Home { S. Crosby }

Of All the Gin Joints.

The traffic in downtown Pittsburgh was just as Mollie Holden had left it 2 years prior.

Bumper to bumper, loud, slow moving, all brake lights and turn signals.

Not that the traffic in Baltimore had been any better. But at least in that city it was new and refreshing, in Pittsburgh it was just an annoying part of her hometown.

Glaring out the front windshield the tail lights on the Toyota in front of the her car flashed for the fifth time in under ten minutes. Slamming her palm hard against the steering wheel the woman groaned. "Oh, come on!!"

She was running late.

Typical for her, but the couple she was meeting wouldn't be happy with her if she kept them waiting much longer, "Hey Siri?"

"Yes, Dr. Holden?" The car's speakers responded to her voice as she continued to weave through the night's traffic.

"Text Nathalie Lemieux."

"And what would you like to say to Nathalie Lemieux?" The car asked.

"Running late, be there in 10." Cringing Mollie knew a text wasn't going to help her case any but it's all she could manage at the moment.

"Ready to send?" The voice asked as her car slowed at yet another red light.

"Yes." Pulling down the car's visor she took a look at her reflection in the mirror. Thankfully the mascara she wore was still intact but the eyeliner she had applied over 12 hours ago had smudged a bit over the workday. Using the pad of her fingers she rubbed at the smudged liner until the light turned green.

Five minutes later the destination was in sight, an overpriced steakhouse that Mario and his best friend, who happened to be her father loved.

After climbing out of the car she shrugged out of the white lab coat she had been wrapped in all day, straightened her black pencil skirt, and tucked the grey sweater she wore in tighter around her sides. When she was properly dressed she ran her fingers through the curls that were kinked laying at her neck before fetching her black purse from the depths of the car's backseat and slammed the door.

Inside the restaurant the lights were dim and the waiting room was packed but Mollie knew better than to check the waiting room, for the Lemieux's would not be left waiting. The sound of her high heels clicking on the hardwood floor gave the woman a powerful feeling as she approached the hostess stand where a young girl maybe 20 smiled up at her. The girl's face lit up from the computer screen in front of her. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm meeting a couple. Their last name is Lemieux."

Like a deer in headlights the girl's eyes widened at the mention of the all-mighty last name, "Yes, of course they were expecting one more." She looked around for one of the other workers, "Anna, will show you back to them."

"Thank you."

The girl Mollie presumed to be Anna, also dressed in all black appeared and began to lead Mollie through the restaurant. Once they got to a set of large double doors the girl stopped, "The Lemieux's are in here, Ma'am."

Raising her hand to push the door Mollie gave the younger girl a small smile, "Thank you, for showing me back."

The girl nodded walking away as she slowly pushed the heavy door inward prepared to meet the faces of two of the most important people in her life aside from her own parents.

What she saw instead were three faces, one of which she hadn't seen or heard from much in over two full years.

"Oh, there she is!" Nathalie stood her chair squeaking as she rose so quickly, her arms extended for a hug as the girl got closer. Her husband then rose from his seat standing directly beside his wife with a large smile on his face as well, the third person at the table remained seated looking just as bamboozled as Mollie felt.