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“He told me they're not exclusive, that they're basically just friends with benefits.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes. “Pleasetell me you haven't been seeing him. He's involved with Charlotte, and I would hate for you to get in a messy situation with them, or with him.”
“Well, obviously, George must want more than what Charlotte's offering, or hewouldn'tbe seeing me.”
“Come on, Lydia. Why do you need to go after another woman’s man?Especiallywhen the woman is someone you've been friends with for years.”
“Oh, please, he's not ‘another woman's man.’ If Charlotte thinks they're exclusive, she's wrong, and those words came straight from George's mouth. And if he's saying it to me, you can bet he's already said it to someone else.”
Elizabeth realized the battle was already lost, and there was no point continuing the conversation; the more she told Lydia that George wasn't to be trusted, the more Lydia would make him into a woefully misunderstood man. And now, she had to figure out what to tell Charlotte.Another conversation to dread.
“I can't tell you what to do,” Elizabeth responded flatly, “so I'll just tell you to be careful. There's something about him I don't trust.”
Lydia sighed, clearly irritated but calmer now. “God, Lizzy, let it go, would you? I don't need to be careful. George is a great guy. I'm sorry if Charlotte gets hurt, but I'm not going to let him pass me by, especially if he's not happy with her anyway.”
“Okay, you've said enough. I have to go.”
“Me too. George will be here to pick me up soon. Hey, the next time he comes to use your darkroom, can I come too?”
“No. He's not welcome here anymore.”
Lydia scoffed. “You'rekiddingme! So now you're siding withCharlotte? Fine, whatever.” Her voice was saturated with sarcasm. “Have agreatweekend.”
Before Elizabeth could say another word, Lydia hung up.
It's just as well. I have nothing else to say to her.
* * *
Will lookedup from his desk when his door was thrown open and Charles barreled into his office.
“Well look who it is, fresh from his island getaway,” Charles said with a grin.
“Hey, Charles. What’s up?”
Charles sat down in the chair that faced Will's desk and stretched out casually. “I just wanted to check in with you about this weekend. When is Elizabeth coming into town?”
“They'll be here tonight, sometime after seven.”
“They?”
“Georgie is using one of the extra tickets.”
“That's great! She's really doing well, huh?”
“Yes. She moved into the guesthouse this week, did I tell you that? And she's looking for work on the Cape. She's had a couple of interviews already.”
“Wow, that’s excellent. You must be relieved.”
“I am. I still feel like I have to watch out for her, but I suppose I'll feel that way for a while.”
“I'm sure that as time goes by, you'll feel a little more secure. She's gotten pretty tight with Lizzy, hasn't she?”
“Yes. Their friendship has been good for Georgie.”
“We should all go out tonight to celebrate, don't you think?”
“I don’t know. It's Georgie’s first time back in Boston since...well, everything. Why don't we wait to make plans until after I've talked to her? I want to make sure she's comfortable with it.”
