The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 355
If Yvonne had actually walked in on an intimate moment and told Judie-the central hub of all gossip-Leilani feared Dante and Letty would be at her door asking questions in no time.
With Leilani staring her down, Yvonne felt a bit guilty too.
Seeing Leilani’s reaction, Judie was now convinced the development between the two was definitely beyond their imagination. She leaned in, pestering Leilani for details. Leilani dodged skillfully, refusing to crack no matter how she pressed.
Watching the two of them, Yvonne couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curving into crescents. She sighed. “Leilani, you and Judie have such a great friendship.”
It was the first time she had seen Leilani interact so naturally and intimately with another girl her age. Thinking of this, Yvonne actually felt a twinge of disappointment. Leilani had never been like that with her.
Spotting Yvonne’s dejection, Judie pretended not to notice and grinned, draping an arm around her shoulder. “Now that you’re here, we’re a trio!”
Yvonne froze, surprised by the gesture. Joy uncurled in her chest. Relaxing her expression, she nodded emphatically at Judie, cherishing the moment. “Yeah! From now on, we’re a trio!”
Leilani watched the two bond quickly, the corners of her lips lifting. Judie was just like that-a little sun that easily illuminated the people around her.
Inside the café, sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on the three women huddled in the corner booth. Three drinks sat on the table. The aroma of coffee lingered in the air, the atmosphere warm and relaxed.
“Hey, did you guys know? Clive Sloan is having another concert soon.”
Judie pulled three gold-stamped tickets from her bag and slapped them onto the table, her eyes sparkling. “My friend gave me a few tickets for tonight. You guys want to go?”
Yvonne leaned in to look and gasped. “VIP front row? These are hard to get, right?”
As she spoke, she glanced hesitantly at Leilani. If her memory served her right, she recalled that Clive was Leilani’s brother. And at the wedding, the person who had been the most protective and arrogant seemed to be
Clive.
Judie shrugged. With their family background, getting VIP tickets was just a matter of saying the word. “It just so happens I have a friend who’s a planner for this concert. She kept a few internal tickets and gave them to
ne!”
_eilani raised an eyebrow, took the tickets, and examined them. A playful smile tugged at her lips.
‘Go? Of course we’re going.” She paused, then added leisurely. “It’s the perfect chance to see if my dear brother’s singing and dancing… has mproved at all.”
Hearing her tone, Judie knew Leilani was going there to watch the train wreck and enjoy the show. Thinking back to when she and Leilani ran into Clive at the airport, she burst out laughing. “Leilani, your eagerness to see Clive make a fool of himself is way too obvious.”
On second thought, Judie felt Leilani’s reaction was perfectly normal. Even from that one accidental encounter at the airport, she could tell Clive wasn’t nearly as good-natured as he pretended to be on screen.
Leilani took a sip of her latte and said calmly, “How could that be? I’m just concerned about a family member’s career.”
Judie noticed Yvonne looking like she wanted to say something but was holding back. Immediately interested, she leaned closer to Yvonne.
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