“We’re too old for Chuck E. Cheese, but feel free to stop at Dave and Buster’s,” Pearl quips, and both Edie and Dixie laugh.
“You three are trouble.”
“We’ve been told that a time or two,” Edie says. Then she adds, “But when you reach our age, you earn the right to live life on your own terms.”
“That we can agree on,” I say as I pull in and park next to Edie’s car, which has had a tarp over it ever since her license was suspended.
“I miss your car,” Dixie sighs from the back seat.
“I need to sell it,” Edie murmurs as she unhooks her belt.
“Pardon?” I ask as Dixie and Pearl get out, slamming the doors.
“My car—I need to sell it. Will you help me take some pictures and post it online?”
I turn toward her in my seat and reach over to take her hand. “There’s still a chance you can get your license back.”
“I know . . . ,” she agrees, looking away. “But my eyesight isn’t what it used to be, and my reflexes have slowed. I shouldn’t be driving, and I’m smart enough to know when to cut my losses.”
“Edie,” I say softly, hating the defeat in her tone.
“I’m not upset.” She turns to face me once more.
I study her to see if she’s being truthful, and when I see she is, I squeeze her hand. “In that case, I’ll help you with whatever you need.”
“Thank you.” She lets me go and pats my thigh. “Now, call Calvin, and I’ll see you inside.”
“I’ll be just a minute.”
“Take your time.” She gets out and shuts the door, and I grab my cell phone from my bag and call Calvin. When he doesn’t answer, I leave him a voice mail, then send him a text in case he doesn’t check his messages. I get out and head inside Edie’s house without knocking, and then I spend the next hour with three women who have shown me in a short time that life is all about doing what makes your soul happy.
“That would be Calvin!” Edie shouts from her bedroom as the doorbell rings, and I get up from the sofa, smoothing out the skirt of my black halter-top dress, and make my way to the front door in my heels, which are already killing me.
As soon as I open it, I wonder if it would be wrong to call off tonight, because all I really want to do is make Calvin take me back to his place, where I can properly express how gorgeous he looks in his all-black suit.
I start to open my mouth to tell him he looks handsome but snap my mouth shut when his hand slides around my waist and pulls me against him. He drops his mouth to my ear. “I can’t believe I have to share you with your parents and Edie when you look like you do right now.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” I breathe, and he leans back to catch my eye and smiles.
“Though I want your hair down. I prefer it wild.” He touches his lips to mine, and I automatically touch my hair, which I pulled back into a chignon.
“Oh my goodness,” Pearl says, making me jump, and I look over my shoulder at her. “You two look so good together. Don’t move. I need to get a picture for your mom.”
“Christ, it’s like prom all over again,” Calvin mutters, and I laugh as she spins around and heads back down the hall, probably to get her cell phone.
“You went to prom?” I ask him, and he looks down at me.
“Yeah, didn’t you?”
“No, I didn’t get asked, so I pretended like I was too cool to go,” I tell him truthfully.
“You didn’t get asked to prom?” he asks, but before I can answer, Pearl comes back with her phone pointed at us.
“Maybe you should come in and stand in front of the fireplace.”
“Pearl,” I say with a sigh.
“Fine, where you are will work. Smile.” I lean into Calvin and place one hand on his chest as he curls me deeper into his side, and the flash on the phone comes on, almost blinding me. “This is perfect.” Pearl walks away and looks at her phone as Edie comes around the corner.
“I’m ready.”
“You look stunning, Edie.” Her two-piece cream-colored pantsuit reminds me of something my mom would wear, only Edie wears it better, because she has a navy-blue tank tucked into her pants instead of a stuffy blouse and a bold sapphire necklace that’s obviously costume jewelry but still extraordinary.
“You two look gorgeous together.” She smiles at us, and I smile back, then focus on Pearl and Dixie when they come down the hall carrying their bags.
“Do you guys need a ride?” I ask, knowing neither of them drove here.