’t be late,” Phyllis announced to no one, reminding Grace of the rabbit fromAlice in Wonderland.
“Where are you going?” Grace asked when Phyllis was halfway to the car and the only place Alix had found for her suitcase was the passenger seat.
“Vegas!” she replied, giving Alix a hug before beginning to reverse with a flurry of handwaving out the window. “Don’t forget to feed The Bitch!”
Alix nodded as though she understood.
“Who is The Bitch?” Grace asked, looking around for a pet.
“The sourdough starter,” Alix said with a long-suffering sigh.
“Makes sense. So, that was Phyllis,” Grace said when Alix followed her up the steps.
“That was Phyllis,” Alix confirmed.
Inside, Alix’s house was as colorful and cozy as it looked on their FaceTime calls. But calls couldn’t capture the warm, inviting scent of home. They didn’t get beyond the couch, where Grace made Alix sit while she straddled her lap.
