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loriannelawless · 4 years

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ladies’ night out | lovie

lori and evie decide to have a ladies’ night out

Lori was so excited to be going out with Evie. She had a few friends outside of Fox and Foster, but none of them compared to Evie. When she thought about the fun they'd have, she couldn't hold back her excitement. Even though she knew they weren't doing much, she still got all dressed up, leaving her hair down and doing her makeup and everything. "How do I look?" she asked Fox when she walked out of the bedroom, turning around so he could get the whole affect. Her phone buzzed, and she grabbed it. “Oh, that’s Evie. Okay I’m gonna head out. Love you, see you later,” she smiled, leaning in and kissing his cheek. She left the apartment, running down the stairs. When she spotted her car, she walked over, climbing in. “Hey! You look fantastic.”

Evie definitely was excited to spend a night out with Lori. She hadn't really gone out much recently and she certainly hadn't explored much of the nightlife in New York. She'd only really had dinner with Foster and tried to dive into her work. Going out with Lori sounded like exactly what she needed in her life. She didn't mind driving them as she wasn't planning on getting too drunk. It wasn't safe to do that in an unfamiliar place and honestly, it made her nervous to think about it. She'd bought a new dress for the occasion and then she'd had to buy shoes to match. That had led to needing a handbag as well and while she hadn't meant to spend so much money, she figured it'd be alright. As Lori approached the car she unlocked it and gave her a bright smile. "I look amazing? Hello gorgeous! You're stunning!"

Lori smirked a bit as she got in the car, moving her hand over her side. "I do look pretty good, don't I?" she laughed a little. She never got the chance to wear these clothes she had these days. She knew she needed to move past that part of her life, but she was having a hard time with it. She had to admit she looked good in her work clothes, too, but it was different. "Do you know how to get to the address I texted you, or do you want me to direct you?" she asked curiously.

Evie grinned at her friend. "Hell yeah, you do. You look very sexy," she told her. "The hottest date I've ever had." It'd been a while since she'd had a night out like this. She couldn't even remember the last time. And she felt so lucky she got to spend some time out with her best friend. "No clue but I do have Siri and he can direct us," she laughed. "Hey, how's your live in boyfriend? He didn't want to come say hello?" she asked as she pulled out onto the street. "What kind of place is this?"

Lori grinned back at her. "And you're the hottest date I've ever had," she said easily. She nodded a bit, thinking that sounded good. "I like that your Siri is a guy," she laughed a little. She shrugged and nodded. "He's good. He's getting ready to go do something with Foster. I was so excited to come hang out with you, I didn't even think to tell him to come down," she laughed. "He's good though. I can't believe I have a live in boyfriend, honestly," she admitted. "I think it's French? I've only been a few times, but it was good."

Evie touched a hand to her heart. "I am honored," she teased. She laughed a little bit. "Yeah, I found out you can change it to a guy and there's accents too. So I picked the Australian man. He's kind of sexy," she joked. She tried not to smile at the mention of Foster and instead focused on everything else Lori was saying. "It's okay. I'll meet him another time," she smiled. "I can't believe you do either. I can't believe how long you've been with him," she admitted. She nodded a bit. "Sounds like fun. I've missed doing stuff with you."

Lori laughed at Evie calling him sexy. "Does he sound like Chris Hemsworth? Because that's definitely sexy," she joked back. Lori knew the roughly two years they'd been together wasn't even that long, as far as like, normal adult standards, but it was long for her. "I can't either. If someone told me five years ago this is where I'd be now, I wouldn't have believed them," she said honestly. "I've missed doing stuff with you. I have a few girl friends, but they're not nearly as fun as you are."

Evie laughed a bit. "God, I wish. He's more robotic but still kind of sexy. Plus, he's always there when I need him and what's sexier than that?" she joked. She probably wouldn't have believed Lori would be here either but then again, she couldn't even believe she was in New York with her. "It's definitely a change but it works for you. You seem really happy. It's like something bloomed in you," she smiled. "Same. I had a few friends in college I went out with but it was never like hanging with you. You're the most fun person I know."

Lori laughed at that and nodded. "I can't think of anything sexier," she teased. "Except wide shoulders," she added with another laugh. She was really happy. Even though she and Fox fought sometimes, she felt like that was what people did when they felt so passionately for each other. "Thanks. He's a really good guy. I've never been with someone like him," she admitted. She always dated bad guys until Fox. "I'm glad I kept my title," she said playfully.

Evie rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, obviously that's sexy but so not the point. I'm guessing Fox's shoulders are wide?" she teased. She'd seen pictures of him before but it'd be different when she actually met him. "Foster seems to think you're a good match. He said Fox is a little weird but in a good way. He sounds like just what you need from what I've heard," she smiled. She was really looking forward to spending time with everyone in a group eventually. "Of course you did. There's nobody like you."

Lori laughed louder this time and nodded. "Yeah, they're real nice," she said playfully. She nearly laughed at that. He was a little weird in a good way. "Yeah, I think he's a good match for me. He keeps me stable, I guess," she said with a smile. It really was like she was dating a friend, because he was. "Aw, babe. There's no one like you, either. I missed you so much."

Evie shook her head in amusement. It was cute seeing Lori all loved up. She seemed so genuinely happy and that was all Evie wanted for her. She deserved that. "It's good to have someone like that. Someone you can always rely on and balance you out. Pick you up when you're down," she smiled. She was happy Lori had that. "I missed you too! Ugh, so much. The few times we saw each other were not enough."

Lori nodded in agreement. It was a nice change. She tried not to rely too heavily on him, because she didn't want to become codependent. But he sure did complete her in a way that she had never thought was real. "It is," she said with a smile. "I can't believe we actually get to be best friends who see each other and hang out again. I never thought that would happen," she admitted.

Evie turned to look at her at a stoplight and smiled excitedly. "I know! And we're adults now so we can buy alcohol!" she laughed. "God, I missed you so much. It's going to be so fun hanging with you all the time now. I can't believe I can literally drive to your place in like, ten minutes. It's so crazy." She felt more at home than she had since she'd left. Lori was such a huge part of her sense of home. "I love you."

Lori laughed and nodded at that. It was wild to think the last time they hung out they hadn't been able to. "I know! All grown up," she grinned. She grinned like mad, so happy that they were together again. "I know. We can see each other all the time! And I get off at work at like four," she laughed. She smiled over at her, reaching out to touch her hand. "I love you, too."

Evie thought this would be just what she needed. She could see Lori whenever she wanted, she got to be back in her favorite city, she had a pretty amazing job. Life was good. She felt at peace. "Right? We could have so many girls' nights. Spa days!" she said excitedly. "We're so lucky we get to have each other again," she grinned. "I feel like I missed out on so much," she admitted.

Lori missed Evie. She even just missed having a girl around that wasn't one of her sisters. She loved her sisters, but she always tried to be responsible around them. And she'd spent the last few years mostly with Fox and Foster or whoever else she was dating. It was so refreshing being with someone she trusted so much. "Oh my god, I can't wait," she grinned. "I know. I feel so so fortunate," she smiled. "You did. I did, too. It's okay though. We'll catch up," she smiled.

Evie thought they definitely could make up for lost time. It'd be easy, considering they'd kept in touch and seen each other through the years but actually living close again was such a game changer. She trusted Lori more than anyone. She knew she'd always have her back and support her. "Right? Same. Thank you so much for helping me get back here," she smiled. "We definitely will. I can't wait to see what you act like around your boyfriend," she teased. "Are you a huge sap now?"

Lori didn't know what had prompted Evie to come back home, but she was so glad she had. "You're welcome. Thank you so much for coming back," she said with a smile. So much had changed, but that didn't mean they wouldn't still be so close. She laughed at the change in conversation. "Probably sometimes," she said honestly. "But I know how to keep it PG and all that," she added.

Evie turned to smile at Lori. "I'm really glad to be back. It was time. I'd been away far too long. Long distance with you was breaking my heart," she teased. She thought that was sweet. It still was so crazy to her that Lori had this serious relationship and she was so very happy. She loved that for her. "That's adorable. I bet it's sweet," she smiled. She parked the car when Siri directed her to and turned to Lori. "All set?"

Lori laughed and nodded. She was so happy to have her back. "It was breaking my heart, too," she said honestly. She laughed a little and shrugged. "Maybe," she said simply. She got unblocked when she parked, nodding. "Oh yeah, let's go," she grinned. She stepped out, waiting for Evie to come around, and then offered her hand to her. "I have a table reserved for us."

Evie felt so lucky to have Lori. She was so glad they'd made such an effort to keep in touch over the years. She had no clue where she would have ended up if it weren't for her. She stepped out and locked the car before joining her friend on the sidewalk. "Aw, you even made a reservation? I feel so privileged and fancy. What a lovely date you are," she smiled as she took her hand.

Lori smiled all proud like and shrugged a shoulder. "I figured it was only proper," she said playfully. "You're the lovely date. I mean look at you," she grinned. She lead her into the building, giving the matradee her name. "Isn't it so classy in here?" she whispered to her as he got their menus. They followed him to a table near the bar, but nestled in by the wall, so it felt a bit private. "Thank you," she smiled at him.

Evie laughed a little bit. "How very sweet. I haven't been on a date this fancy in ages," she teased. "Oh stop. We're not having a compliment battle right now. We haven't even had any drinks yet," she laughed. She quieted down when they went inside, marveling at the place a bit. "It's so classy. Damn, girl, you really know how to pick a place." She took her seat at the table and thanked the man. "I feel so fancy. This is fun."

Lori honestly hadn't been on this fancy of a date in a long time, either. She and Fox did more relaxed things usually, and going out like this wasn't on the top of their list. "It's going to be a blast," she grinned. She laughed and nodded. "Okay, okay, we'll both admit we both rock," she teased. If it wasn't for their outfits, she'd nearly not fit here. "Thank you," she grinned. "This is fun. I'm already having fun."

Evie had definitely not expected Lori to pick a place like this but she loved the idea. It felt so sophisticated and elegant. She kind of felt like an imposter. "I suddenly feel like a powerful CEO on a date with my equally successful and powerful lover," she teased. "Me too. I'm so glad we're doing this." She looked at the menu and all of their fancy options. "I'm gonna need to join a gym soon," she said with a laugh.

Lori looked up when Evie spoke, laughing when she finished. "I like that concept. Let's go with it if anyone asks," she teased. She thought it was so much fun to get out and have fun with Evie, even if it all they were doing was getting dinner. It still felt like a girls' night out, and it was still a blast. "From all the food you've started eating since you moved back here?"

Evie winked at her playfully. "Oh yeah. We'll say it's our anniversary and maybe they'll give us free dessert," she teased. She laughed quietly and nodded. "I mean, yeah. Well, also like, Foster and I keep talking about food and then I'm like wow, we have to eat that and he's like hell yeah and I have zero impulse control," she laughed. "But in my defense there's a lot of good food here. And oh my god, the pizza. I missed the pizza."

Lori raised her eyebrow at that idea. "I can always go for free dessert," she said playfully. She smiled fondly when she mentioned Foster. She was so unbelievably happy that the two of them were getting close again, even if only in a friendly way. "It's not like you're eating everything at once!" she laughed. "You can get a membership at my gym, though," she grinned. "Well, yeah. It's New York. I don't know how you managed without the pizza."

Evie smiled mischievously. "We'll have to try and take that opportunity then I suppose." She let out a laugh. "I don't know. We have burgers and dessert last weekend. Brunch tomorrow. We also talked a lot about fondue. It's not even like, hey we can pretend this is healthy. It's just obviously not," she laughed. "We can be workout buddies then!" she said excitedly. "Don't remind me. The first pizza I had in Arizona shattered my soul."

Lori shrugged a bit, smiling at her. "It's still not all at once. That's what like, one unhealthy meal a week? Please, you'll be fine," she teased. "Sounds like fun to me," she responded. She laughed a little and nodded. "I don't know how people even eat pizza outside of this city," she said honestly. She couldn't stand the thought, honestly. And the pizza here was so cheap, too.

Evie thought about that before shrugging. "I guess you have a point but what if we start going to more food things in a week? What if we do lunch on a Tuesday because we work at the same place and then a dinner thing on Thursday?" she laughed. "At least I have you to work out with." That sounded like a real blast. "I don't either. It's just a sad, poor imitation of it everywhere else."

Lori laughed a little bit and shrugged again. "Maybe you'll have to walk more. Or maybe you'll start going to healthier places. Or maybe you guys will hang out without food," she teased lightly. "I'd love to have someone to work out with," she grinned. "I agree," she laughed. "Do you know what you want to drink?" she asked her curiously, glancing over the menu again.

Evie laughed when she did. "Yeah, maybe. I mean I'm kind of getting back into the walking around the city thing. It's so nice. Like, why do I even have a car?" she joked. "Eh, maybe. I think we decided on food buddies, though," she smiled. "I would too! I worked out with some friends back in Arizona but honestly, those girls have nothing on you," she admitted. She looked down at the menu again and hummed. "Something sexy and fun," she teased. "Probably a mai tai. You?"

Lori thought the walking thing was nice. It was an easy way to keep calories off, really. "Yeah, I think that's a pretty common feeling," she teased. "How do you decide on food buddies, though?" she said, raising an eyebrow a bit. She thought they could easily do something without food. Food was just a buffer. "Oh gosh, thanks," she teased. "I used to go with the boys, but we don't end up even working out in the same areas, so it doesn't mean much," she admitted. She gave her a look of excitement and laughed. "I was going to say the same thing!"

Evie grinned. She felt so happy to be back and be absorbed in the New York culture. "Probably is," she agreed. "I don't know. We just kept talking about getting food and I made a joke about us being food buddies. He got all worried I meant that as a bad thing, though, which was odd," she admitted but she brushed it aside. "You went with the boys? I can't imagine," she laughed. "We should take a yoga class! Have you ever done one of those barre ones? I did one in Arizona and it was amazing," she grinned. "Really? Mai tai twins!"

Lori nodded a bit, raising an eyebrow a bit at that. "Hm. Maybe he meant like he didn't only want to be food buddies. Like were you saying it in a like testing the waters way or a cynical way?" she asked curiously. She laughed and nodded, rolling her eyes a bit. "Yeah, it didn't really do much. I may as well have gone alone," she joked. She shook her head a little. "No, I've never even heard of that. What do you do?" she asked curiously. "Yeah! I love sugary sweet drinks," she laughed.

Evie frowned slightly. "...do you think he meant it like that?" she asked, surprised. "I was just saying it as a joke. I'd be happy just to have him in my life in any capacity," she admitted. "I'm... you know, still rather fond of him." She couldn't say anything else, she was too embarrassed her feelings were coming back stronger than ever. "It's a bit like ballet but no dancing," she laughed. "It's high intensity, low impact. You just use a ballet barre and do stretches and tone your muscles. It's amazing. My thighs and abs and butt never looked better when I did that class," she admitted. "Me too! God, we really are in love, aren't we?"

Lori raised her eyebrows at her, tilting her head a little. "Uh, yeah, I do," she laughed. "Aw, are you really? I thought you'd moved past him," she said honestly. She'd dated someone else since then, Lori hadn't realized the feelings were still there. It made sense, though. "I've definitely not done that. It sounds really great though. I'll never turn down a good butt work out," she laughed quietly. "We are!" she smiled, nudging her under the table.

Evie frowned even more. "Oh. Huh." She'd have to think about it more. "No, no. I mean, not that kind of fond just fond. I did move on," she insisted. "I just mean he's a good guy." She picked up her water and sipped on it for something to do. "It's a fun class! We should sign up for one. It's really toning for your body," she smiled. "You'd love it." She nudged Lori back and then flashed a smile at the waiter who appeared. "My wife and I would both like Mai Tais," she told him. "It's our anniversary."

Lori laughed again as Evie seemed real confused over it. "Yeah," she said with a smile. "Ah, I understand that," she said, though she wasn't sure she really did. She nodded. She'd love to do that. Maybe she'd learn something really cool, but she'd definitely tone up a bit. "Sounds like a great idea. We'll have to do it," she smiled. She smiled when she realized the waiter was coming to their table. "Three years," she said, smiling proudly. She realized the only hitch in their plan was they didn't have rings, but maybe they chose not to do something so heteronormative.

Evie wasn't so sure what to think of all that. The whole thing with Foster was was so complicated seeming but at the same time... it made sense. He made sense to her. She didn't even know what all that meant but she was just content to have him in her life. "We absolutely do. I'll find us one. I love doing exercise classes," she admitted. She gave Lori her best loving gaze before looking up at the waiter who seemed touched by their fake story. "Three beautiful years," she echoed. "The best of my life. We want to do something special. Do you have a tasting menu? Anything unique? It's a celebration," she insisted.

Lori thought Evie was a hell of an actor, and she was soaking it up. It was fantastic. She returned the loving gaze before glancing up at the waiter. "Nothing is too much for my baby, really, bring us whatever you have for us to look over," she smiled. The waiter told them he'd bring them a menu, adding that he may be able to do something special for dessert for them. Once he walked away, she grinned over at Evie. "Oh, I love this," she said with a quiet laugh.

Evie loved everything about this. It was such fun to play a part like this. "Oh, stop. You're the sweetest." She placed her hand on top of Lori's. "Thank you so much. We really appreciate it," she told the waiter, only sparing him the briefest of glances. When he disappeared she let out a laugh. "Isn't it fun? Think of how many free desserts we've missed out on over the years," she teased. "He totally bought it."

Lori smiled and waved her hand, as if to dismiss the idea of her being the sweetest. She glanced at the waiter and smiled before turning her attention back to Evie. She laughed a little and nodded. "We'll make up for it over the next few months," she teased back. "Who wants to call someone out? Imagine if we were engaged and he was like 'you're faking it.' How insulting that would be," she said with a soft laugh.

Evie laughed quietly. "Yeah, we can definitely make up for it. Though, we are so signing up for a barre class. I haven't eaten out this much ever," she grinned. She had a point there and it made her laugh. "True. That'd be so fucked up. We could complain then and probably get a lot more than a dessert for free," she mused. "But yeah, calling someone out would be awful."

Lori laughed again when Evie mentioned food. "We don't have to go out to eat to hang out, you know," she teased. "You should come over for dinner! Fox would love to have another person to feed," she said playfully. Her eyes widened and she laughed, shoving Evie lightly. "You're awful!" she teased with a laugh. "It would be horrible."

Evie smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she laughed. "You're ridiculous! You just said we don't have to eat and then invited me to dinner," she teased her. "I would love to, though. I'm looking forward to meeting him. He sounds great from what I've heard," she said with a smile. She let out a laugh at the shove. "I'm just saying! I wouldn't want that to happen but it's a thing!"

Lori shook her head and laughed, running a hand through her hair. "I meant we don't have to go out! Fox makes healthy food, anyway," she added with a laugh. "He is, he is. You're gonna think he's great," she said, beaming a little. She laughed at her, shaking her head fondly. "You're a crazy person," she teased. She sat up a bit straighter as the waiter brought their drinks, thanking him. He told them he'd talked to his manager and thought they could manage to get them a brownie sundae on the house, but did have a special tasting menu for them.

Evie laughed with her. "Does he really?" she asked. "I'm definitely coming over for dinner then." She thought it'd be a lot of fun. She'd heard a lot about Fox from both Lori and Foster. She couldn't wait to meet him herself. "I bet I will," she agreed. "How could I not if you love him?" She shrugged again and laughed. When the waiter returned she thanked him profusely until he walked away. "Perfect. Cheers to us," she said as she lifted her glass.

Lori grinned and nodded. "Oh yeah. He's a master at planning meals. It'll be a lot of fun," she smiled. "Good point," she laughed. "We do fight sometimes, but, I mean, who doesn't right?" she said with a sort of nervous smile. She thought a tasting menu sounded person. They could try everything without getting too much and without spending too much. "Cheers to us," she grinned, clinking her glass against Evie's.

Evie liked how happy her friend was. She was so obviously in love and it was so beautiful to see. Lori deserved that kind of love more than anyone. "That sounds perfect to me then. Let me know when," she grinned. "Fighting is normal. I fought with my last boyfriend a lot," she admitted. She clinked her glass with Lori's and took a sip. "Oh god, this is amazing. I'm obsessed with this place."

Lori would check with Fox and see what he thought. It'd be sort of nice for her to come over before the four of them all hung out, but maybe Fox would feel more comfortable with Foster. "I'll definitely let you know," she smiled. "I mean, so did I. But it was different," she said with a shrug. She didn't really know what a healthy relationship looked like, honestly. "Mm, it is. We'll have to come back," she said, putting her glass down.

Evie couldn't wait. She was really looking forward to meeting Fox. She'd heard a lot about him. He was clearly very important to her two close friends and she couldn't imagine not getting along with him. "Perfect," she grinned. "Oh yeah? Well, I'm sure it's fine. Everyone fights," she shrugged it off. "We definitely will. Another girls' night out, of course," she smiled. She loved being around Lori again.

Lori was pretty sure it was fine, too. She loved him too much for it to not be fine, right? And he wasn't like her other boyfriends. It was normal to feel restless with life. "You're right," she said, pushing it away. "Oh yeah. It'll be a blast. We can get drinks together and another tasting menu," she grinned. She was having so much fun tonight. She realized this was probably the sort of thing Fox actually would be into, but it felt different with Evie.

Evie wondered if everything was alright with her relationship. She seemed bothered by the fights they were having. She just didn't know how she was meant to bring it up. "Yeah! That sounds like a great time to me," she grinned. It could become like a little tradition between the two of them. She'd love that. "So, how's teaching going? Are you counting down the days until summer?" she asked with a laugh.

Lori groaned when Evie asked if she was counting down the days until summer and then laughed. "Yes. So much so. Like, don't get me wrong, it's a nice enough job. I mean, it's a lot of work, but it's alright. And my boyfriend is there, and it's nice. It just feels like I'm living a life that isn't really mine sometimes," she admitted. It wasn't like she even really knew what she wanted to do instead, but it wasn't this. All the things she loved about science felt boring in high school. Maybe in a college setting it'd be different.

Evie laughed brightly. She didn't blame her friend one bit. If she'd been a teacher, she'd be counting down days like the students did, just eagerly awaiting her next break. She couldn't imagine going back to school in that capacity, though. It wasn't her. "I understand that. It must be so great to see Fox every day at work and at home," she smiled before sipping her drink. "What would you rather be doing? Like if you could quit teaching tomorrow and use your degree somewhere else, where would you use it?" she wondered.

Lori nodded in agreement. That part was nice. She liked the carpooling and sharing lunch together. He always made such an effort and it was really cute and nice. "Yeah, it's great. He's really great, and seeing him is the highlight of my day. And the students are funny," she said honestly. "I'm not even sure. I wanted to go back to school and study more. I don't know, though. I haven't really gotten that far, I guess."

Evie really liked that Lori had Fox. He seemed so genuine and sweet. And Lori seemed so warm and happy when it came to him. She was like a different person, lighter and happier and full of love. It was beautiful. "That's good. I'm really happy for you," she smiled. "Well, you have time. You can always speak to your old professors and maybe get their input," she shrugged. "I'm sure they'd be happy to help you figure it out."

Lori figured she was right about that. She did have time. Sometimes it felt like she didn't have much time, because it felt like she was wasting time, but she knew she had plenty of time. "That's a good idea," she said with a smile. "How're you liking your job? Did you do something similar back in Arizona before you got the job out here?" she asked curiously.

Evie smiled back at her. She hoped Lori found something that inspired her. "I'm really liking it. It's a challenge, especially since I didn't even attend the school," she laughed. "But I'm getting the hang of it. I actually was an assistant to a wedding planner for a while in college and then I worked at a charity after graduation," she explained. "Planning fundraisers is really rewarding."

Lori could imagine that. In a lot of ways, she figured it would be easier to plan events at a school you attended so you knew the ins and outs. But it seemed like something she could slip into easily. It wasn't like college professors only taught at schools they went to, right? "I'm sure the longer you're there, the easier it will become. And you'll get to know more and more people," she smiled. "Oh wow, that sounds like a lot of fun. What kind of charity was it?" she asked curiously. "What sort of fundraisers do you plan?"

Evie figured it'd end up that way. Soon she'd be working at a much quicker rhythm. For now, she was still getting used to it. "I'm sure. Everyone has been really friendly and welcoming so far," she smiled. She nodded a bit. "It was for conservation efforts. Animals, the environment, the like. It was a lot of fun," she admitted. "We did a carnival type thing once. That was pretty cool. We also had a big gala that I helped planned."

Lori nodded along as she explained it. It sounded really cool. She thought it sounded like fun, honestly. "That sounds amazing," she grinned. "Wow, a carnival and a gala. That's really cool and also they're so different. I bet you could do all kinds of things here. And you know, alumni eat that shit up," she said with a wink and a grin. She would go to a carnival at the school. It'd be a great time.

Evie laughed a little before taking a sip. "Yeah, very different. I mean, I was only helping I wasn't in charge of much but it was really exciting. I just love seeing everything come together. You can transform anywhere into someplace magical," she smiled. She considered it for a moment before she grinned. "Well, I'll just have to put it into my idea book," she smiled. "Thank you, by the way. I really appreciate you helping me land this job."

Lori thought it was really cute that she had that outlook on things. She was so much more optimistic than Lori was. It was sort of inspiring. "That's a pretty thought," she said with a grin. "You should," she added with a nod. She waved a hand, smiling before she took a sip. "It was nothing. Your resume did all the talking," she said with another smile.

Evie hadn't ever really thought of it that way. She just liked the way she could restage an area to make it look like a completely different place. It was a bit like playing dress up, she could admit. "It's just fun. I needed something fun," she smiled. She shrugged a bit but grinned. "I do have a good resume. Still, I know you had some influence. It really does mean a lot to me." She reached over and squeezed her hand gently.

Lori wondered what she had planned on doing when she went to school and if that was the same as what she was doing now. "Did you intend on that job when you started the degree, or did it just kind of happen?" she asked curiously. She smiled a little, squeezing her hand back. "I'm just happy to have you back here and happy yourself," she promised. "Oh, do you think that's our food?" she asked, nodding towards the waiter walking with food on a tray.

Evie shook her head a bit. "Not really. I wasn't even really sure where I wanted to go with it. I figured I'd work, like, HR somewhere. Then I planned a surprise party for my roommate and I realized just how much I enjoyed organizing events," she laughed. She smiled softly at Lori. It was so comforting to be back and to have her around. "I'm happy about that too," she smiled. She looked over and grinned as the food was brought to them. "Oh, this all looks amazing, doesn't it, babe?"

Lori nodded along, thinking that made sense. HR seemed like a job that she could do, but it sounded kind of boring. She thought most office jobs sounded boring. "Aw, that's so cute," she said with a smile. She wondered if she and her roommate were real close, but she didn't ask. "It looks wonderful. Thank you so much," she said, smiling at Evie before glancing up to smile at the waiter in thanks.

Evie was glad she'd decided to follow this path. It had led her back here, after all. She had a job and friends that she loved. She couldn't think of anything better. She thanked the waiter after Lori did and waited until he walked away to grin. "What a great idea this was." She eyed the food for a moment before taking a bite. "Mm. We definitely need to do this more often."

Lori laughed softly and nodded in agreement. "Maybe the best idea anyone has had in a while," she said playfully. She took a bite, humming in delight. What a fun girls' night out. She was enjoying herself a lot, even if in some ways it felt like she wasn't entirely being herself. "I agree, wholeheartedly," she agreed. "Oh, you should try this," she said, getting a bite for Evie on her fork to feed her, playing into their little lie.

Evie couldn't stop smiling even as she ate. She hadn't had this much fun in a while. It felt so good to be out with her best friend like this. It had been too long. She leaned forward to take the bite Lori was feeding her carefully. They so looked like a completely in love couple. "Oh, that is divine," she hummed as she straightened up again. "Your turn, though. Try this one." She copied Lori and held the fork out to feed her.

Lori was having so much fun. And the food was incredible. It would definitely cost a pretty penny, but it would so be worth it for this experience, at the very least. "It is, isn't it?" she smiled. "Oh, yes please," she said, leaning forward to take the bite. She nodded, giving her a dreamy look. "That's unbelievable. This place is amazing," she said honestly, taking a drink from her glass.

Evie had a feeling their server wasn't paying much attention to them anymore but she kept the act going for now. "Isn't it? I've never had anything that tasted this good before," she smiled. "It really is an incredible place. I'm so glad we're here." She had no complaints about this place at all. Everything had been perfect. "There's so much food to try," she laughed as she took a bite of something new.

Lori wished she could afford to go to places like this more often. She knew it was more of a treat, and she didn't mind that, but she'd love to come here sometime with Fox. "I am, too. This was such a fun place to go," she said in agreement. "I'm glad the portions are so small so we can try things without eating too much and feeling sick," she said with a laugh.

Evie took another bite as she thought. This had been so wonderful. They'd really set the bar high for their girls' nights in the city, she thought. It nearly made her laugh. "It really was. And it's way better experiencing it this way," she grinned. "Right? Such a perk. We won't get too full on any of this," she smiled. "Which is excellent because wow, it's so fantastic. Try this one," she pushed the plate closer to Lori.

Lori definitely agreed with that. It wouldn't have been as much fun with just anyone, and their little lie made this day all the more exciting. "Oh, for sure," she agreed. "Is a dessert tasting menu available, too, because that would be the perfect way to end this. You know, they should do that with drinks, too," she said, mostly thinking out loud. She tried the one she pushed over to her, her eyes widening a little. "Wow, that is like other worldly."

Evie laughed quietly. "I don't know but I'm sure we can wrangle it out of our server when he comes back," she grinned. It'd be fun. "I think that's essentially what they do at wineries for wine tastings, right?" she shrugged. Everyone should do that, though. Everything should be a tasting menu. "This is the best. I'm having the best time," she smiled. "Thanks for suggesting this."

Lori echoed her laugh, taking a sip from her drink. "You're probably right," she grinned. "Mm, yeah, but that's just wine. I wanna drink mixed drinks without getting completely drunk three drinks in," she laughed. "I am, too. I'm glad we found time to hang out. It's really nice having you here," she said honestly, nudging her foot under the table.

Evie understood that. It'd be interesting for sure. "Maybe we could just order them with less alcohol than usual so we don't get stupid drunk," she laughed. She really was happy to hang with Lori again. It felt like being home. Everything about the city did. "It's nice to be here," she smiled. She nudged her foot back before taking another bite. "This is the life, isn't it?" she teased as she ate some more.

Lori laughed and nodded. “That could work, but I think that could also change the way it would taste, you know?” she said with a grin. She hadn’t really realized just how much she had missed Evie. Which felt so silly, because she knew she’d missed her a lot. But having her here again put things into perspective in a way she couldn’t explain. “This is definitely the life,” she agreed easily, smiling at her. “We’re so mature,” she added, laughing a little.

Evie hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's a valid point," she laughed. "Small sample sizes but proportioned like the actual drinks. Shot sizes!" she decided. "That's how they'd have to do it. That way you'd get the flavor of having just one sip of the drink. I should use this idea for an event," she realized with another laugh. She was so much happier since she'd come back to New York. Lori was a huge part of that. "Oh, totally. We're such adults."

Lori had to admit this actually sounded like a really great idea. She was kind of into it. “You should do it. I’d go to that event. Hell, just, do the whole event for us,” she laughed. “And the boys, I guess,” she added with an exaggerated eye roll. “I’m so glad you came back,” she said honestly. She was really happy to be spending time with her. She’d never really been able to replace their friendship, so to speak.

Evie wasn't entirely opposed to it. "Okay, deal. I will host the event," she laughed. "It'll be all kinds of tastings and we can have all the mixed drinks we want without getting totally hammered," she grinned. "Sure, I guess the boys can come." She was so happy too. She didn't think she could be happier than she was in this moment. "I am too. I really, really missed you. It's crazy how much. I wish I could have stayed."

Lori was super into this idea. She wanted to do it as soon as they could. She was pretty sure they’d have to wait to like have a reason to do it, but she was pumped. “I’m so into this, you have no idea. I would do this like probably more than once,” she said with a laugh. “Who else is gonna drive us home? Plus, I’m sure they like, would eat something,” she said, laughing again. “I really, really missed you, too. I do, too. But, hey, you got to miss a lot of the messiness of me,” she said with a wink.

Evie could already picture how she'd organize it. Everything was so clear in her mind, the decorations, the drinks, the food. It just needed a little fine tuning. "Maybe we'll make it a yearly thing. Or, you know, seasonal if it's that much fun," she laughed. "Oh, good point! I love your mind," she grinned. She had a sip of her drink, feeling a bit of a pang in her chest as she thought about everything she'd missed out on. "I was pretty messy too. Maybe things would have been different if I'd stayed."

Lori nodded, thinking that was a good idea to her. “I mean, I would go every few months,” she said with a laugh. “Thank you, thank you. I have very good ideas,” she said, grinning at her. She let out a soft sigh and shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe they would have for you, but I don’t think even you could’ve pulled me out of the things I got myself into,” she admitted. Maybe she was wrong, she just thought she was far too messy for friendship to have fixed it.

Evie smiled at her. "I know you would. Honestly, if it meant hanging out with you, I'd go just about every day," she admitted. She laughed a little, just soaking up the happiness that she felt. It was so good to be back. "Maybe," she agreed after a moment. "Maybe we would have been even messier since we'd be together," she admitted after a moment. Maybe the same things would have happened to her. She didn't want to think about it.

Lori smiled and nodded. “Me too. I hate how adulthood makes it so much harder to do things. Like, fuck, if we’d been together through college we would’ve seen so damn much of each other,” she said with a laugh. She let out a snort of a laugh. “Yeah, I could see us making each other messier, enabling it,” she agreed. She’d made some bad decisions that she would take back if she could now, but there was nothing to be done. She reached out and took Evie’s hand as she saw the waiter a bit back coming their way. She smiled when he set down their food. “Thank you,” she said.

Evie laughed a little. "Yeah, jobs and whatnot getting in the way. College made things so easy. I bet we would have been roomies or something," she grinned. It would have been messy but at least they would have been together, right? Then again, their entire lives would be different now. "Oh well, at least we're together now!" She was a little surprised when Lori took her hand but then she caught on. "Oh, this looks amazing. Thank you so much. It almost looks as delicious as you do," she said to Lori, trying her best to keep a serious face.

Lori hated adulthood in a lot of ways. It wasn’t all bad, but it wasn’t all it cracked up to be. She wasn’t sure what she thought was better, though. College, she supposed. She just was a bit lost, really. “Oh, that would’ve been so fun. We would’ve had so much fun,” she smiled. “No point in dwelling on the past when we have right now,” she said, smiling brightly at her. She smirked a bit, leaning her head forward a bit as she tilted to the side. “Ah, thank you, baby,” she said. When the waiter walked away, she raised an eyebrow. “Quite a compliment there.”

Evie knew Lori was right. There really wasn't a reason to dwell on it. It was a nice thought though. "I think we're doing a great job of making up for lost time," she said instead. She waited until the waiter left before letting out the laugh she'd barely held in. "I panicked! I'm not good at flirting anymore! I've lost my touch!" she insisted. "My brain totally short circuited there." She was having so much fun, though. "Okay, what should we try first?" she asked.

Lori nodded in agreement, smiling at her from ear to ear. “I think so, too,” she agreed. She laughed at the laugh that came out of Evie. “Clearly,” she laughed. “Still charming, though, I think,” she promised. She hummed a bit as she looked over everything. “Let’s go for this one,” she said, pointing to a fancy little cracker with something on it. She wasn’t really sure what she was eating, but god was she having the most fun.

Evie wasn't that embarrassed about her weird compliment. Especially since Lori seemed to find it as funny as she did. "More like uncomfortable for that poor waiter. He really deserves quite the tip from us after all this," she laughed. She reached for one of the crackers and popped it into her mouth. She chewed it thoughtfully, considering the flavors. "I have no idea what I just ate. I think... no, I can't even begin to guess," she admitted with a laugh.

Lori let out a loud laugh at that. Oh, she felt bad for that waiter. She wasn’t even this outwardly affectionate with Fox when they went out for dinner. Usually, it was quite the opposite; she’d stop the displays of affection when someone came over, then go back to them when they left. “We’ll tip him real good. He did get us a great deal, after all,” she said with a playful wink. She took the other one, putting it in her mouth as Evie did. She hummed a bit, frowning a little. “I don’t know either. It’s good, though. I think I like it. I wish I had another to be able to decide for sure,” she laughed. “And now I wouldn’t even know what it was to reorder!”

Evie hoped her and Lori did this again soon. She was having such a great time and she was sure they could pull the same stunt at another restaurant to get a special menu. "He's the real hero of the night. I can't believe we pulled this off," she laughed quietly. She still had no idea what she'd just eaten but that was the fun of a tasting menu, wasn't it? "I really can't decide. It was super interesting. Oh well! On to the next," she laughed. "I know! I guess we'd just have to ask about the thing on the cracker that tasted a little confusing but still good?" she laughed again.

Lori couldn’t believe they were pulling it off, either. She felt bad for scamming the poor guy, but he probably knew and was just ignoring it. They’d still leave a great tip, so it wasn’t like he lost out. “Neither can I,” she said with a laugh, shaking her head. This felt like a great heist, even though she knew it really wasn’t. She felt like they maybe should have kept the menu that said what everything was. Maybe they could piece everything together that way, but who knew? “On to the next!” she agreed, picking one up. She laughed a little, imagining the look they’d get for that. “I bet they’d know what we meant, even if we sounded a bit silly.”

Evie knew they hadn't really scammed anyone that badly but it still was thrilling. Besides, she was sure people pulled stuff like this all the time for better service. Why not try, right? Nothing wrong with a few perks! "This is so our new ploy. We'll take the entire city restaurant scene by storm with our little lie," she teased. She looked at everything in front of them and couldn't even begin to guess what half of it was. She tried the same one Lori did and made a slight face. "Oh, I don't like this one," she laughed. "Probably. They'll probably just be a little happy to get rid of us."

Lori shook her head, but she was laughing. It was a pretty funny idea, the two of them going around the city pretending to be together. People might actually start to believe it, too! “Hey, if it gets us discounted food and good deals, I’m on board,” she said with a laugh. She frowned, trying to decide if she liked it. “I don’t know how I feel about it. It’s weirder than the other one,” she decided. “I don’t want to dwell on it,” she said with a laugh. “Yeah, probably,” she laughed. They could get away with a lot just having people try to get rid of them.

Evie couldn't imagine doing something so silly with anyone other than Lori. This was just so unbelievably them. "Anything for a discount. My credit cards could use a break," she laughed. She was sure there'd be foods she didn't like and some she did but that was the fun of it all. At least she'd tried a bite instead of accidentally ordering it! "This food all looks a little weird if I'm honest," she whispered with a laugh. "Something has to be perfect, though. Hm... this one!" she declared as she reached for it.

Lori took a sip of her drink, nodding as she set it down. “My wallet can always use a break,” she admitted, laughing a little. She leaned a bit closer when Evie whispered, holding in a loud laugh. She had to agree. It did look kinda weird. She wasn’t really sure why they’d even come here, other than for an experience. “Isn’t all French cuisine kind of weird, though? Unless it’s like, baked goods,” she said with a quiet laugh. She took the other one, lifting it up to cheers it with Evie’s before popping it in her mouth. “Oh, good call,” she said.

Evie couldn't agree more. She really needed to stop spending so much. It was becoming a real problem. "The shopping is so good here, though," she laughed. She shrugged a little. French cuisine was pretty strange. They had some of the oddest delicacies. "I could tell you about a really horrible thing they eat that's considered so shameful they have to cover their head with a cloth when they eat it but it's really gross and depressing so I won't," she said, making a face. "Their pastries, however, are sinful in a good way." She tried the newest piece of food and hummed happily. "Best yet. The flavors are so balanced. Wow, love that."

Lori laughed and nodded. “There are so many stores,” she agreed. She gave her a look, raising an eyebrow. “Now you have to tell me. What the fuck,” she said with a laugh. She was so curious. “What are you talking about!?” she said, nudging her under the table. “That’s very true,” she agreed, nodding. She took a sip of her drink after she finished the bite, nodding in agreement. “Oh yeah, it’s really good, honestly. I like that one a lot. We should just call it a night,” she laughed.

Evie made a face at the prodding. "You really don't want to know, it's really awful," she insisted. She looked at the food in front of them and then sighed dramatically. "It's like, mostly illegal now, I think. It's a songbird called an ortolan. They're seriously endangered because of this but like, they used to get them and they cooked them alive in this really brutal way and then the chef would bring it out to the customer and cover their head with a cloth to shield god from seeing such a shameful act. Because you put the whole little bird in your mouth bones and all and eat it. Really messed up. You asked," she added before Lori could say anything about it. "So if you've lost your appetite, it's on you."

Lori had to know now that she’d brought it up. She frowned as she told her, gasping a little as she went on. Her mouth just hung open for a moment and she made a sound of indignation. “How can they do that!? That’s horrible,” she said, shaking her head. “Ugh, why would you even want to do that?” she said, still irritated about it. “I’m sure it’ll come back,” she admitted. “I’m more mad than I am disgusted.”

Evie gave her an apologetic look and took a sip of her drink as she watched her friend process the information. "I don't know. It's super illegal now in most places but people still do it. It's probably the worst thing I've ever heard. I really didn't want to tell you," she reminded her with a sad sort of smile. "Have some more alcohol, you'll feel better," she suggested. "It's terrible. I'm glad it's banned now."

Lori made a judgmental face. She couldn’t believe people did that kind of shit, but she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised by humanity. “At least it’s illegal. No, I’m glad you told me. I would’ve just googled it myself later,” she admitted, laughing a little. She took a long drink, shaking her head. “Yeah, me too. Can’t believe it didn’t get banned earlier. Crazy, the shit people do,” she said honestly. “Anyway!” she started, shifting the conversation. “Do you have your place all furnished?”

Evie still felt a little guilty for bringing it up. "I know but it could have waited until after dinner," she laughed a little. "Yeah, I think they're making good progression with the species again too. It's a really pretty little bird. Think of it being happy and singing and not, you know, eaten shamefully," she suggested. She thought it was some crazy shit too. "If by all furnished you mean do I have a bed and somewhere to sit then yes. It's not the biggest place," she laughed. "But it's coming together!"

Lori laughed and waved a hand. “It’s fine!” she said. She nodded. That was good to know. She was glad. Birds were pretty, and cute, and she didn’t like unnecessary cruelty. “I’m glad. That’s much better,” she agreed, smiling at her. She took another drink of her drink, nodding along. “Well, that’s something,” she said with a laugh. “If you need anything, I have some stuff that’s at my mom’s, you know, until you get more of your own stuff,” she offered.

Evie thought that was a really sweet offer. "Aw, really? That's so nice!" she smiled. "I'm just bad when it comes to shopping for myself. I go in for one thing and leave with something else and then I'm like, shoot, now what?" she laughed. "So it'll be a long process. Maybe you can come over and we can figure out what I can borrow from you?" she suggested. That sounded like a fun day.

Lori nodded eagerly. It wasn’t any trouble for her. “Of course!” she said, returning the smile. She laughed a little. “Why aren’t you ordering online more? It’s much harder to forget what you’re looking to buy when you order online,” she offered. She nodded. She’d love that. “Oh, that’d be so fun. And then you can see my mom again! You know, I gave her a lot of shit growing up, but she’s actually really amazing,” she said, smiling at her.

Evie frowned a little when she made that point. "Oh, right. I mean, I guess I could but I don't know, I like actually going to stores. And I feel like I'd add more stuff so the shipping was free. It's, look, it's stressful," she laughed. "Maybe I just need more help when I shop." She smiled brightly at the thought of seeing Lori's family. "Yeah! That'd be great! I'd love to see her. I'm so glad that you're getting along better. That's such good news."

Lori thought that was a good point. It was so tempting to hit that free shipping mark. Plus, a lot of times she found herself doing the math and it felt worth it. There wasn’t anything you couldn’t find in New York City, anyway, so it was probably better to just go get it. “Yeah, yeah, that’s a good point. Plus then you’re limiting emissions,” she pointed out. “I could go with you! I never go shopping anymore,” she said. “She’d love to see you. She always liked that we stayed in touch. Yeah, me too. I was just such a stubborn teenager,” she said with a laugh.

Evie thought that would be perfect. If she went shopping with other people they could keep her from maxing out her credit card like a crazy person on things she didn't need. Then her life would be at least halfway easier to deal with. "Perfect! Yes! Let's go shopping together! Yay! I feel like this was an obvious thing I should have asked you to do in the first place," she laughed. "Oh yeah? Aw, that's so sweet. I always liked that too," she grinned. "Just a stubborn teenager?" she laughed.

Lori let out a laugh and waved a hand. “You haven’t been here that long! Better now than even later,” she said playfully. It was no trouble for her anyway. She absentmindedly picking up something and took a bite, looking at it kinda funny as they spoke. “Yeah, me too. It’s been so great always knowing I can talk to you about something, even though you were far away,” she said with a smile. “What!? Are you saying I’m still stubborn?” she asked, gasping a little with fake offense.

Evie shrugged a bit, waving a hand as she sipped her drink. "Yeah, but I've been here long enough to look at my sad place and know I need furniture," she laughed. She watched Lori eat with a grin on her face. "I know. Honestly, it made some things easier. Like, always knowing I had someone so far removed from the situation I was in that I could confide in about things," she smiled. She laughed, trying not to be too loud. "Yes. Absolutely I am."

Lori thought that was fair. “We’ll have to plan this soon, then,” she suggested with a small laugh. She nodded eagerly, having felt the exact same way. “Yes! It was so easy to tell you all the shit going on, because you didn’t know the people involved in the shit anyway, and you weren’t going to say anything to anyone,” she laughed. She gaped again, her eyebrows up a bit. “No way! I’m so much less stubborn than I was!” she countered.

Evie couldn't wait. She thought it would be absolutely perfect. "Absolutely," she agreed. She couldn't help but laugh a little. "That's exactly how I felt! I could trust you with all the stupid bullshit that like, I couldn't with anyone else. And if I wanted to make it sound a little more dramatic then how would you know? You were halfway across the country, you couldn't judge," she joked playfully. She rolled her eyes fondly. "I'm not saying it in a bad way. It's a cute kind of stubbornness. It's just still there."

Lori let out a laugh and nodded. It was nice having, as she said, someone removed from the situation to talk to about things. What could Evie do other than listen and offer supportive and kind words? It was perfect. “It was what I needed a lot. But, for what it’s worth, I’m happier to have you here, and I’m still planning on telling you everything,” she said with a smile, nudging her leg gently under the table.

Evie was happier too. She'd rather have Lori close than anything else. She was the easiest person to be around. "I am too. You're getting every little bit of information that happens in my life," she said with a laugh. "If I so much as get a good cup of coffee, I'm letting you know. Well, that's a bit much," she laughed. "But I'm still telling you it all." There was no one she'd rather talk to about things.

Lori laughed and smiled. She knew exactly what she meant, and she felt the same way. “Don’t worry, you’re going to hear about my best cups of coffee, too. And probably my worst ones,” she noted with a grin. “I’m so glad you came back here,” she promised. She looked up as the waiter joined them. “Are you ladies ready for dessert?” he asked. Lori looked at Evie and then shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, we are. Thank you so much.”

Evie wouldn't mind that at all. "Oh but of course. The worst ones are more fun to talk about," she joked. "I am too. It's going to be the best decision I've ever made. It already feels like it is," she admitted with a smile. She nodded a little and then looked at the waiter. "Everything was really delicious. Please, pass our compliments on to the chef. We're having such a wonderful time," she said honestly.

Lori had to agree with that. The worst things were always interesting to share and chat about. “Absolutely,” she agreed easily. She smiled, really genuinely happy. “I think it’s a pretty good decision,” she said honestly. She nodded to confirm what Evie was saying to the waiter. She bit her bottom lip when he left. “I think we’ve pulled this off really well,” she said with a small laugh. She felt sort of bad, but not enough to not do it.

Evie thought so too. It was so much easier to be here with Lori than it would be to have remained in Arizona. She'd just reached a point in her life where she needed both her best friend and a change in scenery. Moving to New York fulfilled both of those needs. "I think so too," she agreed. She laughed a little bit and nodded. "We totally did. He has no idea," she grinned. "We really should do this all the time."

Lori thought so, too. “We’re quite convincing,” she grinned. “We definitely should,” she agreed. She reached out and took Evie’s hand when the waiter headed back over. She smiled when he set down their desserts and the check. “Thank you so much,” she said, letting go of Evie’s hand to try the dessert. “Okay, this is definitely the best part of the night,” she said, taking another bite.

Evie gave Lori's hand a squeeze as she thanked the waiter. She was so ready to dig into the dessert. "We so deserve this dessert for our performance. I'd toast to us but this looks way too good to wait any longer," she said with a laugh. She took a bite and hummed happily. "Oh yeah. So good," she agreed. "Wow, this is way better than everything else we had. This place should stick to desserts."

Lori laughed and nodded. “We do deserve the toast, but the dessert is just too tempting,” she agreed. It was really good. She was so glad they’d done all of this. “Oh yeah. Easily the best thing here. Though, maybe their regular menu is better, but I don’t know how it could beat this,” she said honestly, laughing a little. She took a few more bites, finishing her dessert, and then took a drink of her water. “That was amazing.”

Evie wasn't sure anything could beat this. The dessert was just absolutely perfect. Nothing about it was too weird like half the tasting menu had been. It was just the right amount of everything. As soon as she was finished she sat back with a pleased sigh. "It really was. I loved every bite. I've got the check, by the way. We can't exactly pay separately after a performance like that," she teased. She checked it and took out her card.

Lori had really enjoyed it, too. It was such a nice way to end the meal, especially considering some of the weirder notes the food had touched on. “I did, too! Oh, for sure, but I was going to get that,” she said. “I’ll let you pay this time, but I’m paying next time,” she insisted. When the waiter came back to take their bill, she smiled at him. “Thank you so much for making our night so special,” she said genuinely. She took another drink of her water, checking her phone while they waited for the waiter to come back. “Tonight has been so special,” she said honestly.

Evie shrugged a little, not too fussed. She figured they could swap off on treating each other to meals. She didn't mind paying first. "I beat you to it," she teased. "Now we sound like a real couple, disagreeing over paying for a meal. Love that," she said playfully. "You can totally cover it next time, babe." She smiled up at the waiter when he returned for the check and then picked up her drink to finish it. "It really has. I'm so glad we did this. I've had a great time," she said with a smile. She signed the receipt when he brought it back and then put her card into her wallet. "Let's head out."

Lori had to laugh at that. They did sound like a real couple. They were very convincing, she thought! “We are a real couple,” she said with a wink. She grinned and nodded. “I will, without a doubt,” she said honestly. “I am, too. I had so much fun with you tonight,” she said with a smile. She stood up when Evie did, stretching a little before offering her hand to Evie. “Wanna catch a cab, or walk a bit first?” she asked curiously.

Evie touched a hand to her heart playfully. "Oh, don't tease me like that. I fall in love so easily," she joked. She laughed a little, already loving that they made this plan. It was so fun. "I had so much fun too! I loved every minute of it. Definitely my favorite night in New York since I've been back," she grinned. She took Lori's hand and walked out into the night with her. "I'm good with walking a little bit first."

Lori laughed, smiling at her. It was so fun to be around Evie again. She’d made a few girl friends, but no one compared to Evie in the slightest. “Sorry, I’ll be more fragile with your heart,” she promised. She nodded in agreement. “I think it’s my favorite night since you’ve been back, too,” she smiled. She held her hand as they walked, making sure they were keeping up appearances, but also enjoying their little walk.

Evie pretended to be relieved but then she was laughing. It was just so nice to be with her best friend again. She'd missed her so much. "Thank you. I appreciate that," she said playfully. She gave her hand a bit of a squeeze, touched. It definitely felt right to be back in New York with her. She'd missed this a lot. "It's good to be back. I feel like I'm home. I missed this city a lot. And I really missed you."

Lori couldn’t help but laugh more when Evie laughed. It was so nice to be back with her. It just felt right, the two of them hanging out together. She was full of happiness. “You’re very welcome,” she smiled. She squeezed her hand back. “It feels good to have you back. I don’t know if I can say the city missed you, but I know I did,” she promised. It just felt right having her back. She was so happy to be hanging out with her again.

Evie felt like the city had missed her some. She didn't know how to explain it. It was probably just her projecting her feelings out. That wouldn't surprise her. She had a tendency to do it. "It feels like home still. I was worried it wouldn't. I left so much behind when I moved away. I'm just glad we managed to stay so close," she said with a smile. That was the only thing she hadn't lost when she'd left.

Lori would’ve been worried about that, too. While she had spent more of her life in the city than not, she also had spent some really formative years away from it, including the last nearly seven years. It was amazing that it did still feel like home. “I’m glad that it does. If it didn’t, I’d worry that you’d go back to your parents and I’d lose you all over again,” she admitted with a soft smile. She really didn’t want to lose her again.

Evie laughed a little bit and shook her head. "I mean, I do miss my parents but I don't miss Arizona. It's so hot there. Summer is miserable. Things just melt. Our neighbor's plastic mailbox melted once. It was ridiculous," she laughed. "I don't have any plans of going back. Only to visit," she promised. She'd left a lot behind to come here but she didn't regret it. She'd needed the distance. "I'm sticking around forever. It'll be hard to get rid of me again."

Lori raised her eyebrows a bit, making a face of disgust. “Gross,” she said with a small laugh. “Maybe if we ever visit, we can go in winter,” she suggested, laughing a bit again. She nodded. She was selfishly glad that she had no plans to leave. She liked having Evie here. It felt good. “Good,” she said with a smile. She laughed and shook her head. “I don’t want to get rid of you at all,” she promised.

Evie had to join the laughter. "It's awful. I was miserable that first summer for many reasons," she said lightly. "Yeah! That sounds like a great idea. I know my parents would love to see you, anyway," she smiled. "They've asked about you every time I've called them. You first, then Foster," she added with a smile. She loved how much her parents loved her friends. "Good. Cause I really don't want to go back to Arizona so I'd have to move to a new state to start over."

Lori fully believed that. She would’ve been, too. “I can’t believe your parents made you move from New York City to Arizona. God,” she said, shaking her head. “We’ll have to do that sometime, then. It’d be nice to see them,” she said with a smile. “They’re so sweet. Foster really missed them, and you of course, when you left,” she said honestly. She laughed, squeezing her hand. “We don’t want to make you go through that.”

Evie groaned dramatically. "I know! I was so miserable for a long time because of the change. It was so drastic!" she insisted. "I wished for a long time that they'd just left me behind to like, live with you or something," she laughed. She smiled fondly, swinging their hands a bit. "We really missed him too. Especially me. Poor teenage me took forever to get over him," she laughed. She squeezed her hand back. "Please don't. I do not want to start over."

Lori matched her groan, nodding along. “I used to wish you had just been left to live with me, too,” she laughed. “It was awful without you,” she admitted. Things got better over time, but when she’d first left, it’d been pretty devastating. “I’m sure. You guys were such a perfect, romantic couple. You were the epitome of teen love,” she said with a smile. “I would never make you,” she promised.

Evie wished they'd thought of that back then. She wouldn't have minded doing that and finishing out school with her two favorite people. "If only. That would have been a lot of fun, actually," she laughed. "Think of all the shenanigans we could have gotten up to." She sighed a little bit. "Yeah, it was awful without you too," she agreed. She smiled, a little wistful. "We really were. He was the perfect first boyfriend," she admitted. "I know you wouldn't."

Lori nodded in agreement. It would’ve been so fun. It’d be like an endless sleepover. She would’ve loved that. “We would’ve gotten into so much trouble,” she laughed. She knew he was. They were so cute and happy. It was nice just being around them. “He was really good to you,” she said with a small smile. “You were really good to him, too,” she added. She let out a small sigh, squeezing her hand. “We should probably actually head home now.”

Evie thought it was fun to daydream about how different things would have been. Unfortunately there was no going back now. "We really would have. I probably would have ended up being sent to Arizona anyway," she laughed. Her smile softened a little bit and she nodded. "Yeah, he was. We were a cute pair. It's nice to be friends with him now," she admitted. She nodded. "Yeah, probably. I'm getting a little tired anyway."

Lori laughed and shook her head. “No, my mom never would’ve gotten rid of you,” she insisted. She nodded in agreement. She was really happy they were friends now. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was a small spark still there. “I’m really happy you’re friends,” she said honestly. “Yeah, me too. Lots of food and liquor,” she said with a small laugh. She stepped forward, hailing a cab. “You can take this one.”

Evie laughed a little bit too. "Yeah, probably not. She loved me," she grinned. She was happy too. Happier than she'd been in quite a while. She had two excellent friends to spend her time with and she was feeling much better being here. "I am too. Good job staying close to him after I left. I wish I'd tried harder to," she admitted. She pulled Lori into a hug when the cab stopped. "Thanks. And thanks for hanging out today. I had the best time."

Lori smiled a little and shrugged. “It was pretty easy. He reminded me of you, and I kind of was closed off to everybody anyway. And I think I was the only one aside from you who knew about his parents,” she explained. “It was different for you guys. You never would’ve moved on if you’d kept talking to him,” she said honestly. She hugged her back tightly, pulling back with a smile. “You’re welcome. And thank you. I had so much fun tonight. We have to do this again.”

Evie was touched by that. It made her a little emotional. "I love that. Wow, why do I feel a little teary?" she asked with a laugh. "I'm really, really glad you had each other. I hated leaving you both behind. It was the absolute worst part." She had a feeling that was true. As it was, she'd been hung up on him for the rest of high school. She didn't date again until college. "Talking to him hurt too much," she admitted. She held Lori tightly for an extra moment and then grinned. "Absolutely! Just shoot me a text. Goodnight, Lor. Love you!"

Lori gave her a soft smile, nudging her gently. “Because it was a really rough time, and we were young and didn’t have the words to describe how rough it was,” she said honestly. “I am, too. I know my life would’ve been very different without Foster,” she admitted frankly. “I have you to thank for that. It was awful when you left. You were my best friend. You still are, but I was more alone then than I am now,” she said. She nodded. “If Fox and I broke up, even if it was amicable, I couldn’t bear to talk about him, or hear about him, let alone talk to him,” she empathized. She smiled and nodded. “I will. Goodnight, Evie. Love you, too,” she said, smiling.

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