"What's that song that was playing before, the one with just the voice and the piano?" Therese asked.

Not remembering which song she's referring to, Carol told her to hum it. Therese whistled it instead.

For you… maybe I'm a fool but it's fun… People say you rule me with one… wave of your hand…
Darling, it's grand…

Carol smiled. "Easy living. That's an old one."

"I'd like to hear it again." The little girl requested.

"I'd like you to get to bed." Carol retorted. "I'll play it again." She went to her favorite room to oblige her houseguest's request.

The slow jazz filled the air as Carol went to plan their rod trip.

Living for you… is easy living… It's easy to live… when you're in love… and I'm so in love… There's nothing in life but you…

Carol didn't suppress the smile forming on her lips as she sat down in the room with the twin beds. Therese had just gone to the bathroom so she let her guard down. They would go to Ohio, Illinois, Nebraska… "Have you ever been to Wyoming?" Carol called out.

"No." Therese responded quietly.

"It's time you saw America." Carol smiled as she placed a little adhesive on the state. Then Idaho, maybe Washington to visit my father, or we could head over to Lake Tahoe in Nevada… "Don't fall asleep in there." She called out absentmindedly to Therese.

"I won't." The young lady said with a giggle.

"Well, some people do." Salt Lake City in Utah, maybe Denver in Colorado… Carol was getting excited in spite of herself. Alone on the road with Therese… She quickly hid her pleased look behind the map when she heard Therese walk out of the tub.

The younger woman asked from the bathroom. "Tell me more about Harge." And thus Carol's mood immediately dampened. "What does he do?"

"A lot of things." Carol said absentmindedly as she tried to continue on with her earlier happy thoughts.

"I mean, what's his business?" Therese prodded.

"Real estate investment."

"What's he like? Does he like to go to the theater? Does he like people?" Why ask about Harge now of all times?

"He likes a little group of people who play golf. And what else? He's very, very meticulous about everything. But he forgot his best razor. It's in the medicine cabinet and you can see it if you want to and you probably do." Carol mumbled on, trying not to badmouth the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago. "I've got to mail it to him, I suppose."

Then Therese stepped out of the bathroom. "Was this his room? Which bed did he sleep in?"

Carol glanced over at the other bed that was awaiting for her house guest and smiled. "Not yours."

"Can I have more of this?" Therese asked, referring to the coffee liquor.

"Of course." Carol said warmly.

"Can I kiss you goodnight?" Therese blurted out immediately after.

Feeling coy, the older woman turned to her and puckered her lips as if inviting her to a brush of intimacy. Therese's eyes noticeably widened as she grinned in anticipation. "No." Carol said.

Therese's big goofy grin immediately flipped upside down, almost comically. "Why not?"

"I'll give you this instead." Carol handed her the check she signed earlier. "For the trip. I don't want you to spend the money you'll need for that union membership thing." She said casually and took out a cigarette. "You won't need all of that, I just want you to have it."

"But I don't need it…" Therese said meekly. "Thanks. I don't care if I spend the union money."

"No back talk." Carol chided. "It gives me pleasure, remember?" Because now, you'll be with me… and I'll take good care of you, my little angel…

"But I won't take it…" Therese stubbornly said and, realizing how immature she sounded as she put the check down, tried to smile to dampen the gesture. "I don't like the idea… Think of something else."

"To give you pleasure?" Carol asked and raised one brow. Therese smiled even more and shook her head. "Alright. I'll think." Of oh so many ways to spoil you, darling. "Good night." She said before exiting the door.

"Good night." Therese replied and smiled as she went to bed.

The mischievous grin surfaced even more on Carol's lips as she walked back to the green room. For a few weeks, she can forget all about everything, the divorce, the absence of Rindy, the haunting loneliness, and think of nothing more other than the young lady who so graciously accepted to accompany this miserable woman.

Living for you… is easy living… It's easy to live… when you're in love… and I'm so in love… There's nothing in life but you…

This is a short chapter because that's all that's left of the first half of the book. Arguably I should have just added this to the previous chapter but sadly, I didn't have time to write it then.

Also, I started on a new project, The Mayfly, which follows the same events as this one but is told from Abby's point of view. I'll be writing both of these stories together from now on although the other one will be shorter because of Abby's fewer scenes in the book. That's all for now~