Page 33 of Locke

“Livia.”Juno touches my arm as we approach.“This is Birdie.”

Birdie turns and her face opens into a grin that is instantly and completely disarming.“Finally.Juno has said approximately five hundred things about you.”

“Good things, I hope.”

“Mostly.”She winks before taking a sip of her drink and I like her immediately.

“I’ve heard things about you too,” I say.

“Also mostly good, I assume?”

“Well, I know you’re a commercial saturation diver.You work at two hundred feet on offshore oil platforms.”I pause.“I don’t know thatgoodis the word I’d use.Impressive, maybe.Slightly terrifying.”

She laughs, genuinely delighted.“I love her,” she announces to the group.

“And I can’t wait for our girls’ night out Juno promised.”

“Obviously,” Birdie says.“I’ve been living with my brother for far too long while I’m in between contracts.I love him, but I need to be in a room with people who don’t leave their gear bags in the hallway.”

“I leave my gear bag in the hallway,” Arch says.

“You don’t live there.”

“I’m there four times a week.”

“Which is not the same as living there.”

“Functionally—”

“Arch.”She turns to look at him with an expression of elaborate patience.“Functionally is doing a lot of work in that sentence and I need you to let it go.”

He opens his mouth.Closes it.Takes a drink instead.

These two bicker like players on the ice trying to outdo each other and I find it a fascinating dynamic.I know that Arch and Crosby are best friends, so it stands to reason Arch knows Birdie pretty well.

I take a sip of wine and relish the ease of people whose company I enjoy.

“Okay,” Birdie says, turning back to me as she changes gears.“I have a question.As the newest person in this organization—what is your read on the Cherry situation?”

Juno makes a sound and Crosby heaves out a sigh.

“What?”Birdie looks at her.“She’s going to find out eventually.Better from us.”

I look between them.“I’ve gathered there’s a history.”

“Historyis one word for it,” Arch says.

Crosby utters a low warning.“Birdie…”

“Cherry Parks,” Birdie begins, intent on delivering a briefing while ignoring her brother, “was previously engaged to our darling Crosby.Three years ago.He ended it.She handled that with complete grace and maturity.”She pauses, shakes her head.“Okay… I’m lying.She did not handle it with grace or maturity.”

“To be fair,” Crosby says, “it was a long time ago.”

Birdie gives him a look that is pure older sister.“You always do this.”

“Do what?”

“Give people more credit than they deserve.”