“I have not been there,” Chi-Chi admitted. “I have not had the occasion to go.”

“Well, how about a ‘Luna is out of town’ occasion?” Luna took another bite trying to be inconspicuous.

“Is that an occasion?” Chi-Chi raised her eyebrows in confusion.

“It could be.” Luna wiped her lips, hoping Cullen would take the cue. But he didn’t. She wanted to kick him under the table, but that would be too obvious. The three of them were sitting very close together. “Cul, I think you should take Chi-Chi to Bouchorelle. She’s never been.” If he doesn’t jump on this right now, I’m going to hit him with a meatball.

“Well, sure.” Cullen was just a decibel above muttering.

“Luna, you cannot tell your brother to ask me to dinner. It is not polite,” Chi-Chi admonished her.

“Ha. We’re all friends here, and he is my brother, so I can definitely boss him around.” Luna chuckled.

Cullen finally got the guts to speak up. “Chi-Chi, I would be delighted if you would join me for dinner at Bouchorelle, when my pesky sister is out of town. That is an occasion I can celebrate.”

Luna could barely hold in her excitement. “Now I won’t worry about the two of you pining away while I’m gone.”

“You’re going for one night,” Cullen reminded her.

“Yes, but you will miss me.” Luna dug her fork into Cullen’s escarole and shoved it in her mouth. “Mmm . . . garlicky.” She stopped in her tracks. Her inclination was to say, “And be sure to skip the garlic when you’re on your date,” but she just let it float away in her thought balloons. She’d spare Cullen the further embarrassment.

They split the check three ways, which is what they normally did. As they were leaving, Luna whispered in Chi-Chi’s ear, “Don’t worry. Cullen will pick up the tab at Bouchorelle.”

Chi-Chi stopped in her tracks, getting ready to protest, but Luna slipped her arm through Chi-Chi’s and gave her a look that said, “Don’t argue. Keep walking, girlfriend.”

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Stillwell Art Center
Monday

Normally the center was closed on Monday and Tuesday in order to give everyone time to do whatever personal things needed to be done, clean up their shops, order materials, or simply take the day off. But for Ellie there was no day off. She would do a walkabout on Monday morning with Ziggy and Marley, checking that everything was in its place.