Chapter Sixteen: Louise’s Heart Box:

Louise lowered her fork. “How are things with you and Mosh?”

Noiz glanced up at her. “What?”

“Are you two good?”

“Yes.”

Louise chuckled. “Lucky bitch.”

“Excuse me?”

The older employee shook her head, smiling. “You found someone that you can tolerate.”

“Tolerate?” The kitty girl tilted her head. “Where are you going with this?”

Louise slumped back in her chair. “Marriage is a joke.”

“Why do you say that? I mean, besides the obvious for you, why do you say that?”

The older woman glared at her. “Really? You’re going to ask me that?”

“Okay, okay.” Noiz shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe it’s just not for everyone.”

“It’s not for me!”

I wonder why, Noiz thought. “So why are you telling me this again?”

Louise looked down at the ring on Noiz’s finger. “Your ring just wants me want to vomit every time I see it.”

Noiz drew back her left hand. “Does this have to do with Daryl?”

“Don’t mention him again,” Louise muttered under her breath. Noiz’s ears twitched when she caught that.

“Okay…” she said, putting up her hand. She put in a cigarette and lit up. Her boss looked at her off the corner of her eye.

“Must you do that right now?” she asked.

“Mentioning Daryl drove me to that.”

Noiz pressed her hand to her forehead. “I still don’t understand what the point of this conversation.”

Her employee shrugged. “I just get lonely sometimes.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to get married.”

“I know that.”

Noiz raised an eyebrow. “Then… what do you want?”

Louise broke into a huge grin. “A fuck buddy.”

The kitty pressed her hand to her forehead. “You are a perv!”

“So are you.”

She peeked through the cracks of her fingers. “Not as much as you are.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Noiz sighed as the bill came to their table. When can I go home?

“I’ve got this, remember?” Louise asked. Her boss lifted her head with a blank stare.

“What?” she asked.

“The bill,” her employee said. “I’ve got it. I’m going to pay for both of us.” The kitty blinked at first.

“Huh? Oh,” she said. “Yeah, go ahead.” Noiz put her head in her hands as Louise went up to pay.