Frequent Fliers by Noué Kirwan

Author:Noué Kirwan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2024-06-06T12:23:58+00:00

twenty-six

Lanie

“You know someone who lives around here?”

There were five of them, Lanie, Gemma, Gem’s friends Shanice and Marissa and Fatou, who had joined them for a late lunch, who walked like little ducks in a row, down the long line of rainbow-colored terrace houses on Ridley’s street. Lanie gaped at the large homes, all decorated in different pastel colors with stark front doors, frequently painted a primary color. Gemma nudged her in the side.

“I do too. My great-aunt Heléne lives three streets over,” Fatou said with indignation. “Which reminds me, you never saw me around these parts, yeah?”

They all chuckled.

Lanie looked down at the text exchange again. “We’re looking for thirty-five,” she announced.

“Well, this is forty, so can we figure out if we’re going up or down? My feet hurt and these bags are getting heavy,” Marissa said.

“And I have a baby to get back to before my tits explode,” Shanice whined.

“Okay, okay.” Lanie scanned the tranquil tree-lined street.

It reminded her of one of the stately brownstone-lined blocks in Harlem. She dreamed of living in a house like any of these. After three decades of living in a tight two-bedroom apartment, four floors of space was a luxurious fantasy.

“Here!” Fatou said, pointing at a cheerful daffodil-yellow house with a small wrought iron gate and three short steps up to a small portico with an electric-blue front door.

Above the portico hung a veritable jungle of plants and vines, some of which overgrew their pots and hung down, wrapping around the columns as if reaching for the ground, trying to reclaim the house for nature. Lanie wondered absently when last anyone had been out on that balcony to do any pruning.

“Well?” Gemma said impatiently.

“Sorry,” Lanie said, dropping her handful of shopping. She rang the bell twice before she could hear any footsteps approaching. Her heart raced in anticipation.

Besides Dash, she’d never met anyone in Ridley’s life before. It went both ways, of course; he hadn’t met any of her family either. And this would only be his housekeeper, Mrs. Handa, but the idea was still daunting. When the door opened, however, it was not the older South Asian woman she expected.

“B-Bea?” Lanie said, her heart now at a gallop.

“Yes.” The teenager smiled at her warmly. “Are you Melanie?”

The girl’s brown eyes were so huge they seemed to take her in all at once. Bea was absolutely adorable with a heart-shaped face, high cheekbones, full lips and eyes that were downturned in the corners. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and crowned with assorted multicolored clips to keep her flyaways under control. She wore a grass-stained white soccer uniform, complete with knee socks and cleats.

“You’re American.”

She couldn’t be sure, but Lanie thought she caught surprise in Bea’s eyes.

“I am.” Lanie nodded. “Nice to finally meet you! Your dad talks about you all the time.”

Bea gave a frown so fleeting that if Lanie hadn’t been looking directly at her, she would have missed it. But then she smiled and looked past Lanie, down to the small gaggle of chattering women on the street.

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