“You even know their names?” the customer asked.

“Sure,” I replied as, out of the corners of my eyes, I saw Roberta wandering our way. “Luis has been working with us for six years. Paul started two years ago.”

“This really is a family place,” the customer mumbled.

“Absolutely!” I declared brightly as Roberta got closer, the customer looked over his shoulder at her then back at me quickly.

“Um…can I ask…” he started, I leaned in, raising my eyebrows encouragingly. “What are you doing Saturday between ten and twelve?”

I leaned back and stared at him.

I hated when this happened and it happened a lot.

“Just that…” he grinned, “you might want to come over and have coffee. You know, make sure they get there all right.”

“I’ll be taking care of my two children,” I blurted a semi-lie, he blinked and Roberta audibly choked down a laugh. His eyes shot to my left hand then back to my face.

“Yes, she and her police detective boyfriend will be having coffee at that time,” Roberta chimed in, I turned wide eyes to her and she joined me at the counter. “He’s six foot three,” she added. “And never misses a workout,” she finished.

“Right,” he muttered.

“Um…” I mumbled. “Still, enjoy your mattresses and if you ever need anything else in the, uh…bedroom…” God! Ugh, I hated this. “Remember Pierson’s.”

I smiled gamely at him.

He nodded and took off just as the door opened and LaTanya of all people walked in, eyes on me but I didn’t have time for a surprise visit from LaTanya. I turned to Roberta.

“Bobbie, what on earth? Mitch isn’t my boyfriend!” I hissed.

“You’re sleeping in his bed,” Roberta pointed out and I lamented my sharing earlier that day about what had gone on the night before.

“But –”

“And Mitch is sleeping in his bed with you,” she went on.

Now I really lamented sharing my evening with Roberta but mostly I lamented how much I’d shared. However, what Mitch said about lying to my friends rankled so I shared. Now I was reminded why I didn’t.

“Mitch slept with you?” LaTanya cried loudly, my eyes darted toward Mr. Pierson’s office as I vowed never to share again.

“Yes –” I started to explain but could get no further.

“Oh my God!” LaTanya exclaimed.

“I know!” Roberta exclaimed right after her.

“Calm down!” I hissed, leaning forward to push LaTanya’s shoulder at the same time looking over mine toward Mr. Pierson’s office again. When I saw the coast was clear, I looked back at LaTanya. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. Billie was in it with us. She was scared and she wanted Mitch close.”

“Unh-hunh,” she nodded, crossing her arms on her chest, a huge white smile on her face.

“The whole situation is extreme,” I explained. “And Mitch is just being nice,” I lied because from what he said that morning (something I, fortunately, did not share with Roberta – I had told her about my evening, I had not told her about my morning), he wasn’t being nice. He was being something else entirely.

“Mitch is a nice guy,” LaTanya agreed. “So nice, he’d crawl into bed with a six year old…” she paused, leaned forward, her smile got even bigger, Delight shining through, “and you,” she went on. “Not that there’s anything weird about that.” She leaned back, shaking her head, her sparkling with Delight eyes going to Roberta. “No, nothin’ weird, seein’ as you two been dancin’ around each other for four years, you barely make eye contact with the guy then one night he fixes your faucet and bam!” Her arms suddenly uncrossed so her hands could clap loudly and I jumped. “You’re all but moved in with him.

Hmm, it appeared I hadn’t been as successful as I thought about hiding the fact I avoided Mitch.

“I’m not all but moved in with him,” I informed her. “My apartment was broken into and everything in it destroyed. We had nowhere else to go.”

“Um…my place?” Roberta chimed in. “Or Bray and Brent’s,” she continued. “LaTanya and Derek’s,” she went on. “Mr. and Mrs. Pierson’s,” she kept going. “Or a hotel. Denver does have hotels, you know.”

“I wasn’t thinking. I was tired and, Bobbie, you didn’t see it, it was really bad. The worst. Everything was destroyed and even my tampons were all over the bathroom. It was insane,” I told her, her face went soft, just like it had that morning (after she quit freaking out) and her hand came up to give my arm a reassuring squeeze.

“That’s true, but girlfriend, you listen to me,” LaTanya claimed my attention. “Mitch Lawson is not bein’ nice just because he’s nice. No man on this earth gets in bed with a woman and a kid just to be nice. You hear what I’m tellin’ you?”

I heard what she was telling me but I didn’t have to hear her. I’d heard Mitch that morning. In fact, I was pretty sure his words were etched on my brain.

I decided to change the subject and I did this by asking, “What are you doing here anyway?”

“I came to find out what’s goin’ on with you and Mitch seein’ as one day Bray tells me you’re makin’ Mitch your barbeque chicken pizza, which was news enough considering he’s been into you since you scraped off that jackass and he spent years lookin’ for an in that you didn’t give him. Then you disappear off radar and the next thing I know you’re drinkin’ wine at his place, he’s actin’ like you’re the finest piece of crystal in the whole wide world and he’d go direct into smackdown should anyone threaten to break you and I’m bringin’ over your shit to stay awhile. And since you ain’t answerin’ your phone, I had to haul my black ass all the way out here to get the scoop. But I’ll tell you what, I sure am glad I did. I can’t wait to tell Bray and Brent you slept in Mitch’s bed with Mitch.”

“No!” I cried, reaching out again to grab her arm as the phone rang. “Don’t tell Bray and Brent.”

“Are you high?” she asked, her eyebrows shooting to her hairline. “There is no way I’m not sharin’ this. This is huge. Half the single women in the Evergreen moved to the Evergreen because Mitch lives there, silly bitches, since he does not dip his toe in his home pool. Derek told me he has a strict rule, no Evergreen babes. He doesn’t need to be bumpin’ into old booty calls every time he goes to the gym. Now, he’s hooked up with you and you’re right across the breezeway. The whole Evergreen is gonna be all over this.”