Juniper couldn’t contain her laughter, covering her face with her hands as she reflected on her cautious approach to relationships.

“What’s the harm in trying it out?” Alisha continued.

“Look at me… everything is so much simpler, none of the emotional baggage to deal with, like phew…” She paused dramatically. “Yeah, maybe all I’m left with is a little more wiggle room downtown… but hey, you know…”

Their laughter cut her off completely, both women doubling over.

As they eased back into their chairs, Alisha adopted a more theatrical tone. “You see, a proper archer is what every professional woman needs.” She motioned down to the street below with a judgy smirk, shaking her head in mock disapproval. “All those girls will be down there walking home tomorrow morning parading the slap… not even knowing if they’re growing the vine… hmph” She giggled at her own commentary.

Juniper started to say something, “Yeah, I know…” but caught herself, trailing off awkwardly.

Alisha noticed the hesitation, raising an eyebrow knowingly, but Juniper quickly deflected. “Oh yeah, I’ve seen that.”

“Okay, Juni, I’m just looking out for my girl,” Alisha said warmly. “I know you were the one back in college who was sheltering their cookie, but maybe it would do you some good if you extended a limb too something more then the boolean.”

Juniper looked up at her friend, surprised by the directness.

“Take a shot at Daniel. You deserve this. You can’t have that proprietary box for much longer, you know?”

Juniper smiled, rolling her eyes affectionately. “Yeah, yeah, okay Alisha, I get it.”