Askhole: Someone who continually asks for your advice, yet always does the opposite of what you told them to do.

 "So you're dating now?" A smile came to Sammie's face as she listened to Vada speak of Kevin. They had coffee at the same place where they met up occasionally. These days they had very little time to see each other, but they did text every day.

"I wouldn't go that far," Vada was being secretive, but Sammie felt certain that she liked the new instructor. She complained about the professor she worked for. Of course, she wasn't having to work with the professor who had got her hired. He'd moved on to Dallas and didn't take her with him. 

"I'm glad you're helping him," Sammie nodded. Friendship was the essence of any relationship, but she wouldn't dare say this to Vada since she was certain Vada felt Sammie was a newbie, even if she was married to Gabe.

"Have you seen Rico lately?" Vada said out of concern.

"No, not really," Sammie sighed. She'd been so busy with her own art projects and still helped out in the morning with the daycare. "I think Gabe has. He mentioned Rico came by the apartment a time or two."

"I wonder what's going on with him," Vada sounded let down as she sipped her Flat White.

"Maybe, his classes have gotten him studying," Sammie didn't know, but she hoped he was doing OK this first real semester at the university. "He works on Saturdays at the skating rink, but there's a lot he does at night at the University, too." 

Rico helped set up tables and chairs and took them down. It was manual labor, but he didn't seem to mind. 

"I guess that's why I don't see him," Vada seemed sad as if her pup was far too wayward. "I wish, he'd at least send me a text, to let me know."

Sammie could see Vada was still fond of him. She wondered if Rico felt the same. She'd never imagined him that way. She knew he still thought of Carmen. It seemed he worried about her the most, but not as much as he used, to.