“Not just yet, but I think we’re on the right path. I’ll keep you posted.” Mia saw her bus round the corner. She glanced at it. There was no one else at the stop and if she didn’t leave now to signal the driver, it would cruise right past.

“Thanks. And thanks for coming,” Lou said. “Don’t mind Micky. You know what she’s like.” She threw in a smile.

“Ah, shoot.” Mia had been unable to tear herself away from Lou. “There goes my ride.” The bus thundered past them.

“Do you have to wait long for the next one?”

“Twenty minutes if I’m lucky. It’s all right.”

“Your life will be so much easier once Annie and Jane say yes. No more commutes.” Lou scrunched her lips together. “I was going home to take a nice long bath, but I can keep you company, if you like,” Lou said. “As long as we don’t go anywhere fancy, because I’m not exactly dressed for it.”

You look just fine to me, Mia wanted to say, but wisely swallowed her words. “You don’t have to. Wait with me, I mean.”

“I know I don’t have to, Mia.”

The way she said it made Mia feel they’d taken another few steps on that road they were on together.

“Then I will gladly accept your offer. A quick drink at Grape Therapy?”

“Lead the way.” Lou sent her a smile.

A couple of minutes later they both sat with a large glass of wine in front of them, and Mia was pretty sure she would miss her next bus as well. She didn’t mind one bit.

“We’d best start thinking about Robin’s birthday gift,” Lou said.

Mia nodded. “Have you heard anything from Meredith?”

“Nope. Your Pink Bean scare tactics really worked.” She grinned at Mia over her glass of wine.

“I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds.” Mia grinned back. “But I can be on bodyguard duty again if you want me to.”

“As I said, I can take care of myself these days.”

Even though they were having an impromptu drink together, a lot of the things that were said between them harked back to the reason they knew each other. Mia guessed that wouldn’t go away any time soon, or ever.

“Sheryl questioned me the other day about why you and I didn’t get on,” Mia said.

“Since starting work at Glow, I’ve also learned that some businesses in Darlinghurst really don’t keep up a dividing wall between work and private life.” Lou snickered.

“Yeah, and it’s as if they can’t stand it when two people who are new to the group and the neighborhood and the business don’t get on. Like they take it as a personal fault or something.”