The Good, the Bad, and the Gwen | ✔️

22 - Can't. Stop. Laughing.

Even though I don't see him, Sully calls the next day and the day after that and we talk for about half an hour both times. He invites me to go out again Friday night—this time with Hartley and Nick, though I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, a double date sounds like fun. On the other hand, I'm not ready to share Sully with anyone just yet, including my best friend.

But getting to sleep in for the first time since arriving in New Orleans is a luxury. Running every morning in the god-awful humidity was no fun at all. Hartley took the news of me giving up our morning "death dash" much better than I'd anticipated. She didn't even complain. I manage to stay snuggled under the covers in the icy cold air conditioning until almost noon. When I finally roll out of bed, she has lunch waiting for me.

"Good afternoon, sleepy head." She smiles and hands over a plate. There's a wrapped tortilla on it, covered in chunky green sauce.

I wrinkle my nose. "What is this?"

"It's a bean burrito with avocado cream and peppers."

I exhale loudly.

"I'm so sorry we make you eat healthy here," she says.

"Are you having some too, or is this how you're planning to kill me?" I plop into a seat at the kitchen table, too hungry to complain.

"Very funny. I already ate with Mom and Jolie, who by the way, went grocery shopping." Hartley sinks into the chair across from me and props her elbows on the table. She plants her fists underneath her chin. "When you're done, I thought we could stop by Lady Bijou's. I called to make sure she'd be there and she is. Is it weird that I can't wait to start working?"

I shake my head and poke my fork into the swollen burrito. Steam rises from the center as I slide my mouth over the bite. "Of all of the jobs you could have ended up with, working with her sounds like the most fun," I say between chews.

Hartley gets this faraway dreamy look on her face and I know exactly what she's going to say. "Do you think she'll let us perform again?"

My stomach dips at the thought. I force down what's in my mouth. "God, I hope not. Once was enough."

"Oh, stop. You had fun and you know it." And I did have fun, but I just woke up and am not in the mood for an I told you so already.

A sudden thought occurs to me and I can barely contain my excitement. "When I was in the French Quarters with Sully, we went inside this little shop called Madame LaRue's House of Magic. The lady who works there said she'd read my cards. Do you mind if we stop by?"

"I know that place." Hartley shrugs one shoulder. "Sure why not. Having your tarot cards read is one of the things you have to do while you're here. It's on our to-do list."

I'm taken aback. "It is?"

Hartley throws me a mischievous grin. "It's been awhile since I've had my future predicted. I'm ready to find out what's in store for me. And I can't wait to find out what's in store for you!"

I take another bite and try to calm my accelerating heart. "Do you think it's real? The tarot cards, I mean? She did seem to know things."

"The old lady with cataracts?"

I nod.

"I think so," she says slowly. "She knew my dad died."

My eyes widen. "She did?"

"Yep. She 'saw' it in her cards." She uses air quotes.

Goosebumps work their way up my arms. "It's sort of creepy, don't you think?"