“Hold that thought, stud,” Samara said, laughing a little.
“Yeah, for real. If you could pretend like you like each other but aren’t about to tear clothes off in this lobby, I’d really appreciate it,” Kyla said.
“But wouldn’t the other way around sell more tickets?” Dana asked.
“I can’t believe I just walked a red carpet,” Lainey said as she approached them, holding on to Paige’s hand.
“Me neither. I’m not really cut out for this. Someonetried to ask me a question about the movie, and I told them I coached college soccer.” Paige shrugged.
Dana looked down at their joined hands with the rings on them and smiled. Lainey and Paige had gotten married on their original date. Her sister had been stubborn and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She had walked the aisle with a small limp, but it had probably only been noticeable to those who had known about the car accident and the amount of physical therapy Lainey had had to go to in order to get it there. The limp was gone now, eight months later, and Dana had never seen her sister look happier. Due to the medical bills and the need to focus on getting healthy before taking their trip, they had postponed their honeymoon and their adoption plans, but they would be leaving on a cruise at the start of the new year. After that, Dana guessed, they’d start planning to bring a child into their family, too.
Lainey’s job had been going well. After two consecutive winning seasons and what appeared to others to be a knack for recruiting, she had been offered a job at Tulane in New Orleans, and she would start as an assistant coach after returning from her honeymoon. With Paige in Baton Rouge, they had gotten lucky: the house they had bought had been a little outside of the city and in that direction, with Paige’s commute every day, but they both seemed so happy.
“Mom and Dad are already inside,” Lainey said. “I think Dad was taking pictures of you on Mom’s phone as you went down the carpet.” She laughed.
“The hundreds of them being taken by the actual press photographers wouldn’t be good enough?” Dana asked.
“They’re proud of you,” Samara told her. “So am I, by the way. You were a total pro out there.”
“We rehearsed how to answer the questions,” she said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Samara replied. “You can rehearse all you want, but some people still crumble when the reality of it all sets in. You didn’t.” She then leaned in and whispered, “You were made for this.”
Dana did let a small smile escape at that.
“Okay. What do we do now?” Maisie asked when she walked up with India, Finley, and Molly right behind them.
“Go inside and wait for the movie to start. Or, there are drinks and apps,” Kyla said and looked down at her phone. “Samara, where do you want your food?”
“Um… It can wait,” Samara said, and when Kyla looked at her, surprised, she added, “I’m okay.”
“Okay. I’ll get you some water, then. Dana?”
“Yes, please,” she replied.
“This is really cool,” Finley noted. “I’ve never been to a movie premiere.”
“You guys can get whatever at the bar, if you want,” Samara said.
“I kind of wish Candace were bartending. She makes the best drinks,” India spoke.
“She is,” Dana replied, nodding to the bar in the lobby. “She’s got a few signature cocktails that she mixed up just for this. Keith is back there, too. They’re doing this to rep their bar and get some more business there. Pretty cool, huh?”
Candace and Keith had actually gotten married about two months ago. Dana hadn’t been in town for it, but she also hadn’t expected an invitation. Candace was a friend, but they weren’t exactly close because Dana had moved to LA in May after Lainey and Paige’s wedding and after Samara had gotten done in Vancouver. Samara had then taken a break for a few months to read scripts before signing on for anything else, while Dana had rented a cheap apartment about thirty minutes from her place and started auditioning.
India and Maisie had moved in together at the beginning of the year, after getting back from their annual ski trip, and from what Dana understood, they were about to go on their third, and India had a certain question she was going to ask Maisie this time around because Lainey had let it slip to her that India had asked her to go ring-shopping with her to help pick something out that Maisie would love.
Chapter& Versewas still doing great, and the connection between Southern Roastery and the bookshop seemedto bring in more locals, while the shop’s deals with various tourism companies brought in the tourists.
Finley and Molly both still worked at the coffee company. Molly had been promoted recently, from what Dana had heard, and she had her own office now. Finley seemed to like doing what she was doing, and they lived together, too, with the two of them saving up money to buy a house soon.
“Congrats, you two. This is awesome,” Gwen spoke as she walked up to them with Juliet at her side and Elisa and Myra standing next to them.
“Thanks,” Samara replied.
Dana could tell Samara was doing okay, but the temperature and requesting her food for later, rather than now, when she obviously wanted it, was making her look a little tired and annoyed. Dana knew both of those expressions well now. She cupped Samara’s cheek, and Samara leaned into the touch, offering Dana an appreciative smile. They’d been together for a year and were about to move in together. Since Dana’s apartment was a drive in LA traffic, she hadn’t spent all that much time there, and when she’d started bringing up the topic of her lease to Samara, which had been for a year, Samara had told her not to renew and just to move in already.
Juliet and Gwen already lived together and were in the process of buying a house. Dana was pretty sure one ofthemwas about to propose, too. She’d heard through the friend grapevine that they’d both planned on doing it and had acquired rings. Elisa and Myra were living together in Elisa’s house, which Myra was always redoing or adding on to, but they hardly talked about themselves when everyone got together. It was usually the kids who took top billing. Archie, Elisa’s son, had transferred to a better soccer school and was dating a girl whom Elisa said he was very happy with and whom Elisa liked as well. Adele, Elisa’s daughter and Archie’s twin sister, was already engaged to her fiancée, Wendy.Thathad come as a shock to Elisa and Myra, but they seemed to be okay with it. The girls weren’t getting married until after they graduated from college and got jobs, so that seemed likea good compromise for everyone.
