Musings

Libby Tyler

Sitting at a sidewalk table in front of Lucy's bakery, Libby had finished up her lunch and taken out a book to read. Stephen King. During her forced few days absence from work following her accident, she'd re-discovered reading for the pure pleasure of it, rather than for research purposes.

She'd had to do something to keep her mind occupied. She'd found that you could only sit in front of the TV screen for so long without starting to go crazy, and Richie had threatened to lock her in her apartment if she attempted to go back to work early.

Libby grinned to herself as she remembered his mention of 'locks and keys you don't know about' when he'd made the threat. He'd been the best friend in the world in the two weeks since her accident and the loss of her baby. Coming in to check on her every day. Bringing her dinner several times a week. Listening to her talk and letting her cry on his shoulder when she needed it.

And all of that without being resentful because she was unable to have sex--which had been a big part of their friendship--for six weeks. She had to wonder if Miss Peeg knew how well he had been looking after her. The woman hadn't been too sure of their ability to have a friendship, but Libby hoped she'd taken notice of how things had gone with them lately.

As for the sex, Libby found herself beginning to miss that part of their friendship. At first, she'd been too upset to care. Not to mention that her body hadn't exactly been up to par. In the past few days, though, she'd begun to look forward to the end of that six weeks.

Richie looked forward to it too, she thought. He hadn't exactly said as much out loud, but his jokes and teasing with her definitely pointed in that direction. In addition to which, he kissed her goodbye every time he left and those kisses had passion in them, despite his holding back for the sake of her current condition.

Libby hadn't slept with anyone else since getting together with Richie. She had no interest in anyone. The things that had happened with Dan and March had left her soured on relationships. This friendship with Richie met her physical needs, as well as her need to talk. She felt satisfied with the way things were in her life.

Richie, though, was another story. Despite the fact that she tried not to listen to gossip, Libby knew that a lot of it went around town about Richie Roberts and various women, including her. Before their friendship, she had paid no attention. Now, though, she had to wonder about some of it.

Last night, when she and Richie were eating dinner in her apartment, he'd gotten a phone call. Someone named Rosemary. From the way it went, Libby got the impression that this Rosemary was someone he knew in a way other than as a client. When he'd hung up the phone, Richie had seemed reluctant to meet her eyes, and he'd avoided her question about the phone call, but he'd needed to leave shortly after receiving it.

After he'd gone, Libby had wondered about it. Was Rosemary another woman that Richie was sleeping with? And what if she was?

When she and Richie had first begun sleeping together, it had been with the agreement that neither one wanted a relationship. That this was a friendship and, although they were sleeping together, there were no strings attached, other than that they were friends and would be there for one another.

But she had to wonder, too, why Richie wouldn't just tell her about another woman. No strings should mean that there was no reason he wouldn't be able to tell her about that kind of thing.

Finding her place in her book, Libby sighed. This kind of friendship was a new experience for both of them. They were both still feeling things out as far as how to handle it. He'd tell her when he was ready.