“I told you I didn’t believe what it said, not that I didn’t read it.” She unfurls her cloth napkin and cloaks her lap with it.
Julia opens to the homepage of Celeb.com and is skimming the humiliating highlights. If she didn’t know what we were talking about before, she’s filled in now. When she finally looks up, she’s smirking at me.
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m just trying to connect the dots. Sometimes I don’t know which one to start with.”
I’ll give her which one to start with.
“Everett needed my help, so I canceled on Joe.”
The prompt arrival of three beverages steals the attention from that sentence.
“You have impressive timing,” Emma jokes with our waitress.
“Isn’t that my job? Interrupting a juicy conversation?” She arches her back with her laugh.
“Good thing we’re just getting started.” Julia elbows me in the ribcage.
I’d be panicking a little more if my friends weren’t adorning big grins. A sign that they’re enjoying our night out, even if it’s at my expense. Mission accomplished.
Maria plunks a margarita on each coaster. “Well, let me get right to the point and I’ll be out of your hair. Drinks look good?”
Julia takes thefirst sip. “Amazing!”
“Perfect. Can I get some appetizers started for you? Or are we ready to order dinner?”
“Uh… I think we might need another minute,” I pipe in, having yet to open my menu. Which wouldn’t be a problem if deciding what to eat at a restaurant for me wasn’t akin to making everyone in the world agree on something.
“No problem. I’ll be back.”
Our waitress makes herself scarce, but instead of studying the options in front of me, I launch back into our conversation.
“I’m looking for advice here, ladies. What am I supposed to do? Is it crazy to move in with someone for three weeks?”
I thought the paycheck I received earlier would be my excuse not to move in. A chance to experience living on my own now that I have the means to do so. Why am I still hesitating?
Julia squeezes the wheel of her lime over her glass. Coarse salt falls from the rim as she samples her drink. “You don’t need our advice, Sum.”
“I’m afraid I’ll repeat the same mistakes. I don’t want to rely on another man to take care of me.”
“That’s not what’s happening here,” Emma steps in. “It’s three weeks. And Everett is relying onyouto help with Quinn. Not the other way around.”
“But what if…” My words burrow beneath a mountain of shame. The number of jobs I’ve accepted surpasses the fingers on my hands. Every one of them has ended in failure. Who’s to say this time will be any different? Especially when the stakes are tied to my solo livelihood. There’s no room for error. An insurmountable pressure to swim. If I sink and screw this up, I can say goodbye to both jobs.
Julia reaches for my hand and rearranges the words I was going to say. Fills them in with ones I need to hear. “But what if it works out?”
She’s not asking, she’s telling me to picture that version of my life. One where I have two successful jobs that I’m loving.
“That!” Emma points at my smile. It’s the first time I’ve heard her shout or get excited about anything. “Right there… that’s your answer!”
Julia gives my hand a squeeze. “See. Don’t let Brian steal your joy anymore, okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod. She’s right. I’ve submitted to him for as long as I can remember. Choosing to follow my heart and trust in a situation that’s making me happy feels like a step in the right direction to taking that power back.
“What about you and Henry though?”
It’s the only worry left that’s keeping me from jumping into this. Julia’s learned to rely on me while I’ve been living with her. I can’t leave her high and dry.
