“My day kind of sucked.” Ivy put her head on the table.
“You need days that don’t suck. What’s going on?”
Ivy sighed. She didn’t want to get into it, but Emery’s dark eyes filled with concern, and Ivy knew she could trust her friend.
“I got a job offer,” Ivy mumbled on her arm.
“Ivy! That’s great.” Emery clutched her arm.
“It’s with Quest Media, for theirSpeak Darklyshow, where they talk about sex. I got a job as a co-host of a sex show.” Ivy giggled.
“Wow. Are you going to take it?” Emery grinned.
“I said yes, but I’m having second thoughts. Gabe doesn’t like it.”
“Does he have to?” Emery raised her eyebrows.
“I don’t know.” Her head buzzed a little from the alcohol, and she twisted in her chair. “I’d like him to be supportive of me. Maybe the time apart was better as much as it sucked.”
“You and Gabe have been together forever. Can you imagine your life without him?”
“I mean, we spent months apart,” Ivy said. She missed Gabe every day they weren’t together. Her heart had been broken. And even though she had been back living with him in their home, the distance between them felt too wide to cross. Except for when they were having sex.
“I don’t know if things can get back to normal.” Ivy smiled at the server as she placed the appetizers down in front of her, with plates and cutlery and a fresh drink.
“Maybe it can be better,” Emery said. “Because both of you know what you want?”
“I don’t know.” Ivy shook her head and dipped a spring roll. She had hoped some of his anger had simmered, and she had hoped he had found contentment in working with Axis Management.
“Let me rephrase it a different way. When you weren’t with Gabe, did anything positive happen?”
“Emery, you know how my life was. I was struggling to get by and crashing with your brother.” Ivy picked up a nacho chip, crunching it. She shook her head, trying to wave away the self-realization.
“But?” Emery pressed.
“I realized how good I am at what I do. I know I had only one client, and that ended terribly, but I didn’t put myself out there as much as I could have. I found I like watching movies on the couch on Sundays, and I love going to see live theatre by myself. I love rollerblading. And I wish he was supportive of my work and small things, like going to see my family.”
“Did you tell him all this?”
“No. I’m almost afraid to talk to him. He’ll take it too personally if I say anything, or he’ll just explode.” Ivy bit her lip.
“He isn’t a mind reader. Maybe he didn’t think you needed support with your parents because your family is so normal.”
“It is not!” Ivy said.
“Please. Your parents have been together since the dawn of time. You guys took a vacation every year.”
“So?” Ivy sipped her drink.
“That’s not how a lot of us grew up. Your parents never tried to stop you from doing something you wanted to do.”
“Okay. I know, they’re great. I suck for not going home.” Ivy whipped out her cellphone and texted Alice.
Going home for my mom’s birthday.
“Good.” Emery smiled.
“Now I have a date.” Emery slid off the barstool and patted Ivy’s shoulder. “Hang in there. And if you need it, I have a couch.”
