Chapter Text
The pub the four of them met at was almost exactly halfway between Pacific View and Kovalenko Investigations. It was a strategic move on Emily’s part — she’d found the place specifically to minimize Julie and Didi’s chronic lateness. Did it work? Well… sometimes. Still, every other Thursday, no matter what was going on, each of them ended up there sooner or later.
It was a routine Julie had slipped into pretty quickly — and pretty easily. She found herself planning her schedule more and more carefully just so she wouldn’t miss it.
The only problem was that the pub was in a ridiculously busy part of town. Half the time, if Julie wanted to be even remotely on time, she had to jump out of her Uber a block or two early and practically sprint the rest of the way.
This time was no different.
And this time, like almost always, the second she turned the corner she spotted Didi standing by the entrance, hunched over her phone, thumbs flying across the screen.
Julie slowed down, careful not to make a sound, and drifted up behind her like a shadow.
“Boo,” she muttered, leaning in.
Didi jumped with a tiny squeak, nearly dropping her phone. Julie burst out laughing.
“Jesus, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?” Didi snapped, pressing a hand to her chest.
“Not my fault it’s ridiculously easy and works every single time. You’re a very easy target. And honestly? I find it hilarious.” Julie shrugged, still grinning.
“I don’t know why, but I just can’t sense you. Even when I’m expecting it. You are a great spy.”
“Detective. Not a spy.”
“Well, President Susan once shared a theory that you’re a Soviet spy. I’m starting to think I should take her more seriously.”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure your life will drastically improve once you start listening to Susan,” Julie rolled her eyes.
“Maybe then the residents would finally be satisfied,” Didi muttered under her breath, sighing.
“I interrupted you,” Julie said more gently, nodding toward the phone. “Go ahead. Finish.”
“Thanks.” Didi immediately dove back into whatever she’d been typing.
Julie just watched her quietly — the way her brows furrowed when she was thinking, how she bit her lip every time she jabbed at the screen in frustration, the way her lips moved silently while she read. Over the past few months, Julie had gotten very good at reading Didi’s emotions.
Okay — correction. Didi’s work-related emotions. The personal ones? Still a complete mystery.
But right now, she knew that expression wasn’t just normal work focus. It was more like a silent scream of I swear I’m going to quit this job.
It didn’t happen often. But Julie knew.
“Okay. Done,” Didi said after a few minutes, tossing her phone into her bag.
“What’s going on at Pacific?”
“What isn’t going on at Pacific?” Didi sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Susan always finds something to complain about, something’s always missing, someone’s always the newest victim of Elliott’s tyranny, the food is somehow both too salty and not salty enough, and at least one person a day has to be fished out of a bathtub.”
What she didn’t mention — what Julie already knew from Charles — was that a few days ago one of the residents had passed away in his sleep. A man who had seemed happy and perfectly healthy. His grieving, angry family had decided to blame Didi for negligence.
“Are you okay?” Julie asked quietly, stepping a little closer.
For a few seconds Didi studied her with tired eyes. Then she smiled — soft and genuine.
“Yeah, Froggy. I’m okay,” she said gently. “Just one of those weeks, you know?”
Julie hummed in understanding. Yeah. She had those too.
“I’m just glad it’s Thursday,” Didi admitted. “I like our Thursdays.”
“Yeah. Me too.” Julie glanced at her watch. “Fuck, we better go in or they’ll start giving us shit about being late again. Especially since they clearly want to talk to us about something tonight.”
“Oh, right. I saw your message — sorry I didn’t reply,” Didi said as they headed toward the door.
“Don’t worry about it. I get it.”
“But to answer you now — I have no idea. I haven’t talked to them in a few days, but Megan texted that she’s excited about tonight.”
“Yeah, and that’s exactly what worries me. They definitely have another fantastic idea or something … Megan was practically vibrating all day. I just don’t know what we’re walking into.”
“If it distracts me from wondering why I’m getting complaints that the library doesn’t have National Treasure 2 again, I’m fine with it, whatever it is.,” Didi sighed. “My turn tonight. Beer and fries?”
“Obviously.” Julie smiled and turned toward their usual booth — then stopped after two steps and looked back at Didi.
“Hey, Di!” she called.
Didi glanced over her shoulder.
“Grant has it. Says he hates that movie, but secretly loves it and steals it from the library when no one’s looking.”
“Well, well… Thanks for the assist, Detective.” Didi flashed her a wide grin and winked.
Julie dropped her gaze, feeling her cheeks heat up.
Emily and Megan were already sitting together, talking in hushed voices. The second they saw Julie approaching, they cut off mid-sentence and let out an exaggerated cheer.
“Only…” Megan checked the time on her phone. “Ten minutes late. For you, that’s basically early.”
“Let us guess,” Emily added, tapping her chin dramatically. “You got stuck at work? My dad called and you lost track of time? You started a report twenty minutes before leaving that absolutely had to be finished tonight for some mysterious reason?”
“No,” Julie rolled her eyes, sliding into the seat across from them. “Believe it or not, I was actually on time. I just—”
“Were standing outside with Didi?” Megan finished.
“Yeah.”
“Should’ve guessed,” Emily sighed.
“She had a rough week and I just wanted to check if she maybe—” Julie started defensively, but Emily cut her off.
“Froggy, I know.” Emily gave her a sad smile. “Dad told me.”
“You know it’s rude to gossip about people?” Didi’s voice chimed in dryly as she appeared at the table, setting down an overloaded basket of fries and two beers.
Julie immediately stood up to let her slide into the booth. That was part of their routine too.
Didi always sat on the inside, Julie on the outside.
They alternated who paid each time. Whenever it was Didi’s turn to go to the bar, the beers were colder, the drinks stronger, and the fries hotter and fresher — perks of the female bartenders having grown fond of her.
Julie would’ve been perfectly happy about that… if not for the fact that Didi sometimes got pulled into conversations that lasted a little too long. But when she came back smiling apologetically at Julie, Julie could never stay annoyed for long.
For a while they just chatted casually, catching each other up on the week. But somewhere around halfway through their second beers, Megan and Emily started elbowing each other, and Julie couldn’t take it anymore.
“Okay, fine,” she said, setting her bottle down and leaning toward them. “Out with it. What did you two do, and do you need help covering it up?”
“Why would you assume we did something?” Emily asked, offended.
“Because I prefer to brace for the worst,” Julie sighed.
“This time you can relax,” Megan cut in, glancing at Emily. “We actually have good news. Amazing news.”
“Congratulations on the pregnancy.” Didi raised her beer in a mock toast.
“Oh my God, don’t even say that,” Julie snorted. “Congrats for them maybe, but my condolences to us.”
“Fair,” Didi nodded solemnly.
“Seriously — another one? Aren’t the three little demons you already have enough?” Julie pointed at Emily, then at Megan. “Or are we talking about some kind of immaculate geriatric conception?”
Didi completely lost it, doubling over the table laughing. Julie turned toward her, still giggling, though at this point she was more entertained by Didi than by the joke itself.
Across the table, Megan and Emily stared at them with identical looks of exhausted patience, waiting in silence for them to calm down.
“Good to know you’re still jerks,” Emily said dryly.
“Okay, okay, sorry,” Didi wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and gestured at them. “Please. Continue.”
Megan cleared her throat and straightened in her seat.
“I don’t know if you realize this, but I’ve been browsing Groupon for years, looking for interesting deals and coupons—”
“Megan, we’ve talked about this,” Julie interrupted. “You waste hours every day scrolling through that site and never actually buy anything or use any coupons. And worst of all, you still send me—”
“And me,” Didi added.
“You send us links. And I think I can speak for both of us when I say we don’t even open them anymore.” Julie glanced at Didi, who politely nodded.
“I will graciously ignore that comment,” Megan muttered before continuing. “Anyway. The day has finally come when I actually used one of those coupons. And it was an insanely good deal. In fact, Emily and I did it together.”
“Yes,” Emily chimed in, while Megan started digging through her purse. “We made a spontaneous decision that also involves you two. We’re fully aware of what your initial reaction might be, but we are prepared for all complaints, and just so you know — the decision is final. There’s no backing out, so I wouldn’t even try.”
By then Megan had pulled out a folder — clearly something she’d assembled at work — and shoved the fries basket aside before dropping it in front of them.
Didi and Julie exchanged a wary look.
“Go on,” Megan urged, nudging it closer.
Julie cautiously opened the folder, eyebrows lifting when she saw photos of an idyllic wooden house surrounded by forest and a stream.
“In a week, we’re going on a four-day girls’ trip. Just us. We leave Thursday morning, come back Sunday evening,” Emily announced firmly.
“Excuse me, what?” Julie growled, with hand frozen mid-air holding a photo of a terrace pool.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much my reaction too,” Didi said, pointing at Julie while looking between the other two.
“The farthest we’ve ever gone together is my dad’s house,” Emily said, leaning forward to spread all the photos out on the table — as if seeing them arranged nicely would magically make them agree. “I think it’s time we take an actual vacation. We all need a break.”
“But—” Julie started, only for Megan to silence her with a raised hand.
“Jules. Work is slow right now. The chances of something huge suddenly landing on our desks are slim. And any small cases we don’t wrap up, Charles can handle for those four days.”
“Yeah, but—”
“When was the last time you took time off? Actually took time off?”
“Uh… a while ago?”
“I’ll remind you. A year ago you took one day to spend your niece’s birthday with her. And before that? Three years ago, when you had such a high fever you physically couldn’t get out of bed — and even then you only took two days.” Megan’s tone was firm before she shifted her gaze to Didi. “And you? With your, what, eight unused weeks?”
“Over nine now,” Julie muttered quietly.
“Whose side are you on, dude?” Didi shot her a look, arms spread in accusation.
“Sorry.”
“Are you going to give us any actual details about this place?” Didi asked, sighing in reluctant defeat.
“It’s a few hours’ drive, but totally manageable,” Emily said calmly. “But we are not giving you the address or location. We’re not sending a link either. Everything you need to know right now is in those photos.”
“What? Why?”
“Because if we give you more information, Julie will spiral, investigate everything, and somehow find a microscopic flaw to use as an excuse to bail,” Megan said flatly. “We did the research ourselves. It’s all legit. You just have to trust us.”
“Okay, I get why you don’t want her to know,” Didi said, hopeful. “But I’m not an overly paranoid detective. You can send it to me.”
“Oh, absolutely not,” Emily laughed. “If you know, Julie knows. We know you two too well.”
“Fair,” Didi muttered.
Silence fell for a moment as both of them studied the photos.
The pool looked dangerously tempting. So did the stone fire pit, the wooden deck with lounge chairs, the thick forest, the clear stream. The only thing that immediately struck Julie as potentially problematic was the fact that there were only photos of two beds.
Maybe — maybe — the rest of the rooms just weren’t photographed. The house looked big enough to have more than two bedrooms.
Across from them, Megan and Emily watched, barely breathing.
Julie bit her lip, waging an internal battle. Maybe it was worth the risk. Worst case, she could always hole up in a corner with a book or her laptop…
“Trust us this once and just say yes,” Megan said gently. “We just want to spend some good time together. Emily’s right. We all deserve a break.”
Julie turned to Didi, studying her carefully but softly.
“They’re not wrong. You had rough few weeks, and you’re running on fumes. Maybe you need a change of scenery to feel better?” she said quietly.
Didi crossed her arms and held her gaze. She stayed silent for a moment, clearly running a mental pros-and-cons list.
“I’ll go if you go,” she said finally.
With a heavy sigh, Julie gave a reluctant nod.
“Fine. Okay,” she decided, turning back to the two beaming masterminds. “We’re in.”
“Handshake to seal it!” Emily exclaimed, thrusting her hand toward Didi, while Megan did the same toward Julie.
As they shook, Emily added even louder, “It’s official. No backing out!”
Emily threw an arm around Megan, pulling her into an excited side hug. They were practically glowing, and Julie couldn’t help smiling — especially when she heard Didi laughing softly beside her as they both watched them.
“Oh, and just to avoid any misunderstandings,” Emily added once they’d calmed down, a devilish glint in her eyes. “This is supposed to be fun. And relaxing. You know what that means?”
“No work,” Megan supplied with a satisfied half-smile. “And that includes no bringing laptops.”
“Wait, what?”
“That’s not fair!”
“Too late. The pact’s sealed,” Emily laughed, finally picking up her long-forgotten beer and clinking it against Megan’s in a triumphant toast.
Julie was stressed like a parent leaving their teenage kid home alone for the first time. For the past few days she’d been launching into long, dramatic monologues to Charles about what he could and absolutely should be doing while she was gone. And, more importantly, what he absolutely should not allow to happen.
He should: work carefully and responsibly, as if she were still standing right behind him breathing down his neck.
He should not: feel like he’d been let off the leash and invite his friends over for an office party. (That warning had also been passed along to her mother and Calbert, who would without question be co-conspirators in such a plan.)
Charles just laughed it off every time, waving her away and promising, of course, he’d behave.
The longer she knew him and his entire gang of friends, the more convinced she became that they were worse than teenagers. At least teenagers were scared of their parents. Seniors simply did not give a single damn and did whatever they wanted. (And while she always had the best time listening to Didi’s resigned stories about the latest chaos at Pacific View, Julie had zero interest in something similar happening at Kovalenko Investigations.)
For a brief moment she even considered secretly installing a camera in her office, just so she could later present hard evidence that she’d been right all along when a gang of retirees nearly trashed her workplace. It would also give her a solid excuse to bail on any future “amazing ideas” Megan and Emily came up with. Because she had a feeling this trip wasn’t a one-time thing.
The day before they were supposed to leave, she spent her last hour at work tormenting Charles one final time, composing an entire page of rules and instructions and taping it to the glass door of her office.
Well. She’d just have to trust him.
Once she got home, she decided whatever happened, happened. There was nothing more she could do.
She flopped onto her couch, put her headphones on, and tapped one of her favorite contacts. Didi picked up after a few seconds.
“Hey, Froggy,” she said, completely out of breath.
“Jesus, do I even want to know why you sound like that?” Julie laughed, wrinkling her nose. “Don’t tell me you ditched a date and some poor girl just to answer my call.”
For a split second, an uninvited image flashed through her mind — a faceless naked woman underneath Didi — and something in her chest burned, like someone was scraping her insides with sandpaper.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Didi shot back immediately. “I’m packing and trying to get my suitcase down from the top shelf.”
“Oh. So we’ve actually decided we’re going?”
“Since when are we a we?”
“Since Megan and Emily decided to become a duo dedicated to ruining our lives. I figured we should team up too. Seeing as I’m apparently stuck with you.”
“Wow. You’re so cute, Froggy,” Didi said dryly.
“Only for you, Deborah,” Julie shot back, though she smiled slightly.
“I feel so honored,” Didi sighed, something scraping faintly in the background. “Are you lying on the couch like a corpse?”
“Maybe…”
“Have you packed?”
“Oh, absolutely. My suitcase has been waiting by the door for a week. I’ve just been so excited…” Julie rolled her eyes. “Di, how long have you known me? If you’re only packing now, you can safely assume I haven’t had time either.”
“You haven’t had time, or you’ve been procrastinating in hopes one of us would find a way out of this?”
“Both can be true.”
“Froggy. Get up and start packing.”
Didi’s tone shifted — firm, decisive. Whenever she used that voice, no one dared to argue. Julie knew that from experience. She’d tried pushing back before and always ended up doing exactly what Didi wanted anyway. So this time, having learned her lesson, she just sighed heavily and dragged herself off the couch toward her bedroom.
“I don’t even know where my swimsuits are,” she muttered to herself, throwing open her closet and staring at it helplessly. Digging through a wall of suits and button-down shirts to find anything remotely vacation-appropriate was going to take a while.
Didi let out a long, low groan and then went quiet.
“Di? Did you forget they mentioned we’d have access to a pool?” Julie laughed softly, already knowing the answer.
“I haven’t worn a swimsuit in years!” Didi muttered, mild panic creeping into her voice. “Even if I find it, I have no idea if it’ll still fit. Damn it…”
“You’re a confident woman. You could always just skinny dip. I’m sure none of us would mind,” Julie laughed again — then immediately focused very hard on digging through her clothes, firmly refusing to let that mental image form.
“Very funny. I’ll do it right after you.”
“Don’t you dare challenge me. You know how that ends.”
“Julie… even when you think you’re winning by proving you can do something, trust me — I’m still the one winning. Because you’re doing exactly what I want.” Didi snorted, and Julie could practically see the mischievous grin.
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. Although last time, I think all of Pacific View won when you tried to prove you could have fun and sing karaoke.”
“I thought we agreed never to speak of that again?” Julie whined, tossing the shirt in her hands back into the closet. She still had zero desire to pack, so she quietly turned and flopped onto her bed, hoping Didi wouldn’t somehow sense that she’d stopped.
“Too bad. I like when you let loose and just have fun,” Didi said simply.
“Speaking of fun… do you think they were serious about the no working rule?”
“I think they were dead serious.”
“And are we actually planning to follow it?”
“They’re very determined about this whole ‘bonding time and relaxing’ thing. They won’t be thrilled if they catch us.”
“Honestly, I don’t totally get it. I spend most of my time with Megan. We all see each other at least every two weeks. And you and I? Since we became friends, what’s the longest we’ve gone without talking — three days? I think our bond is pretty solid.”
“Well… going on a mini vacation together is a pretty normal friendship milestone. And honestly? I’m kind of happy they came up with it. I haven’t had friends in a long time who actually wanted to spend this much time with me,” Didi admitted quietly, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
Julie bit her lip.
She hadn’t either.
“Though I might be even happier about it if I wasn’t such a chronically overworked workaholic,” Didi added.
“Yeah,” Julie said softly. “So… We probably shouldn’t complain?”
“Exactly. We’re going. That’s it. I’m giving us a challenge for the next few days: minimal complaining.”
“Oh God. I have to survive ‘Charles’s challenges’ and now I’m signing up for Didi’s too?” Julie groaned dramatically, though she was smiling, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
“Don’t pout. I know you’re pretending,” Didi laughed. “But! That doesn’t mean I fully accept their ban. Got any ideas for bending it a little?”
“We could still bring our laptops. Just hide them. We can always say we want some one-on-one time. Sneak off for an hour or two a day and… work together.”
“You think they’d buy that?” Didi asked skeptically.
“Yeah. For some reason they’re always ridiculously pleased when we make plans just the two of us. I think they’d be thrilled we’re ‘strengthening our bond’ or whatever.”
“Okay… fine,” Didi said, though something in her voice sounded off. Julie caught it instantly.
“From my perspective, it wouldn’t exactly be a lie,” she added carefully. “I like spending time with you. Even if we’re just sitting in silence staring at screens.”
“I know, Froggy.” This time Didi’s voice was warmer.
“So… we risk it? Your call.”
A few seconds of silence.
“We can try,” Didi decided. “Julie?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you lie back down and just pretend you’re packing?”
“Do you have cameras in my apartment or what?”
“Julie, move your damn ass or I’m coming over to pack you myself.”
“I won’t pretend that wouldn’t be extremely helpful…”
“Julie!”
“Okay! Fine! You’re ridiculously bossy, you know that?” Julie shot up off the bed, muttering under her breath.
It wasn’t entirely an insult.
The plan they’d all agreed on was simple and logical. Emily would take an early train from Sacramento to Megan’s place. On the way to Julie's building, they were supposed to text her to come downstairs. Didi was the last stop — perfectly placed so they could hop straight onto the highway afterward.
So when 8:30 a.m. rolled around and Julie was already standing in her shoes, waiting for a text or a call, the chaotic pounding on her door caught her completely off guard.
When she opened it, Megan and Emily stormed in like a swarm of locusts.
“Clearly we’re not sticking to the plan,” Julie commented irritably, crossing her arms.
“I don’t see her laptop bag anywhere,” Megan said to Emily, scanning the area around Julie’s carry-on suitcase and backpack, completely ignoring the jab.
“Yeah, me neither,” Emily frowned. “And I don’t trust her…”
She stepped closer, eyeing Julie’s luggage suspiciously, then looked up at her and pointed at the suitcase.
“Open it.”
“What? Why?” Julie grimaced immediately, feeling warmth creep up the back of her neck. Damn it. They knew her too well.
“Open. It.” Emily repeated, smirking.
Julie sighed heavily, set the suitcase down, and unzipped it. Maybe she could still bluff her way through — at first glance, everything looked perfectly innocent.
Megan and Emily crouched on either side and, without hesitation, started digging through her neatly packed things.
“Hey, hey! Could you not touch my stuff?” Julie snapped, grabbing Megan’s arm — but without much conviction. She already knew she had no chance. When those two teamed up, they usually followed through.
“Aha! Got you!” Emily crowed triumphantly, pulling Julie’s laptop out from between her shirts. A second later, Megan pulled the charger from the other side. They both turned to Julie with victorious expressions.
Julie rolled her eyes and threw her hands up.
“I had to at least try…” she muttered, taking the confiscated items and placing them on the coffee table.
“Should we expect to find similarly smuggled contraband in your partner in crime’s luggage?” Megan asked, barely containing her amusement. Emily, perhaps mercifully, zipped Julie’s suitcase back up.
“I’m not a snitch,” Julie mumbled.
“So that’s a yes. Honestly, we expected nothing less,” Emily said, slinging Julie’s backpack over her shoulder. “Alright. Let’s move.”
They supervised her while she locked the door, then practically dragged her down two flights of stairs, urging her to hurry up. Megan loaded her stuff into the trunk while Emily opened the back door and physically shoved Julie inside.
For a moment, Julie felt like a kidnapped hostage. Or a small child — because Emily even buckled her seatbelt herself, just to be sure.
Julie unlocked her phone the second Megan pulled out of the parking spot.
“Mission aborted,” she muttered as soon as Didi picked up. “They’ve completely lost it. Do you understand they searched my luggage like I was a terrorist at airport security?”
“Well, Jules, that was kind of predictable…” Didi replied, laughing loudly.
“It’s not that funny. They’re going to do the same to you,” Julie said, absentmindedly tugging at the seatbelt holding her in place. But Didi’s laughter made her smile anyway. Okay, the whole situation was kind of ridiculous. “Are you sure you didn’t suddenly come down with something and need to stay home? I would totally understand if I had to stay with you to… I don’t know… feed you soup or something.”
Emily snorted from the front seat, shaking her head.
“That does sound tempting, I’ll admit,” Didi said, rustling something on her end. Julie was almost certain she was trying to sneak her laptop out of her bag. “But maybe next time. Remember — we’re not supposed to complain.”
“Fine. See you in a few minutes.” Julie ended the call and tossed her phone aside.
“You know, if you two weren’t actively trying to deceive us, I’d be very impressed with your teamwork,” Emily said, turning around with a smug grin.
“Oh, shut up,” Julie muttered, staring out the window with exaggerated sulking.
Despite Julie’s insistence that Didi had probably surrendered to their rules, Megan and Emily decided to raid her apartment too.
To Julie’s surprise, Didi seemed to be putting up more of a fight, because they’d been gone for several minutes. Julie even started to worry a little, regretting that she hadn’t gone upstairs with them.
She finally got out of the car and leaned against the door, staring at the building entrance.
She liked being at Didi’s place. It was kind of funny — Didi surrounded herself with elderly people not just at work, but in her private life too. She lived in an old building where she was undoubtedly the youngest resident. Flower pots overflowed from most of the balconies and windows, making even the outside of the building pleasant to look at.
One of Didi’s neighbors leaned out the window and waved enthusiastically at Julie.
Even though Julie barely knew her own neighbors back home, it was different here. Everyone knew and liked Didi. The older ladies often stopped her for little chats. Naturally, they’d been very curious when Julie, Megan, and Emily started showing up regularly.
Another small group of seniors knew Julie by name.
Well — not by her actual name. Here, too, she was known as Froggy.
“Good Lord, am I seeing things?” Julie drawled sarcastically when the trio finally emerged from the building. “Didi, I truly did not expect you to own anything that isn’t another oversized grandpa sweater…”
“Hilarious. Maybe consider expanding your joke repertoire,” Didi shot back, waiting for Megan to open the trunk.
Julie just grinned, watching her closely.
Over the past few months she’d gotten very familiar with the tattoos on Didi’s arms — at least the ones visible when she rolled her sleeves up to her elbows. The ones higher up were new territory, things she’d only heard about.
She also knew — again, from stories — about the medusa stretching across Didi’s right calf. But whatever peeked above her knee from under her loose jorts? That was still a mystery.
Julie found herself wondering how many more surprises Didi’s body was hiding.
“Fuck, Meg! We’re going away for four days!” Didi’s voice snapped her out of it. “How is the entire trunk already full? I can barely fit my stuff in.”
“Emily and I made sure we won’t be missing anything,” Megan replied casually, walking back toward the driver’s seat. Once they were all inside, she added, “We’ve got plenty of food and alcohol too. For the next few days, we’re not worrying about a thing.”
Emily added something, but Julie had already tuned them out, her attention drifting back to Didi sitting beside her.
“You’re gonna freeze on the way,” she said quietly. “You should’ve brought a hoodie. Or at least one of your sweaters.”
“Froggy, it’s the middle of summer, it’s boiling outside. And you’re wearing a full tracksuit,” Didi grinned at her. “I’m more worried about you overheating.”
“I’m serious, Di.”
“Oh relax. I run warm.”
“If you say so. Just don’t complain later that I didn’t warn you,” Julie sighed.
Megan and Emily were still talking a mile a minute, and Julie suddenly realized with horror that their excitement probably wasn’t going to die down anytime soon. Which meant almost five hours of nonstop noise.
“I’m telling you, this is gonna be an epic long weekend,” Emily said, turning around to face them. “We’ve got everything planned. Perfect balance between chilling out and actual plans.”
“Plans?” Julie repeated, looking between her and Megan. “What plans? I thought we were just supposed to relax.”
“Yeah, but we know how your brains work. Even your fun has to follow some kind of schedule, so—”
“According to your earlier promises, I made my own schedule. You already cut work out of it. So for the next four days I plan on living in a swimsuit, floating in the pool, or lying next to it with a book,” Julie said, frowning. First they force her to take time off to be lazy, and now they’re talking about plans? “I even brought that stupid frog-shaped float your dad gave me, Em.”
“Wait, Charles actually gave you something like that?” Didi asked, leaning her cheek against the back of Emily’s seat, amused.
“Yeah,” Julie rolled her eyes. “It was a whole thing. He looked genuinely heartbroken when I didn’t want to take it at first. Made me promise I’d use it, so…”
“Oh please, like he had to convince you for long,” Didi said.
“The whole ‘convincing’ process lasted maybe five minutes before Julie gave in,” Megan added with a smirk, eyes still on the road.
“O-kay. Anyway… what exactly did you plan?” Julie asked, irritation creeping into her voice.
“We’re not giving away details. You’ll find out as we go! That’s part of the surprise,” Emily replied.
“Fantastic. We both love surprises and uncertainty,” Julie muttered, smiling slightly when Didi snorted.
“Relax. It’s nothing crazy. Just actual bonding time with our girls. No worrying about family, work, or it suddenly getting late and having to rush home.”
“You might be skeptical, but I think you’ll like it,” Megan added calmly, hope in her voice.
Didi shifted in her seat and started tapping on her phone. A second later, Julie’s phone buzzed.
Deborah: Just so we’re clear — if “bonding time” means an orgy, I’m hitchhiking back home.
Julie snorted, disguising it as a fake coughing fit. The other two didn’t notice.
Froggy: Don’t you dare leave me alone with them.
Deborah: Relax. It’s one of those “you’re escaping a burning building and can only grab one thing” situations.
Froggy: You’d grab me and not one of your sweaters? (I know you packed at least one.) Wow, Di. You must really like me.
Deborah: You know what? I take it back.
“Are you seriously texting each other while sitting right next to each other?” Megan asked, glancing at them in the rearview mirror.
“Yeah, we’d also like to know what’s so funny,” Emily added before they could put their phones away.
“You know what, Em? You’re just as nosy as your dad,” Julie shot back.
“That’s why he’s a great detective and I’m your irreplaceable assistant when you’re in trouble,” Emily shrugged casually and turned up the radio, adding yet another layer of noise.
Julie decided it was better not to comment further and opened her book, slipping the bookmark out.
“You can actually read in the car?” Didi asked, watching her with curiosity.
“Yeah.” Julie glanced at her with a small smile. “When I lived with my grandparents, they insisted on all kinds of trips. And neither they nor my sister were exactly… quiet people. I learned pretty fast how to tune things out. I read a lot growing up.”
Didi nodded, taking it in, and gave her one of those big, sincere smiles she always had on her face whenever Julie shared something about her childhood. It was nice. Especially because Didi always seemed to know when to ask more and when to just accept what Julie was willing to give. Maybe it was from years of listening to elderly people. Or maybe she just understood Julie that well.
“I read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in the car,” Julie added, answering the question before Didi could ask it. “For years, The Two Towers was my favorite book.”
“Nerd,” Didi whispered, grinning — the same way she had when she accidentally discovered Julie’s box full of completed Sudoku magazines she’d been collecting for years.
Julie rolled her eyes and focused on her book, muting the world around her.
She was jolted out of it when Megan hit a massive pothole with a loud “Oh!” While she was a decent driver in the city, outside of it… her skills left something to be desired. Julie had been skeptical from the moment Megan announced she’d be driving.
Annoyed, she closed her book but held back a comment, since both Megan and Emily completely brushed it off.
She glanced at Didi and realized, surprised, that she had fallen asleep. She was hugging herself, head tilted awkwardly to the side, hair slipping over half her face. Goosebumps ran along her arms.
Julie sighed softly.
Without thinking much, she unzipped her hoodie and slipped it off. Leaning closer, she draped it around Didi’s shoulders, carefully tucking it in around her.
“Told you you’d get cold, you stubborn donkey” she whispered with a faint smile.
Over the years, Julie had gotten used to the fact that Megan kept her car at a temperature suitable for a damn penguin. They’d had thermostat wars at work too, until Julie started pulling the “I’m your boss” card. Apparently Didi either hadn’t realized she’d befriended someone who’d happily live in Antarctica, or it had never bothered her before.
For a moment, Julie froze.
Then, hesitantly, she reached out again and gently brushed her fingers over Didi’s cheek, moving the hair away from her face. She couldn’t decide what was softer — her hair or her warm, satin-smooth skin.
Didi shifted slightly, but thankfully didn’t wake up.
Slowly, without taking her eyes off her, Julie pulled back into her own seat.
Unfortunately, she realized she was being watched.
Emily’s head had appeared between the front seats.
“Don’t be a creep, Em,” Julie muttered.
“Oh, I’m not. I’m just observing how tenderly you’re stroking your bestie’s cheek,” Emily replied, raising an eyebrow.
“There’s nothing weird about that,” Julie protested. “Friends touch each other, right?”
“Oh yeah. Definitely a very friendly gesture.”
“We’ve been friends for almost nine years and you’ve never touched any part of my body like that. Thank God,” Megan added.
Julie ignored them and reopened her book. But she just stared at the sentence where she’d stopped.
Yeah. Friends touched each other. There was nothing strange about it.
And Didi was absolutely, without question, her friend. One of her best friends. Maybe the best, considering how well they got along.
But when was the last time they’d actually touched?
Every now and then Julie allowed herself the occasional hug with the other two. Even with Charles. Or a playful shove, a steadying hand.
But with Didi, she deliberately avoided those gestures.
Mostly because the second she even thought about it, her palms would turn sticky and sweaty, her hands trembling like she was a teenager with an unrequited crush all over again.
And that was just… embarrassing.
She still hadn’t figured out how to change that.
But did Didi ever touch her?
Julie was sure she would’ve noticed. She would’ve remembered. Just like she still remembered that one moment when Didi had placed her hand on her forearm, sending an uncontrollable shiver through her body.
But that had been months ago. The night they went out for drinks. Just the two of them. The drink that officially ended their conflict and started their friendship.
Was it actually possible they hadn’t touched each other even once since then?
Before that… they’d shaken hands. On their first day at Pacific View.
They’d known each other for over a year and a half and had… touched twice?
For fuck’s sake, Charles touched Julie more in a single day.
Didi was physically affectionate with the people she cared about. Even with the residents at Pacific. Constantly. So why didn’t she feel the need to do that with Julie? Or maybe she did — but knowing Julie sometimes didn’t handle that kind of attention well, she was respecting her boundaries?
Julie shook her head hard, trying to get rid of the thoughts. This was definitely not the time or place to spiral into that. Especially since she was a little afraid of what conclusion she might reach.
She wiped her sweaty palms on her sweatpants and tried — really tried — to focus on her book.
After almost four hours on the road, they stopped at a gas station to fill up and stretch their legs — mostly because Emily had been whining for the past twenty minutes that she’d drunk too much water and was about to explode.
When Julie came out of the store first, Didi was already awake, pacing around the parked car, still wearing Julie’s hoodie. She stretched and stifled a huge yawn as Julie walked up to her.
“Thought you might need this,” Julie said, handing her an energy drink and a chocolate bar. She held them in a way that made Didi brush her fingers against hers.
The hoodie and the sunlight must’ve warmed her up, because her hand was warm now. Or maybe Didi’s hands were always warm? That was actually an interesting question.
“Thanks.” Didi grinned at her and immediately cracked open the can. “I was looking at the map. I thought we’d be way farther by now.”
“Yeah, well. Megan’s not exactly a fast driver,” Julie shrugged. “We’ve got a bit more suffering ahead of us. Though I guess it doesn’t matter to you. I’m pretty sure you could sleep through the apocalypse.”
“Yeah, well…” Didi blushed slightly, lowering her gaze. “Thanks for the hoodie…”
She tried to take it off, but Julie quickly grabbed the fabric and pulled it back up over her shoulder.
“No,” she said firmly. “I mean… you can keep wearing it until you’re actually warm. I’m used to Megan’s car temperatures. It doesn’t bother me.”
“Thanks…” Didi repeated, then cleared her throat and looked at her more confidently. “Do you think Megan will let me drive?”
“The real question isn’t whether Megan will let you. It’s whether we’re ready to consciously risk dying.”
“Since we already committed to this trip, don’t you want to get there as soon as possible?”
“You might have a point,” Julie sighed. She turned toward the approaching women and shouted, “You two are in the back. Didi’s driving now.”
Megan tossed her the keys without a word.
“Cool. And you obviously have to sit next to her?” Emily commented.
“Yes. Someone needs to keep an eye on her. And considering she’s way more likely to listen to me than to you — yeah. I’m sitting shotgun.”
“If you say so,” Emily snorted, climbing into the back seat.
“You know, smartass, you could always take over driving if you’ve got a problem,” Didi said, sipping her energy drink and looking at her over the rim of the can.
Julie smiled faintly and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her a little closer.
“Hey, Di…”
Didi instinctively leaned in, raising an eyebrow.
“What happens when a frog drives illegally?” Julie asked quietly. Didi grinned and shook her head. “She gets toad.”
For a few seconds, Didi just stared at her, blinking in disbelief. Then she burst out laughing, throwing her head back.
“Oh my God, Froggy. That was so bad.”
“Well, it made you laugh,” Julie tilted her head, her smile growing.
“Fair.”
“I’ve got more where that came from.” Julie tapped her temple. “My brain’s a weird place.”
“Jules, trust me, I’d really like to explore every corner of it,” Didi said.
There was something intense in her expression that made Julie unable to look away.
“Careful what you wish for…” Julie said softly, tightening her grip on her elbow.
“I know what I’m saying,” Didi replied just as quietly, her gaze slowly tracing Julie’s face. Then she stepped back, her tone suddenly much lighter. “And I really, really expect more terrible jokes.”
Julie snorted and finally let her go.
Thankfully, at first glance, the house Megan had rented looked exactly like the photos she’d shown them. Wooden, two stories, with steps leading up to a raised porch. Not far from it, a lively little creek wound its way through the trees.
Even though Didi parked as close as possible, they still had to walk through the trees to reach it. Knowing how much stuff they’d brought and that at least one more trip was inevitable, they loaded themselves up as much as possible and trudged toward the cabin, breathing heavily.
When they were almost at the porch, something nailed to one of the trees caught Julie’s attention. She swore under her breath and grabbed the back of Didi’s shirt, pulling her slightly back.
“Look at that,” she said, nodding toward it.
Didi squinted.
“We don’t have Wi-Fi. Talk to each other. Pretend it’s 1995,” Julie read out loud.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Seriously?” Didi groaned.
Julie nodded, humming in confirmation.
“Well. Clearly we wouldn’t have needed the laptops anyway.”
“Yeah. So what, we hitchhike back home now?” Julie asked in a conspiratorial whisper, leaning closer to her.
“For now, I still have some patience left,” Didi sighed. “Ask me again tomorrow morning when it’s gone.”
The entire ground floor of the cabin was one open space — living room and kitchen combined. No TV, obviously. No dishwasher either. On the opposite side from the entrance, huge glass doors led out onto the back deck, where there was a grill, a big table with chairs, a few lounge chairs, and — to Julie’s relief — the promised pool.
After the second trip to the car, there were only a few things left in the trunk, so Megan and Didi offered to grab the rest themselves, leaving Emily and Julie inside. The two of them immediately rushed upstairs to check out the rest of the place.
At the top of the stairs, to the right, was the entrance to one of the bedrooms. Surprisingly spacious — a large bed in the middle, a wardrobe, even a vanity table.
To the left, a narrow, dim hallway led to a much more modest room, with a bed pushed up against the window and a few simple wooden pieces of furniture. At least the view made up for it — the window looked straight out onto dense forest.
Between the two rooms was a extraordinarily big bathroom with a separate shower and a massive bathtub. Honestly, Julie could easily see herself spending a significant portion of the trip in that tub.
Emily must’ve thought the same, because she bounced excitedly and grabbed Julie by the shoulders, shaking her.
“Jules, I can finally take a bath without someone yelling from downstairs asking where the bread is or where the remote is! Almost four days of freedom!”
“I’m happy you are happy, Em,” Julie laughed, patting her hand.
By the time they went back downstairs, Megan and Didi were already inside. Megan, fueled by a sudden burst of energy, was unpacking food into the fridge, while Didi was sprawled on the couch, holding her phone above her face.
“Didi!” Emily warned, shooting her a stern look.
“I’m not working, Em!” Didi shot back immediately. “There’s no Wi-Fi, and I barely have signal. Yeah, technically something works, but… shit.”
“Relax. Nothing tragic is going to happen in four days at Pacific. The world won’t collapse. No one’s going to die.”
The room went silent instantly.
Something flickered across Didi’s face — a heartbreaking mix of fear, sadness, and anger. Julie shot Emily a look that made it very clear she had a strong urge to smack her upside the head.
Any jokes even remotely connecting death and Pacific View were off-limits. They all knew that. It was an unspoken rule.
“Shit,” Emily muttered, lowering her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” Didi said, waving it off — but she was clearly tense.
Emily seemed to realize she shouldn’t push it and silently went to help Megan.
Julie instinctively moved closer. She sat at the end of the couch, leaning lightly against Didi’s legs, resting her elbow on her knee.
Ever since that brief brush of her fingers against Didi’s cheek earlier, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from finding some excuse to touch her. She wasn’t entirely in control of it. It was like that one small gesture had broken some invisible barrier inside her.
Thankfully, Didi either didn’t notice the change — or chose not to comment on it.
“So… how’s the rest of the cabin?” Didi asked, casually shifting the topic.
“We’ve got an amazing bathtub. You’ll love it. But just so you know, Emily and I already claimed it, so your chances of using it are slim,” Julie teased. “You’re stuck with quick showers.”
“Fantastic. Thanks,” Didi snorted, but smiled back.
“But like I thought from the pictures… there are only two bedrooms,” Julie added, more uncertain now.
The moment she’d been dreading since Megan showed them photos of two beds had officially arrived.
“Oh yeah! We have to split into pairs,” Megan announced suddenly. “We already thought about it and decided we should draw lots.”
“Draw lots?” Didi repeated flatly. Her body went rigid. “Meg, I thought—”
“It’s the fairest way,” Emily cut in.
She grabbed the pack of toothpicks they’d brought and pulled two out. She snapped one into uneven pieces.
“Em, don’t you think we should at least try to talk about this?” Julie tried weakly. Though she wasn’t even sure what argument she’d use.
“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun. And we’ll get it over with fast — just one round,” Emily waved dismissively. She shuffled the toothpicks in her hand with her back turned so no one could see, then faced Megan. “You pick. Shortest is me, medium is Jules, longest is Didi. Go.”
Megan hovered her fingers over the ends for a moment.
Julie, meanwhile, was calculating what each outcome would mean.
Megan — they’d known each other forever. They’d shared rooms plenty of times. Never the same bed, though. Except that one evening when they’d fallen asleep on the office couch, shoulders leaning together. She was comfortable with Megan. But they already spent almost every waking moment together. Did she really want to add nights to that?
Emily — sharing a bed with her would feel a bit like sharing one with a mini version of Charles. Was that appealing? Not really. She was comfortable with her too, sure. But Emily probably wouldn’t shut up.
Didi — well… wasn’t that the real issue? Didi, who she loved spending time with. Didi, the other queer person in their tiny group. Objectively attractive Didi. Didi, around whom her hands suddenly seemed to have trouble behaving.
Maybe she should just sleep in the bathtub.
“Oh! Shortest!” Emily suddenly shouted. Megan had made her choice. “Hey, roomie!”
She high-fived Megan.
Julie felt like she’d just been slapped across the face.
Didi didn’t take her eyes off them, but she looked like she felt the same way.
Fantastic.
“We’re taking the room on the right,” Emily added, grabbing her suitcase before Julie could process any of this.
Stomping loudly and talking even louder, Megan and Emily ran upstairs to claim the bigger, better room.
“Well. Emily was right — that was fast,” Julie said carefully, forcing calm into her voice.
Fate had paired her with Didi.
That… wasn’t terrible.
She felt good around Didi.
Didi, who knew when to tease her and when to be quiet.
Didi, who always kept a safe distance, respecting Julie’s boundaries.
They could survive this trip. Maybe even enjoy it.
“Okay. Cool,” Julie muttered, mostly to herself.
She gave Didi’s thigh a light, playful tap, as if to prove she was totally relaxed. Then she stood up quickly and slung her backpack over her shoulder.
“We should take our stuff up too.”
Didi seemed to be having her own internal existential crisis, because she didn’t move at all.
“Didi. Didi!” Julie waved a hand in front of her face. That finally snapped her back. “Up, lazy.”
“Listen, I was thinking maybe I could just sle—”
“I can carry your suitcase, but there’s no way I’m hauling all the bags up those steep stairs. And there’s definitely no way I’m carrying you,” Julie cut her off before she could finish. “So. Up.”
Didi finally stood, slowly, like she was arguing with herself the whole time.
Julie waited, watching her closely.
Only when Didi picked up her things did she start climbing the stairs behind her.
Julie walked into the room first, casually dropping her backpack at the foot of the bed under the window.
“Of course they took the better, bigger room,” she commented lightly, pushing her suitcase against the wall. “Totally predictable. I could’ve reacted faster. But we’ll manage. There’s just not enough space for you to unpack all your grandpa sweaters that you won’t even wear because it’s way too hot, but you brought them anyway like a kid brings their favorite blanket…”
With a mischievous grin, she turned to Didi, expecting a snarky comeback any second.
But to her surprise, Didi was still standing in the doorway, hesitantly peeking inside, slowly scanning the room like she wasn’t sure it was safe.
“Di?”
“Yeah?” she muttered quietly, barely paying attention, clearly lost in her own head.
“Are you a vampire? Can’t come in unless you get verbally invited?”
“No. I just…” Didi sighed and shrugged helplessly, like she didn’t even know how to finish that sentence.
“Oh, come on, Nosferatu.” Julie closed the distance in two quick steps, grabbed her hand, and pulled her inside. “See? You survived.”
Didi mumbled something under her breath and slipped her hand out of Julie’s grip, grabbing her suitcase handle instead.
“Okay, so as you can see, here’s our luxury suite. We’ve got a window. One nightstand — because who needs more than one. An uncomfortable wooden chair that no one’s sleeping on, no matter how dramatic they get. A patch of carpet that probably hasn’t been cleaned in, like, a decade. A closet that barely fits anything. And a bed that we will absolutely both fit in and sleep in, as decreed by our beloved trip organizers.” Julie announced all of it in an overly dramatic, pompous tone, pointing at each item one by one.
Didi stayed quiet.
“Okay… what were you expecting?” Julie sighed.
“I don’t know what I was expecting, but definitely not this,” Didi muttered.
Julie crossed her arms, studying her with mild amusement. Didi kept gripping the suitcase handle tighter and tighter, looking like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole, avoiding Julie’s eyes like they were dangerous.
“Am I really that repulsive to you?” Julie finally asked, forcing her face into something neutral.
That did it. Didi finally looked at her.
“What?”
“Am I that repulsive?” Julie repeated. “You scared you’ll fall asleep next to me and wake up next to a basilisk or something?”
“No. Of course not.”
Julie lost the battle against the smile creeping onto her lips.
“Then what’s the deal? I thought you were this confident charmer, and suddenly you’re having a meltdown because you have to share a bed with me for three nights. Don’t tell me I misjudged you. You know how much I hate being wrong…”
“I’m not a charmer,” Didi shot back immediately, wrinkling her nose.
“Oh please. Who are you trying to fool?” Julie snorted. “The bartenders at the pub we go to, the baristas at your favorite café, even the residents’ granddaughters at Pacific — they all practically melt when you go up to talk to them. It’s honestly fascinating to watch. You always have something nice to say. Always polite. Always…Silver-tongued.”
“I’m just a nice person, Julie,” Didi replied. But the conversation was clearly doing something to her — she’d stopped strangling her suitcase and stepped closer, slipping her hands casually into her pockets like she’d regained a bit of confidence.
“Sure. If that’s what you want to call it.”
“Yesterday I told Charles his tie looked good on him because it brought out his eyes. Was I trying to charm him too?”
“Well, Charles isn’t an attractive thirty-something woman batting her eyelashes at you.”
Didi clenched her jaw, clearly unsure how to respond, and Julie felt a sharp wave of satisfaction. Point scored.
“Anyway… I’m not blind or deaf,” Julie continued, her smirk growing. “It was pretty impressive, Didi — how easily you could wrap whoever you wanted around your finger with just a few words. But right now you’re acting like a…baby gay.”
Didi let out an indignant huff, eyebrows knitting together like Julie had genuinely offended her.
Yeah. Julie was definitely winning this one.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be a generous, merciful friend. I’ll stay on my side of the bed and I won’t even touch you. Relax.” Julie lowered her voice, holding her gaze.
They stared at each other for a moment. Then Julie burst out laughing and — probably not her smartest move — playfully punched her in the arm.
“You’re a grown-ass woman, Di. Chill. It’s just three nights. It’ll be fine.”
Still laughing, she brushed past her to leave the room, but just as she crossed the threshold, Didi’s raspy voice caught up with her.
“Wonder if you’ll be this confident in a few hours, Froggy.”
Julie froze for a second.
Her heart pounded loud in her ears. She swallowed hard and decided to pretend she hadn’t heard it, heading toward the other room instead.
She casually wiped her sweaty, sticky palms on her shirt.
It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. It’ll be fucking fine.