AS ALLISON MERGED ONTO I-90, she called her mom.
“Same,” her mom said.
“What?” Allison frowned.
“Same.”
“What do you mean, same?”
“This is the fourth time you’ve called to check on me, and each time I’ve told you I’m doing great, so this time I thought I’d speed up the conversation, because I think you’re driving and I don’t like the idea of you driving while you’re talking on the phone.”
“I’m on a Bluetooth. It’s totally legal.”
“Did you ever see that MythBusters episode where they proved that talking on the phone while driving is as bad as being drunk?”
“Does that mean I shouldn’t tell you about the three cosmopolitans I had before I got in my car just now?”
“That’s not funny.”
Allison laughed. “I can’t help it if I love you, Mom.”
“I suppose not.” Her mom paused. “You’re going to be fine tonight. Kayla will understand.”
“I hope so.”
“Wake me up even if it’s late. I want to hear how it went.”
“Will do.”
Allison turned on music to drown out her imaginations about the coming conversation with Kayla, but thirty seconds later her phone rang again. Speak of the best friend.
“We still on for that Sip and Paint class tonight?”
“I’m on my way now,” Allison muttered as she changed lanes.
“Good!” Kayla laughed. “For a minute I thought you were going to stand me up. But we have to celebrate. Plus, you just went through a breakup after dating a guy for five months—which classifies it as semiserious—and you know the bylaws of our friendship say we can’t allow each other to stay at home when there’s the potential of meeting an eligible man at the painting class.”
“Everyone there is going to be female.”
“Do you know this for certain, or are you guessing?”
“I’m not ready to meet anyone yet.” She slowed as traffic bottlenecked. “Someday. Not now.”
“Until you meet the right one. That’s what unbreaks a broken heart.”
“My heart isn’t broken.”
“Yes, it is.” Kayla paused. “But that’s all right.”
“Okay.”
“You liked this guy. A lot.”
“Okay.”
“But he wasn’t right for you.”
“Okay.”
“You’re just saying okay to get me off the phone.”
“Okay.”
They both laughed.
“I’m ten minutes out, Kayla.”
“I’m nine. See you there.”
Twelve minutes later Allison walked through the door of Sip and Paint’s small retail shop in the middle of a strip mall. Three long rows of tables filled the space. Every few feet a blank canvas sat in front of tan steel chairs. Brushes and paints were next to the canvas. Fifteen or so women wandered through the space, and a few more had already settled into their chairs. No men. Allison smiled.
A voice behind her called out, “You made it!”
Allison turned to find Kayla standing in front of her, a wide grin on her face. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“I’ve never painted anything before.”
“That’s why these things are so great. Most of the people haven’t. So there’s no pressure.”
They found some seats. Their instructor was a woman with short reddish hair who looked to be in her late sixties. She spouted instructions on how to paint the river that flowed through the middle of a lush green forest.
After they had started splashing greens and blues and creating boulders on the side of the river, Kayla turned a spotlight on Allison’s hidden agenda.
“I told Mila we’re in.” Kayla grinned and nudged Allison with her elbow.
“You what?”
“What do you mean, what? I told her that the Supremes are going to happen.”
“The Supremes?”
“Come on, Al. Motown? One of the greatest girl groups ever? And we’re going to be one of the greatest women-owned architecture firms ever.”
“You told her yes? We didn’t decide—”
“Yes.” Kayla dropped her paintbrush on the thick tan paper in between their two canvases. “We did decide. This morning.”
“No, we did not.”
“When we decided we were going to be celebrating tonight, what exactly did you think we were going to be celebrating?”
“You decided it was a celebration, not me. I said we’d talk about it tonight. Not decide. Talk.”
Allison glanced at the woman to her right and then the one over Kayla’s shoulder. Both glanced down as soon as their eyes met Allison’s.
“I think we should probably step outside to have this conversation, Kayla.”
“What is there to talk about? Are you saying we’re not going to join up with Mila?”
Allison stared at her friend for a long time, waited till the fire in Kayla’s eyes dropped a few degrees, then spoke in a whisper. “You’re joining her. I’m not.”
Kayla cocked her head, stared at Allison for a few seconds, then turned her gaze to the ceiling. Finally she turned back and said, “What in the universe are you talking about?”
“I’m going to work with Derrek Wright. And you’re going to partner with Mila.”
“You’re right.” Kayla’s eyes narrowed. “We’re going outside.”
As they stepped onto the sidewalk, Kayla yanked her arms across her chest and glanced up at the darkening sky. Rain was coming.
“Go ahead,” Kayla spat out. “Tell me all about this stupid idea of yours.”
After Allison finished, they stopped under the awning of a clothing store that had closed for the night.
“You’re really, truly leaving our partnership?” Kayla shook her head and glared at Allison. “I don’t get you. At all.”
“I already told you. I have to.”
“No, you don’t have to. You’re choosing to.”
“I prayed about this like I just said. If Mila hadn’t called you, there’s no way I would be doing this.”
“No.” Kayla wagged her finger. “Don’t bring all your God-talk into this. That’s an excuse to do anything you want. It’s not going to work on me.”
“We’re tearing each other apart.”
“But we’ve always figured a way through it.”
“No, we haven’t.” Allison sighed. “We’re both battered and exhausted. And we promised each other that if it ever got to the point where our friendship was being destroyed, we’d end the partnership.”
“But things will change once Mila comes on board.”
“True. Then we’d have another person to muddy up the mix. It would get worse.”
“It wouldn’t.”
“It would!”
Kayla clenched her teeth and shook her head slowly. “Well then. If you’re set on dumping me, big congratulations are in order.” Kayla slowly clapped her hands together three times. “Way to go. Woohoo. Let’s have a party in celebration of you waltzing off to the big successful firm, making beaucoup bucks, and leaving me here with nothing.”
“I’m not doing this to make big bucks. I’m doing it because Mom is in serious trouble and because God—”
Kayla waggled her finger.
“Plus, I’m not taking any of our accounts. You get them all. And when Mila comes on—”
“If! If she comes on. Now that you’re leaving—”
“She’s your friend, not mine. Without me there to split things three ways, it will be even more attractive.”
“You don’t know that.”
They walked again, neither speaking till they’d circled the block and stood outside their class.
“I’m sorry, Kay.” Allison pleaded with her eyes. “You know I’d never do this unless—”
Kayla took Allison by the arms.
“Okay, I’m over it,” she growled. “Actually, I’m so ticked off at you, but at the same time I love you enough to say this.”
“What?”
“I don’t trust Derrek Wright, Al. I don’t. I never have. This is not about me and you. It’s about you. He’s . . . I just . . . There’s a snake factor with him, I know it. Just be careful, okay?”
“I know you don’t believe like I do, Kayla, but this truly is God. He’s in this so strong and so clear, I can’t not do this.”
They walked back inside, picked up their unfinished paintings, and tried to make small talk as they shuffled back out and made their way toward their cars. In the parking lot they both cried and hugged, but the hug was quick and Allison knew it was a perfunctory gesture at best.
Allison pushed through her front door at nine thirty-five and went to find her mom. Not in the guest bedroom, which would be her mom’s room till she literally got back on her feet. Not watching TV. Had to be in the kitchen. She was, reading a book about how to grow lush gardens in tiny spaces.
“Hey, Mom.”
“How’d it go?” Her mom took a sip of what smelled like pumpkin spice tea.
“It went.”
“That bad?”
“It will be okay. I hope.” Allison poured herself a cup of tea and joined her mom at the table.
“Why do I feel like the bad guy? It was God who did this. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s his.”
“When do you start with the new company?”
“It’ll take at least three days to wrap everything up with clients, and with Kayla.”
“No chance for a little time off in between?”
Allison laughed. “Unless Dad’s business pals want to stop the clock, I’d say no.”