“I’ll ask around,” I offered. “I’ve got a few friends in Anchorage who work in the restaurant scene.”
Tish got pulled away into a conversation with some arriving guests. Meanwhile, Kincaid and I wandered over to stand near one of the cocktail tables lining the edges of the room. The silent auction for artwork was in full swing now, with bidding moving along at a good clip. All of the works were from Alaskan artists, which made the event even more special.
One of those artists, Jasmine, stopped beside us. She was glowing with her hair spun in a loose knot and her smile warm and bright.
“Tori, I keep meaning to find you when you’re not working,” she said.
“Well, good news,” I replied, gesturing to my skirt paired with a silk blouse and heels. “I’m officially off the clock.”
“You two know each other, I presume?” Kincaid asked, amusement lacing in his voice.
Jasmine grinned, just as her husband Donovan, also a firefighter, strolled over and rested a hand on her shoulder.
“Good to see you. Are you up to speed yet?” Donovan said to Kincaid, eyes crinkling with a smile.
“Up to speed?” Jasmine asked, peering up at him.
“Getting to know everyone here,” he said. “Small-town living’s a whole different beast when it’s new. It’s like everyone else went to the same school, has the same stories, and you’re just trying to figure out who all the characters are.”
“Jasmine was a few years ahead of me in school,” I added. “So we didn’t overlap too much when we were younger.”
She shrugged. “I’m just glad you’re back. Speaking of, have you come to card night yet?” she asked.
I blinked. “Um, when is it next?”
Before she could answer, Luna and Casey appeared, each with drinks in hand.
“Even I know when card night is,” Casey said, nudging my arm. “Tori, you have to come.”
“I do?”
“Yes,” Casey said with a firm nod.
For a flash, a lingering and familiar uncertainty flickered inside. I’d been in high school when my family’s drama exploded. It had deeply affected me, in the sense of feeling like I wanted to hide from everyone. I couldn’t help but remember those moments when I was just trying to find my place in the midst of the mess. I’d felt as if I was always on the outer edges of things, just trying to keep my head low and out of anyone’s attention. As a result, I mostly avoided social events.
It hadn’t helped that my former friend—Shelly’s daughter—had been one of the more popular girls. She developed a talent for sweet exclusion, always managing to make it clear I wasn’t quite welcome.
When the gossip exploded all those years ago, I remember feeling as if I were a piñata. The one being smacked over and over in someone else’s celebration—bits of my life flying everywhere while people gathered to collect whatever pieces they could and gossip about them later.
None of it felt good, no matter how juicy and saccharine sweet the gossip about my family had been. Now, with everyone smiling and chatting all around, I felt unsettled and uncertain. Maybe it was just me trying to find my footing in a place that was once home, that I’d left feeling cast out.
Tonight, I was on a date—with Kincaid. Someone who made me feel like I wasn’t a piñata anymore. That maybe I could start anew, blaze a fresh trail in my life.
“It’s at Lucy and Levi’s place,” Jasmine was saying. “He has a new hamster.”
“A hamster?” A laugh sputtered out of me.
“I know, right? My husband has a pet hamster. He had one named Ham for years,” Lucy chimed in, appearing at Jasmine’s side with a bemused grin.
“Out of curiosity, how long do hamsters live?” Jasmine asked.
“About three years,” Lucy replied. “So, yeah, Ham passed. There was even a funeral.”
Kincaid carefully schooled his expression to neutral. “A funeral for a pet hamster?” he asked.
Lucy was tiny, almost fairy-like, with her long blond hair and petite size. I glanced between her and Jasmine and back to Kincaid. Lucy shrugged. “Yup, for a hamster. Anyway, please come,” she added. “We’re working on letting the new hamster run loose in the house. Ham was unusual in that regard. Tomorrow night, around six?”
“Should I pick you up?” Casey asked, looking at me hopefully.
