“James from the gym,” I said, feeling my cheeks warm. “We went hiking at Radnor Lake last weekend.”
“And?” they both demanded in unison.
“And he was nice. Good conversation, very fit.” I smiled. “But Vaughn texted yesterday asking if I wanted to come to his gig this Friday, and I said yes.”
“Ooooh, Vaughn.” Emma wiggled her eyebrows. “The hot musician. You’ve been seeing him the most.”
“We’ve been on, what, four dates?” I counted in my head. “Five if you count the night we met.”
“That’s basically a relationship in Nashville dating years,” Sarah teased. “So tell us. On a scale of one to ten, how good is the chemistry?”
I felt heat rise in my face. “Let’s just say... it’s been a while since I felt this kind of attraction to someone.”
“YES!” Emma practically shouted, drawing looks from nearby tables. “Sorry, but FINALLY. When you first showed up at that networking event all those months ago, you looked like you’d been through hell. Now look at you—glowing, confident, going on dates with a multitude of men. You’re like a different person.”
“I feel like a different person,” I admitted. It was true. The woman who’d fled Millfield felt like a stranger now. “I’m remembering what it’s like to just... enjoy myself. No drama, no complications, just having fun.”
“To Indira’s FAFO era,” Sarah raised her glass.
“To fresh starts,” Emma added.
“To living,” I said, thinking about my conversation with Vaughn that first night.
We clinked glasses, and I realized with startling clarity that I meant it. I wasn’t recovering from Dutch anymore—I was actively building a life that had nothing to do with him. The dates, the friends, the career success, the confidence I felt when Vaughn looked at me like I was the most interesting woman in the room...
None of it was about Dutch. All of it was about me choosing to be happy.
“So when do we get to properly hang out with Vaughn?” Emma asked. “Because if you’re seeing him Friday, that’s date number six. That’s definitely double-date with friends territory.”
“Maybe,” I said, but I was smiling. “Let me see how Friday goes first.”
“Fair,” Sarah said. “But for the record, we already looked him up on Instagram and he’s gorgeous. Also, his band’s music is actually really good.”
“You stalked him?!” I laughed, then paused. “Wait. You introduced me to him. Why would you need to stalk him if you already knew him?”
Emma and Sarah exchanged a guilty look.
“Okay, so...” Emma winced. “We didn’t actuallyknowhim. We just saw him setting up with the band and thought he was hot. Sarah dared me to go talk to him.”
“You set me up with a complete stranger based entirely on his looks?”
“In our defense,” Sarah said, “he hadreallygood looks. And he seemed nice when Emma chatted him up for like thirty seconds.”
“We figured one of two things would happen,” Emma added. “Either you’d hit it off and go home together for some much-needed stress relief, or you wouldn’t click and no harm done. We weren’t exactly expecting you to startdatingdating him.”
“You thought I’d have a one-night stand with a random musician?”
“We hoped!” Sarah said cheerfully. “You needed to get laid. We were being good friends. Best way to get over someone is to get under someone, right?”
I stared at them both for a moment, then burst out laughing. “You two are ridiculous.” I shook my head. “And for the record, I haven’t been under or on top of anyone.”
Though I’d definitely thought about what it would feel like to be under Vaughn. More than once, actually. The way his hands moved on his guitar, confident and precise—I’d caught myself wondering how they’d feel on me. And when he’d kissed me goodnight after our last date, that gentle pressure with the promise of heat underneath, I’d gone home and spent an embarrassing amount of time imagining what might have happened if I’d invited him inside.
“Ridiculous but effective,” Emma pointed out. “Look how happy you are. You’re welcome.”
“So the stalking,” Sarah continued, “happenedafterwe realized this might actually be a thing. We had to vet himproperly since we’d essentially thrown you at a stranger. And based on our research, we approve. He seems like a genuinely good guy who’s actually interested in you, not just looking for a hookup.”
“Unlike David,” Sarah muttered.
