Gemma starts in on drink number two. “Sadie. You’re a millennial businesswoman. You’re supposed to care more about your employees than minimum wage and no health care. Should we even touch maternity leave yet?”
“Dude. It’s been six months, you gotta give me a little time.” I poke her in the arm with my unused straw. “Also, I can’t tell if you’re joking right now.”
“Yeah, are you actually thinking about looking for another job?” Harley shoots me a look like this is the first she’s hearing of it too.
Gemma shrugs. “I don’t know, honestly. I love teaching, I adore mystudents. Even when they’re hormonal assholes. But everything that happens outside of the classroom is just exhausting, you know?”
Harley pats her arm. “We know, Gem. Did something specific happen?”
“No. Just more of the same. I just keep waiting for things to get better, get easier, but it seems like every year is worse. Higher, more unrealistic expectations. Less support. Always less money.” She bites her lip. “It’s just a lot.”
“You’re doing the lord’s work, Gem. I would’ve killed twenty teenagers on the first day.” Signaling to the waiter, I order us all another round. At least one of us is going to really need it. And what kind of friend would I be if I left Gemma to drink alone in her time of need?
She gives me a sad smile. “They’re far and away the best part of my job.”
“Well, should Bridge and Blooms explode into celebrity florist status, I’ll happily offer you a job with double minimum wage.” I drain the dregs of margarita number one and move on to number two.
“And benefits.”
“Sheesh, you drive a hard bargain for someone who doesn’t even know if she wants the job or not.” I throw a chip at her. “But I suppose I can give you benefits too. Because I’m a giver.”
“Speaking of givers...” Harley raises one eyebrow at me, and I’m regretting ever teaching her how to perfect that move.
I raise one eyebrow right back. I’m not giving them an inch in this conversation. If they want the deets, they’re going to have to come right out and ask.
“You and Jack fucked yet?” Leave it to Gemma.
Pursing my lips, I hold back the sigh threatening to spill from deepwithin. “No, we have not fucked yet. As I’ve said many times, it’s not like that. Also, since when do we come right out and ask about fucking?”
“Um, when have we not done that?” Harley asks.
“Okay, you and Nick fucked yet?”
Harley swirls her straw around in her still-on-round-one margarita. “Obviously.”
Gemma covers her ears with her hands. “I don’t want to hear this.” A second later she drops them and leans closer to Harley. “Just kidding, I totally want to hear this.”
“How’d we go from Sadie and Jack to me and Nick?”
“There’s nothing happening between me and Jack, so it’s your turn.” I don’t mention how badly Iwantthere to be something to report between me and Jack. Since the night he gifted me with the studio, nothing much has changed. There have been a few more long looks and hand brushes and he sits closer to me on the couch now, but it’s still super G-rated all up in the brownstone.
Harley takes a long sip of her drink. “It’s good.”
“The margarita or the sex?” Gemma asks.
“Both.” Harley can’t hold back her grin, the cheeky minx.
I hold my glass in the air once again. “To Harley, out here proving you can have a good man and a good job, all at the same time.”
“Don’t forget good sex, lucky bitch.” Gemma bashes her glass against mine a little too hard.
I shoot her a look, but she’s gone back to drinking margarita number three. Harley nudges me under the table, and we exchange a glance. Gemma has had plenty of moments of career dissatisfaction since she started teaching, but never to the point where she mightwant to quit. Gemma is brilliant, and I have no doubt she could find success at any career she tried. But hopefully this is just a phase and she’ll find the joy in teaching once again.
“Now that I’ve passed my interrogation, I do actually want to know what’s going on with you and Jack.” Harley diverts attention away from Gemma’s career angst like the best best friend she is. She can always tell when we’ve hit our limit with sharing and need to move on to a new topic.
And, only because I love Gemma and want to help take her mind off her shitty job sitch, I give in. “Ugh. Fine. Still no fucking. What else do you want to know?”
“Any kissing at least?” Gemma perks up now that the conversation is back to titillating territory.
