"I appreciate the tour offer, but if you don't mind, could you please just show me whatever's along the way back to your house?" asked Marie Parker. "It's been a long bus ride and I'm famished as it is."
"Sure, if you don't mind stopping by the local diner on the way. I phoned in a take out order for us," explained Jane.
"No problem."
They talked as Jane drove. The two ladies had been best friends throughout high school, but parted company when they left their hometown to attend different universities. But while Jane knew her story beyond that point, all Marie learned (so far) was that Jane graduated college in Seattle, and then found a job within her new career that had her relocating to Moon Lake in the process.
I guess she'll tell me the rest over dinner, figured Marie, taking in how lush and open Moon Lake was with all its woods, public parks, and forest land.
Along the way, Jane showed her friend the local hospital, the town hall, museum, high school, library, and the diner, as well as pointing out the local grocery store before they pulled into the driveway of her house.
But as they started to get out of her car, Jane spotted a car pulling into the driveway of the house across the street.
"Marie, can you excuse me for a couple of moments? I've got to talk to Samantha Twist about something."
"Sure. I'll move my suitcases from your trunk to the front porch in the meantime," said Marie, as Jane started crossing the street.
It had been a long day for the Town Chancellor between Rikki the werecheetah, the Charlestons' situation, and the impending problems Jennifer Harper's family might cause when they came to Moon Lake to attend her wedding next weekend.*
All she wanted to do was go inside her house with the bouquet of roses for her wife and enjoy a nice quiet evening with Frances; when Samantha spotting her neighbor from across the street approaching.
"Hey Jane. How's it going?" she asked, as Jane came up to her.
"Okay. I got your phone message about wanting to talk to me. What's up?"
"Is that the friend you told me about?" asked Samantha, nodding towards the petite red head standing on Jane's porch.
"Marie Parker. She's cool. A lesbian, like us," replied Jane. "As usual, parents freaked when she told them, now Marie has nowhere else to go. She'll be staying in my spare bedroom, for now. Thankfully she graduated college before the shit hit the fan, so I have a job in town lined up for her too."
"That's all well and good, but does Marie know about..."
"Weres?" said Jane, finishing Samantha's sentence. "No. She doesn't know about that aspect of Moon Lake... yet."
"I see," said Samantha, staring at her neighbor. "Okay, since she's staying with you for now, Marie skirts under the 'mandatory, family were cause' of the town charter; but if you or anyone else has any romantic notions towards her..."
"Don't worry. I look ugly in stripes, prison or any other variety, and there's been enough violations of Moon Lake Statute 1-A of late as it is**," replied Jane. "While I'm hoping for more than just a long term relationship developing with Marie, I will make very sure she enters the situation with her eyes wide open, and fully aware of the consequences if she has sex with any were. Even me."
Moments later, Jane came back across the street to get dinner out of her car.
"Who were you talking to?" Marie asked her as Jane approached.
"My neighbor, Samantha Twist. She's also the Town Chancellor," explained Jane, as she put the food down long enough to open the front door.
"She looked beautiful. Who are the flowers for?"
"Her wife, Frances," replied Jane, as she opened the door.
"Oh," said Marie, with a bit of disappointment in her voice. "But at least this town is accepting of lesbians," she added, thinking she might have found a permanent new home after all.
"Give it time Marie. I guarantee you. You have no idea just how special Moon Lake truly is," promised Jane, as she ushered her friend inside.