It was easy to brush her hair off her face and lean in. To hover for a second, their breath mingling between them. Kissing her, then, was easier. A natural progression. Lauren pushed back, responded to the kiss, traced her tongue along Frazer’s bottom lip and didn’t shy from it. In a bar, in the open.

And none of it was Cora.

* * *

“Why are we here?”

“Because, Cora, you need to have some fun.”

“But why are we here?”

This bar was where she’d first drunk with Frazer. Where they’d come to many times afterwards when they could, trying to appear like co-workers having a drink together. This was where they had played footsie under the table when they thought no was looking. They’d drifted into one of the bathrooms once, their hands fast and insistent and grasping.

Lisa looked at her, a glint in her eye Cora didn’t often see. “It’s ladies’ night.”

Cora stared at her and didn’t even attempt to hide her reproach. Ladies’ night. “Are you serious?”

Lisa snickered. “Oh, come on, it’s funny.”

“I’m not gay!”

With a roll of her eyes, Lisa pulled her in and tried to catch the bartender’s eye. “I never said you were. Would you relax? But you know, Cora…” Lisa was staring at her too intently.

“What?” Cora asked.

“Nothing.” She went back to trying to get the bartender over.

“Lisa, what?”

“Nothing! Really, it was nothing. I’m just worried about you.”

Cora started digging through her bag for her purse. “Why?”

When Lisa’s gaze caught hers again, her eyebrows were raised. “Seriously?”

“It’s not like I’ve just left my husband after having a crazy affair or anything, Lisa.” Cora pressed her lips together in an attempt to smother her smile.

“Yeah, not like that at all.”

The bartender finally appeared and took their orders. He poured two white wines for them. “Ladies.” He slid them over with a wink and took Cora’s twenty. She didn’t bother to take the tiny amount of change.

“I spy a table!” Lisa made a beeline for one near the toilets. There were no chairs, so they dumped their coats and scarves on top of their bags on the surface and simply stood next to it. “Here’s to you taking some steps you should’ve taken a while ago.”

Cora didn’t bother to ask questions about that. More than anyone, Lisa had probably seen what was going on in her marriage. There were odd hazy memories—of flashes of concern in Lisa’s eyes during university, of the times where she’d tried to introduce Cora to other men and Cora hadn’t really understood why. The confusion she’d felt when Lisa had been frustrated that Cora had cancelled for the fifth time because Alec had wanted Cora to be with him and she had thought that was normal.