This is a direct sequel to the events from 'Can Everyone Tell?' To fully get everything that's going on, as well as all the characters' relationships to each other, you should read that story first. I hope you enjoy it, and respectfully ask you to comment and vote.
Can Everyone Tell -- Part 2
"So what kind of car are you gonna get?" Tilda asked her friend, Tandy, as she slipped smoothly through traffic.
"I'm not sure," answered Tandy. "I'd like something like this," she said, indicating Tilda's sleek Mercedes convertible, "but I ain't got it like that."
"Girl, what?" replied Tilda. "You have a good job now, plus you still live at home, not paying for rent or bills. Go get something nice!" she added.
"Til, this is a $90,000 ride. I am not rolling at that level!"
"Look, my dad told me, you can spend $20,000 on a brand new $20,000 car, or you can spend $20,000 on a $90,000 car that's a few years old. That's all I did. Leigh did the same thing."
"I hadn't thought about it like that. Me and my dad are going car shopping next week, maybe we'll look at doing that. Thanks for the tip!" said Tandy.
"No probs. How is your dad?" asked Tilda.
"He's pretty Zen, you know. The grass grows, he gets to cut it. He's pretty happy."
"Hmph," replied Tilda. "All that fresh air, physical labor, always out in the sun, all sweaty... no wonder he always looks so good."
"Girl, will you stop leching on my dad? That's 'sposed to be my job!" laughed Tandy. Both young women knew of their friend, Leigh's romantic and sexual relationship with her father. Tandy had recently admitted to wanting something like that with her own father, though Russ Ralston had so far been able to resist Tandy's subtle overtures.
"What?!" said Tilda. "Your dad is hot! Leigh's dad is hot, too! My dad's a good man, but he looks like the missing fucking link. So I have to get my daddy-daughter thrills vicariously!" They both laughed "Anyway, how's that going, by the way?" asked Tilda while she smoothly executed three lane changes at eighty miles an hour.
Tandy was used to Tilda's aggressive driving style and didn't bat an eye even as the Mercedes nimbly changed lanes again, seemingly inches from a suddenly slowed semi. She shrugged noncommittally and said, "Well I haven't exactly told him outright how I feel, but I've gotten really flirty, and a lot more touchy-feely. I mean, it's hard, you know? How does a girl seduce her own father without him freaking the hell out? It'll get there. I just can't rush this."
"I guess," conceded Tilda as she took the exit to I-Drive. She turned away from Universal Studios to the very touristy area of International Drive. As she cruised down the road looking for the restaurant, it was good to see so many tourists once again crowding the drive. "It's gonna be good to see Leigh again. I can't wait to grill her ass about going radio silent for almost a month. She better have a good reason! Is it just her or is Nick coming, too?"
"Nick?!" exclaimed Tandy. "You mean Mr. Westen? Leigh's dad?"
"Hey!" said Tilda, pointing at Tandy. "When he was just her dad, yeah, he's Mr. Westen. But if you're fucking my best friend, I can call you by your first name!"
Tandy said, "Well, to be honest, I think they're way more involved than just 'fucking.'"
"Still!" insisted Tilda. "And if you and your dad do start hitting it, you can bet your ass Im'ma be all, 'Hey, Russ, how you doin!'" as she pretended to wave coquettishly.
Tandy was laughing her ass off at Tilda's observations. Tilda pulled into the restaurant parking lot and parked right next to an SUV that she knew was Nick's car. "Maybe Nick is here," said Tilda. "That's his car, right?"
"Looks like it," agreed Tandy as they walked toward the restaurant. They spotted Leigh in a booth sitting by herself and headed to her.
Leigh spotted her friends and squealed with excitement, standing to greet them with enthusiastic hugs. "OMIGOD!! I missed you guys so much!" she exclaimed.
"It's your own fault, bitch!" answered Tilda. "You're the one who disappeared! Been gone damn near a month! No notes, no call-backs, what, you couldn't even shoot off a text saying kidnappers had your ass? What the fuck?!" she scolded playfully as they all got seated in the spacious booth.
"Yeah," agreed Tandy, "everything's going along great, and all of a sudden, poof! You're nowhere to be found. What's up with that?"
Tilda added, "And in your absence, stuff's been happening in our lives, too, you know? Don't you care?"
Leigh raised her hands in surrender. "Fine, fine! You're right, I'm a horrible person. I'll tell you guys everything, and hopefully, once you hear me out, you'll be able to forgive me, okay?"
Tilda spoke up, "Of course we'll forgive you, you're our girl. Our weird, perverted girl who's fuβ"
"Alright, alright, enough of that," interrupted Tandy, feeling Tilda's good-natured jabs might be hitting too close to her one-day home. She continued, "So what's been happening, Leigh? Whereyubeen?"
"No, no, you guys first. I'm the one who went missing, so bring me up to speed first!"
Tandy started, "I'll go first, since mine'll be the shortest. Works going great, and I'm still staying at home with my dad. He'd been great, and he's really helping me to come out of that shell I climbed into after, you know..."
Both girls nodded in sympathetic agreement.
Tandy continued, "Anyway, I feel like a new woman, and as long as I have you guys, I'll be fine. I really can't really thank you guys enough for being there for me." They all gripped hands in solidarity for a moment.
Tilda said, "Well I'm starting a new job."
"Wait, you're leaving Tech-Tel?" asked Leigh.
"Yeah," answered Tilda, "and you better polish up your resume, too. Last month I heard that Tech-Tel planned some layoffs for later this year. Nothing's really wrong, apparently, they just wanna save money and pad their bonuses. Assholes. I tried to get in touch with you, but I couldn't get a hold'a yo ass 'til now. Anyway, I started looking for my next landing spot. Came upon a company called SynthWorks. They do some major AI stuff. I went after it and they gave a girl a home. I 'm gonna be a Project Manager in software development. Some hard coding, but a lot of it is managing other coders, making sure everything works together. It's a really sweet gig. Plus, I'm making more money. I start a week from Monday."
Leigh sat back, impressed. She reached for Tilda and hugged her, saying, "You go 'head, girl. Women in tech... FUCK yeah!!"
Tilda looked a little bashful. "I was scared you'd be, you know, jealous, you know?"
"Jealous? No, sweetie, you're my girl, and I couldn't be happier for you," answered Leigh.
Tilda continued, "Right now, they're only hiring one person, but as soon asβ"
"No," Leigh interrupted. "Don't. I have quite enough going on in my life... I do NOT need to be interviewing for a new job right now. I think I'm just gonna ride this out and take every cent of severance I can get. Later this year, right? That'll be perfect!"
"Okay, Beyonce," joked Tandy. "Then just what the hell have you been up to for the past month?"
In answer, Leigh simply raised her left hand as if to stop them from talking, and then dramatically turned her hand around so they could see the engagement and wedding rings adorning her finger.
Tilda gasped, "Is that a wedding ring? How are you married? What the hell?!" They both ooohh'd and ahhhh'd appreciatively over her rings and were suitably impressed with the diamond. Leigh was happy that the ring was BFF-approved. She took the next few minutes telling them about their trip to the Caribbean, and how she and her dad exploited a loophole in French law so they could get married, more or less legally. As she talked, she noticed that while both Tilda and Tandy seemed very happy for her, Tandy seemed a little wistful.
Leigh noticed and asked her, "You okay, Tandy? What's wrong?"
She sighed, and answered, "Nothing's wrong. I'm really happy for you. I just know now, for sure, that that's exactly what I want. I just don't know how to make it happen."
"Girl, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Leigh exclaimed suddenly. "You're a beautiful, sexy woman, and no man alive has enough upper-body strength to push away a hot, willing woman who's all up on him. Even if it's his daughter. Go get your man, Tandy!"