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Chapter 11

Lauren had been waiting for Dinah at their usual meeting place for the last half hour. She was pretty content watching the traffic of the city pass on this particular day. She had nowhere to rush off to. Something about watching the hustle and bustle calmed her, though. No other city did hustle and bustle quite like New York City, she couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Dinah spotted her easily and weaved her way through the crowd, "I thought you were taking the day off?"

"I am," she replied. She handed over a previously purchased cup of brew, "On me, today."

"Thanks," she said before giving her a once-over. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"What?"

"You look terrible. Are those track pants?"

"Limited edition."

"Your shirt's on backwards," she did a little swirly motion with her hand.

Lauren looked down, "Oh, yeah, it is." She then proceeded to turn it around by pulling her arms back through the sleeves and twisting it the other way.

"Good lord, woman," she squealed. "Have you no shame?"

"Oh, settle down, Mary," she said as she put her arms back through the sweater. "I didn't take it off and whip it around." In the process a couple of well-dressed men walked by gawking, "But you'd like that, wouldn't ya?" she yelled at them until they scurried away.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," she said. "I just needed to get out."

"It's 9 in the morning. You worked all day yesterday. You spend less than eight hours a night at your actual home," Dinah informed her needlessly. "I don't think that's the reason."

"I needed coffee," Lauren said. She pointed in their usual direction, "I'll walk with you."

"So," Dinah followed and tried to lead her into conversation.

"So what?"

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"You can tell me."

"I'm not," she said as she fiddled with the lid to her coffee.

"You are!" Dinah laughed.

"I am," she agreed.

"You should be excited."

"I am excited," Lauren claimed. She then added, "I'm nervously excited."

"You've been counting down the days for this."

"Yeah, I know." Lauren turned the cup around in her hand. "It just hit me today."

"What?"

"Oh, I don't know, Dinah," Lauren exaggeratedly shrugged. "A woman I barely know will be inhabiting my apartment for three days. Maybe she'll be crazy. Maybe she's planned this all along. Maybe she'll be some kind of kidney stealer and she'll leave me in ice bath with a note that says, 'Hey thanks for the kidney, Lo, smiley face, heart. Sorry I cost you millions of dollars in overages, but I really needed this kidney. XOXO.'"

"Have you told her how much you drank in college?" Dinah asked. "I doubt she'll want to risk it."

"Maybe I should drop that info," Lauren thought out loud.

Dinah rolled her eyes, "Maybe you're scared Perfect Girl is not going to be so perfect."

"The odds are stacked against her."

"Or," Dinah ducked down to catch her eyes. "And I could be going out on a limb here, maybe, just maybe, you're scared that she is going to be perfect. Then what happens?"