AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Should’ve known. Molly’s fast. I’d feel better walking Yoda until I’m sure that bird doesn’t come back.”
“I’ll get my jacket.”
“And,” Cleo said when Trey walked away, “I’ll make myself scarce.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Please. I’m going to take an hour to paint, then maybe go watch something on my tablet or read. And try not to be jealous you have a man to curl up with. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Dinner was so good, Cleo.”
“It damn well was.”
The humans walked; the dogs romped.
As they circled the house, Sonya looked up at the lights in Cleo’s studio.
“It’s so nice knowing she’s up there. All that goes on in the house barely fazes her.”
“It’s good you have someone steady with you.”
She tilted her head to look up at him. “A lot of people—most, really, at least at first—don’t think of Cleo as steady. But she is. Her mind’s wide open to everything, which makes an interesting combo with the steady. I got lucky being assigned as her roommate in college.”
“From where I see it, you both did.”
“I’m going to agree with that. When I walked in, the first day, she’d already set up her side of our very tiny room. Some of her artwork on the wall, a little shelf with crystals and photos and books, and a pillow on the fluffy red duvet that read:IMAGINE.
“I’d never shared a room before,” she added as they herded thedogs into the house. “So I was nervous about it, and how we’d get along. Both art majors, so I knew we’d have that. But I grew up in Boston and she came from Louisiana. Who knew? Then I saw her art and I knew we’d definitely have that.”
After wiping off the paws, Sonya straightened. “And she gave me Xena.”
“The plant in the library.”
“She was just a little thing back then. Cleo’s grandmother had started her from another African violet, and told Cleo to give it to her roommate. That she was good luck. And to be sure I named her. When I said Xena, Cleo lit right up. By the time I’d unpacked, it was like we’d known each other forever.”
The dogs raced up the stairs ahead of them.
“You did get lucky. My first college roommate was… let me think of the right word for him. Oh yeah,prick. A sanctimonious prick.”
“This surprises me. You strike me as someone who finds a way to get along with everybody.”
“I was white, straight, from a solid family—and tax bracket—he assumed were his type of Christians. He figured I was one of his group—that is, opposed to anyone who wasn’t all of the above. After several weeks of trying to ignore, argue with, or block his bullshit, I told him I was bi, an atheist, my great-grandfather was Paiute, and my parents had an open marriage. He moved out, and that’s how I got along with him.”
Fascinated, Sonya paused at the door of the library. “You lied to him.”
“It was that or punch him in the face. Seeing the shock on that face was nearly as satisfying as punching it. Anyway, I got another roommate, and we got along fine.”
“Do you know where he ended up? The sanctimonious prick?”
“Never gave him another thought.”
“I believe that. I believe you have that power. Okay, come see what you think of how I’ve built your web page. It’s not ready to go live,” she told him. “I still have some additions, some tweaks, then testing, but you’ll get the feel.”
She brought it up on her screen, stepped to the side.
“It’s already a big step up, and a major change in that feel. You were right about using the offices, the house. And the colors, the font. It’s not fussy, but it’s not bland.
“I like that you’ve put the year the firm was established right up front.”
