I nod, swallowing a bite of my waffle. “Which is totally understandable. Not everyone moves at the same pace, and just because you’re dating doesn’t mean you have to give up your freedom before you’re ready to.”
“But if you’re not dating with the goal of marriage, then what’s the point?” Neve adds, pointing her fork at Blue. “I mean, you have always told me that if you’re not moving forward, you’re just moving backwards. That if you’re not one hundred percent convinced or invested, jump ship and don’t waste your time on something that clearly wasn’t meant to be.”
“Well, damn.” Blue whistles before laughing. “I really am a wise one, aren’t I?”
I roll my eyes, taking another bite of my food. Neve continues to study my best friend, a dubious expression on her face. “I feel like there’s something you’re not telling us.”
I look up at that, looking at my sister before setting my eyes on Blue. There is a furrow in her brow, the sun kissing the left side of her face. I study her for a moment, feeling a little deterred that, for once, I can’t seem to figure out what she is thinking.
“He met my stepdad the other day,” she tells us, a sadness lacing her voice. “It didn’t go well.”
“That’s tough,” Neve replies. “I don’t know what I would do if my dad didn’t approve of someone I was with.”
I nod, agreeing with her before looking back at Blue. “Why didn’t it go well? The why might help me figure out if it’s something you need to be worried about. I mean, I love Jeff, but I know how he can be.”
“Honestly, I don’t know the details.” Blue lets out an exasperated sigh, letting her fork fall to her plate as she falls back against her chair. “All I know is he, and I quote, ‘wasn’t thrilled with RJ’, and ‘thinks I should look elsewhere’.”
“Take that with a grain of salt,” I respond instantly, and Neve nods her head in agreement. “If Jeff can’t tell you straight up, don’t stress about it. RJ may have his quirks—I mean, who doesn’t? But you two are good together. I think you’re just looking for an excuse.”
Blue groans and puts her head in her hands, her elbows resting on the table. “Can we not dwell on the ups and downs of my relationship and just enjoy brunch?”
“Oh, come on, Blue’s Clues.” Neve teases her, a light, uplifting tone to her voice that helps break through the palpable tension. “Isn’t this what hangover brunch is all about? Talking about the turmoil that led to said hangover brunch?”
“I’m not in the mood for you to make sense, Evie.” Blue tries to act annoyed, but a smile tugs at her lips.
Neve takes a bite of her food, finishing her crepes, before she turns her attention back to me. “You know, if I don’t get this job, I could always come work for you.”
“You know I don’t actually own the company, right?’ I wipe at my mouth with my napkin before tossing it onto my now empty plate. “I have a boss.”
“Well, yeah, obviously I know that.” Neve rolls her eyes as the server comes over and drops the check on the table. I quickly grab it before Blue can, reaching into my purse for my wallet and placing my card inside the billfold. “But with how well you’ve been doing, I can be your assistant. Come on, I’m your sister. It’s almost a given that I’d be as good as you, if not better.”
I hold the billfold out to the server as she circles back. “You’re so humble. Some would call you overconfident and cocky.”
“And I wonder who on earth I could have possibly gotten that from.” Neve folds her arms in front of herself. “Besides, I did technically set you up with Travis, didn’t I?”
“If that’s your selling point, we need to talk,” Blue says. “Not exactly something to be boasting about there, Evie.”
I shake my head as the server returns one last time, setting the check in front of me along with a pen. I open my wallet and put my card back inside as I say, “You get that cockiness from dad, not me. If I got it from him, that means you did, too.”
“At least I got my spunk from mom.” Neve says it without a second thought, causing me to hesitate mid-signature. I swallow the sadness that creeps up on me, looking at her from under my lashes.
“That you did, Neve. That you did.”
Once the check is signed, the three of us make our way out of the restaurant and onto the slightly busy New York streets. Neve loops her arm through mine as we walk, Blue on my other side. The sun is beating down on our faces, yet the chill bites at our skin, the early November air seeping through my jacket.
The three of us hastily walk back toward my apartment, weaving our way in and out of the crowds of people. It takes about twenty minutes before my place comes into view and I hear Neve release a sigh of relief.
“Thank god,” she breathes out, quickening her pace so she is practically jogging as she drags me with her. Blue laughs butonly walks slightly faster, her five-foot-ten height giving her the advantage of long legs. “I can’t feel my nose. Why is it so cold? I swear it wasn’t this cold at this time last year.”
“I think we say that every single year,” I point out, which earns me a grunt of disapproval.
We make our way into my building and Neve immediately pulls her arm out of mine to rub her hands together. Blue watches my sister with an amused expression as I fish for my keys, trying to find them in my cluttered purse. Before I can, however, I see a familiar little face staring up at me through the other side of the glass door as she pulls it open.
“Hey, Mom,” Claire greets, smiling up at me with an excited gleam in her eye—the one she always wears when Grandpa gets her something I normally say no to. “How was brunch?”
“What did you talk him into this time?” I ignore her question as I stare down at her with narrowed eyes.
Claire giggles, her smile growing tenfold as she dramatically shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
