Love Galore (Chaennie)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It first happens on a Wednesday.

Rosie texts Jennie. And it's just a picture of a random dog on the street. Followed up by the message, "Doesn't this dog look like Chewbacca?"

It's the first time she's texting about something other than coming over for sex, requiring some kind of response from Jennie other than "okay, come over" or "can you do an hour later?" Jennie's left at a bit of a loss.

Which is somewhat ridiculous, because they've had full-on meals together and many hours of conversation, and Jennie would have no problem coming up with a response if Rosie had said it during one of those times. Somehow, this perfectly innocuous message feels somewhat threatening when it's being texted at 1:25PM on a Tuesday afternoon instead of at a late-night post-coital dinner.

So Jennie texts back a cry-laughing emoji and hates herself a little bit for it.

She locks her phone away in her desk and refuses to look at it for the rest of the day.

But when it's time to go home, she finally takes her phone back out and sees that Rosie hasn't texted anything more, she has to admit that she feels a bit disappointed.

***

It's Friday night, and Rosie's with Alice and Ashley at their favorite neighborhood bar, a dark, drabby dive with vaguely Irish origins that hipsters have yet to ruin. While Ashley's at the bar getting them another round, Alice's telling Rosie about her crazy week at work, the endless stream of unlikely drama that gets inflicted on her hospital on a weekly basis.

"And I'm just like, 'when the hell do you people even have time to hook up in the on call room?' Like am I the only doctor here who works? Some dude's coding in the hallway, but sure, take half an hour to talk about your relationship status with your best friend's wife's brother."

Except that Rosie's not exactly listening. She's staring down at the cellphone in her lap. Annoyed, Alice gives her a little kick under the table. "Hey. Earth to Rosie."

Rosie looks up abashedly, but doesn't put her phone away. "Sorry, just working out the time with Jennie tomorrow."

Alice tries not to look judgmental. She fails, but at least she tries. "You're going to see her again?"

"It's Saturday. That's when we see each other."

"Oh, good, a weekly standing date that you plan out. Fantastic."

"Alice."

Alice heaves a heavy sigh of resignation and tries to switch from Judgmental Big Sister to Supportive Big Sister. "Okay, so... tell me about it then. I mean, not it. Just generally. Like, I don't know, where does she live?"

"She's in Midtown."

Alice looks confused. "You mean like Murray Hill?"

"No, I mean Midtown. Like Bryant Park."

Alice looks even more confused. "Nobody lives in Midtown."

"Jennie does. She has a two-bedroom over the park."

Alice stares at her. "Rosie. Just how rich is this woman?"

"I don't know." Rosie's starting to feel a little defensive under this line of questioning. "I don't exactly go over there to balance her checkbook."

"Eww. Also, who balances checkbooks anymore?"

"You know what I mean. That stuff doesn't matter."

Ashley returns with their drinks then, and as she sets it down on the table, Alice tells her, "Rosie's dating a millionaire."