"Doll, there's knowing, and there's seeing it in front of your nose. I mean, the guy might be an occasional jerk, but I think you owe it to the sisterhood to tap that ass, and tap it thoroughly," Nat said, straining to keep a straight face.
"The sisterhood can rest assured, Nat. I've been doing my duty."
And then some, but she didn't have to share everything with her bestie.
"By the way," Nat added, sly, "if you ever feel like you need backup, you know where to get me. I'm just saying..."
"Whoa — any more of that talk, missy, and I'll let Mickey know about your flexible standards."
They had to break off the banter, eventually, and focus on the growing pile of new arrivals. The bookstore was still doing well — better, if anything, since the news of its imminent demise had triggered an influx of customers old and new — and there was a daunting amount of unprocessed paperwork scattered about Emmy's desk.
The day slipped by in a blur of activity as Emmy tried to catch up with everything — admin, new books, the search for new premises… By the time 5pm came by, she felt like she'd barely skimmed the top of the to-do pile, but home beckoned, as did the prospect of seeing Eric again. She was a little nervous about entertaining Eric and Anna together, but that moment couldn't be put off forever, and Emmy was nothing if not pragmatic.
"Next time, you better invite me, okay?" Nat said with a hug as she left. "I'll give you a pass this time because Anna's your sister, but don't push it."
Don't push it ran through Emmy's mind on her way home — maybe she was a bit crazy to be going so fast. Barely a week ago she and Eric were hardly speaking and now they were introducing themselves to each other's families, but it felt right, and she hoped it wasn't just the hormones talking.
Anna wasn't home when she got in, and Emmy hit the apartment like a whirlwind, taking all the ingredients out of the fridge, chopping vegetables for a salad, and ducking into the bathroom for a swift shower. By the time her sister turned up, wearing an "I heart NJ" baseball cap, Emmy had changed into high-waisted gray wool slacks, and a dark blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled at the elbows, her damp curls piled onto the top of her head as she wrapped a dishcloth around her waist before entering the kitchen.
"Oh, sis, you're totally channeling a 40s vibe," Anna exclaimed in greeting. "Those pants are pure Katharine Hepburn. So how was California?"
"Craaaazy, Annie. Absolutely insane. But good, really good, too. How about you, did you hit the jackpot? How was your girls' weekend?"
Anna cracked a giant grin in response.
"Not quite the jackpot but we did strike it lucky — I made a couple thousand bucks on the blackjack and roulette tables, don't ask me how. And the girls send their love — Allie said she'll drop by at the store sometime next week to say hi. You know she moved to the city? She got a job in this new Italian eatery in NoHo — you should check it out. She said it was the most incredible experience. Also the hardest she's ever worked in her life."
"I can believe that. Listen, you want to get changed? Eric should be here in the next half-hour. I told you he was coming, right?" Emmy said, half-listening as she slipped the chicken dish in the oven.
"You certainly did — and sister, I brought my A-game. Or at least that was the plan before we started celebrating my win. I might be a little...fragile?"
"Impressive win, by the way. I've never managed more than a hundred bucks at the gaming tables. Not that I gamble often — to be honest I don't think I've been to Atlantic City in years.”
"I remember when you went there for your 21st birthday — I was so jealous," Anna said wistfully. "You were hanging out with your gang of party girls and you were definitely out to get tanked."
"We weren't party girls, we were the serious students!” Emmy protested. “Not that weekend in Atlantic City, though, I’ll admit that. That's when Nat and I really became friends. It involved a lot of drunken singing and some puking."
"And you came back a vegetarian."
"Oh my God, don't remind me! I think it was a side-effect of the hangover. That didn't last."