The one positive to come out of this is that Leo and Nat are finally able to be together, and I shed tears of joy at their recent wedding. I am so happy for my friend. She literally glows with love, and the way they look at one another is a thing of beauty.
One day, I want that to be me.
“I know things are shit right now, but the timing will never be perfect.” Sierra props one hip against the counter, absently running her hands over her pronounced bump. She had her five-month checkup recently, and it’s like her stomach mushroomed overnight. There is no mistaking she is pregnant now, and Ben is terrified that shit is about to hit the fan, and he won’t be able to protect her. “Have you considered Alesso might need this? Might need you?”
“He isn’t giving those vibes.”
“Because he is used to dealing withmafiososhit by himself. He probably doesn’t even realize it himself.”
“I want to be there for him,” I say, resuming chopping up fruit for my salad. “He has been a rock for me this past year, and I want to be that for him too. Perhaps you are right.” Steely resolve flows through my veins as I smile at my sister. “It’s time I talked to him.”
* * *
“I hate the cooler weather,” Chelsea says, pulling up the collar of her Burberry coat and visibly shivering. “I’m so freaking cold.”
“Spoken like a true Texan,” I tease as we walk to the small restaurant in Union Square. It’s only a few blocks from the NYU School of Professional Studies, where our classes take place. Nat is continuing her prehealth studies on the campus at Washington Square, which isn’t too far away, so we have met for lunch a couple times.
Behind us, Fabrizio trails me discreetly. Chelsea has noticed him, and when she asked, I told her my husband was a powerful man with lots of enemies and I have a bodyguard for my peace of mind. She didn’t pry further, seeming to accept my explanation.
“It doesn’t matter that I have lived in New York over seventeen years, I still miss the Texas weather,” my friend admits. Ironically, Chelsea wed at twenty-three too, but unlike me, her twelve-year marriage to her husband has been a happy one. They met at NYU—she worked in the administration department and he was a business student—and it was love at first sight.
“Would you ever return?” I ask, pushing open the door to the restaurant.
She rubs her hands, smiling at the owner as he moves out from behind the counter to greet us. We discovered this place the same day we discovered we were the only two mature students in the HR program, and we come here most every day now. They make the most delicious salads, wraps, and pasta.
“If it isn’t my two favorite ladies,” Peter says, beaming at us as he escorts us to our usual table in the corner. He sets two menus down with a flourish before holding out our chairs.
“You are such a gentleman,” Chelsea says. “If I wasn’t already married, I would run away with you.”
“And if I wasn’t already secretly in love with someone, I might be tempted too,” I quip, grinning at the portly older man.
“Secretly is no good.” He waggles his finger at me. “You need to do something about that. A beautiful lady like you deserves lots of love in her life.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling her!”
Though I have only known Chelsea seven weeks, it feels like longer. We just clicked the instant we met and it’s only adding to my NYU experience. It’s been a long time since I was this happy or this fulfilled. The days fly by between college, the kids, and the work I do for Sierra. The cherry on top would be having Alesso in my life, and I know the only one who can make that happen is me.
“I’m planning to talk to Alesso tonight,” I tell my friend when Peter walks off with our orders.
“Yeah?” Her face lights up. “That’s great.” She reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “I’m rooting for you.”
“I’m rooting for me too.”
“How did you do on that talent management assignment?” she asks, smiling as the waitress brings my pumpkin spice latte and her cappuccino.
I can’t keep the grin off my face. “I got an A.”
“Way to go, babe.” She dumps a shit ton of sugar into her coffee. “I was pleased with my B though I know I could’ve done better if I’d had more time to work on it.”
I shoot her a sympathetic smile. “You only gave birth to the twins six months ago, and you have two other children who need you. I think it’s amazing you’re even here.”
“Well, it was part of the deal when Lucas wanted more kids. He knows I was waiting until Sophia and Jayden were old enough to enroll at NYU.”
“It’s great he has taken some time off work to help care for your children so you could study. More marriages should be like that.”
She stirs her coffee, staring out the window as she replies. “It helps he is his own boss.” Her husband runs his own highly successful food import-export business.
“Do you miss working there?” I ask because she told me she worked in the company for a few years after they got married before she popped out her first couple kids. It’s where her love affair with human resource management began, but she had had no formal training at that time.
