Spontaneous Layovers (Chaelisa)

iv

When Lisa drives up to Rosie's building, she almost does not recognize the woman that is standing outside waiting for her. Rosie is not wearing glasses today, and her hair is pulled back into a tiny ponytail. She is casually dressed in a flannel top, jeans, and tall riding boots. It is a complete one-eighty from the woman Lisa remembers from just two days ago, in full business attire and four-inch heels that. She pulls over to the curb and quickly gets out of the car so that she can go around to open the door for Rosie.

Rosie smiles. "Hi." Then she steps back and Lisa squeezes in between her and the door. "Oh. How very chivalrous of you." She says with a chuckle.

Lisa returns the smile. "Hello, and good morning to you, pretty lady."

Rosie smiles at the compliment before climbing into the car, letting Lisa closes the door for her.

Lisa walks back around and jumps back into the driver seat. "I hope that you're hungry. This place that we're going to has really gigantic meals." Lisa says as she checks all of her mirrors, waiting for the passing cars so that they can be on their way.

"Yes, I can definitely eat. I had a really early dinner last night." Rosie says as she thinks about how grateful she is that Lisa already has a destination in mind for them to have brunch.

~

"So, you weren't actually kidding when you said that these entrées were large." Rosie says as she pushes her plate away. "I don't think that I can eat another bite."

Lisa laughs. "Yeah. This place is always good after a long night of drinking."

"Ahh. One of yours and Minnie's favorite places, I assume." Rosie says.

Lisa nods. "When I first met Minnie, we used to go out a lot. All the money that I made back then was spent on drinking and partying. So, we would end up in here three of four days a week."

Rosie just shakes her head as she smiles back at Lisa. "That's really quite impressive. I'm glad to see your liver survived it."

Lisa laughs. "I'm very glad I did as well. So, what about you? You can't tell me that you didn't have a wild streak. I don't think that I'd ever believe that."

Rosie just shakes her head. "I never really had any good friends to get into trouble with. In fact, my best friend is still my big sister. Before she moved to New York, we had an apartment together and she spent a lot of time with her boyfriend, who is now her husband, and I spent a lot of time just studying or reading."

"Well, lucky we met when we did then and not years before." Lisa says lightheartedly.

The statement baffles Rosie. "Why do you say that?"

Lisa sighs, her demeanor changing to a more somber one. "Because, had we met back then, you probably wouldn't have befriended me as easily. Honestly, you probably would have thought that I was a hot mess and a drunk. Which wouldn't be completely inaccurate."

"Well, we all have our stories." Rosie says, and she wonders if there is more to what Lisa is trying to say, but she does not push the woman to open up about it. Instead, she changes the subject. "So, are you still not going to tell me where we are going after this?"

Lisa nods her head as she finishes her bite of chocolate chip pancake, not really wanting to talk with her mouth so full. She replies as soon as she swallows her bite. "You'll see soon enough. Stop being so impatient."

Rosie scoffs. "I'm not being impatient. But I'm not entirely sure yet that you're not some serial killer trying to whisk me away to someplace where no one will be able to find my body." She adds playfully.