“Oh my gosh, did you see how she looked at him? Makes me sick,” one girl said.
“Noah could do so much better than her, Josie. I mean, what a step down, girl,” another said in a high-pitched voice. “And where did she get that dress, the thrift store?”
Dahlia gasped as she pulled up her thong. The thud of her heart could be heard in her throat. They were talking abouther. She froze, not knowing what to do. She could walk out and ignore them. Hide until they left, or walk out and own it.
“No, but the worst part is she’s old. Jake said she’s like fifteen years older,” another girl said with a condescending tone.
“How embarrassing. I’m just glad he can’t humiliate me anymore with his sad family story and now this. Bye-bye, lover, this bitch has some real men to slay.”
Ugh, Dahlia wanted to scream. Fifteen years older, exaggerate much? Dahlia could feel the rage travel to her cheeks. She took a lungful of bathroom air and remembered her earlier conversation with Kara. “Remember, you’re Dahlia Fucking Newberry. She’s a baby who needs a bottle, and you’re a woman with wit, perspective, and beauty. She’s got nothing on you.” As much as she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, she didn’t. She couldn’t. The unkind words hurt Dahlia, but she was more annoyed by the mean girl behavior. Dahlia never let the girls in Daisy’s grade get away withit, and nor would she tonight. She was in protective mama bear mode, this time standing up for herself.
She opened the stall door and walked in slow motion to the sink. On the outside, she was poised, but on the inside, she was a storm churning.
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“Do you all feel better?” she said, glancing at the women. “You do know you’re all going to age, right? Every single one of you. Like death and taxes, there’s no way around it,” Dahlia said, calmly wiping her hands. “And I may have a few more wrinkles than you do, but it’s a small price to pay for humility and grace.” Dahlia turned to Josie, staring right into her hollow blue eyes. “I have to say I was a little nervous that you’d be prettier in person, but honestly, mean people aren’t pretty. So thanks for that.” And with that, she threw her paper towel in the garbage and shoved open the door with both hands.
Who was that version of herself? She wasn’t sure, but she freaking liked it. Who knew conflict could feel so damn good? First Spence, now Josie. It dawned on her that perhaps she’d projected some of her Spence anger onto Josie, but she also realized that Josie and Spence felt like one and the same. It was no wonder Dahlia and Noah had found one another. She smirked in satisfaction. It was as if she heard the song “Brave” playing in her head.
Dahlia held her shoulders back like she’d inherited a superpower and walked toward Noah.
“Hey. Everything good?”
“Yup, fine.” She smiled.
Noah looked past her down the hallway. “Was Josie in there with you? Did she bother you?” His nostrils flared.
“Noah, it’s okay.” She reached for his forearm. “I don’t care. She could say anything to me, and it would bounce right off. Herenergy is that dirty.” Dahlia didn’t know where her nerve and confidence were coming from, but she wasn’t going to question it.
“I know it is.” He gripped her hand like she was being dragged to sea. “Do you want to leave?”
This was her chance to go home with him and sit by the fire pit or do other adult things.Did she?
“No, this is your night.” She refused to be scared off. She was bigger than that.
He looked into her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent. Plus, if it gets rowdy again, I’ve got my boxing gloves in the car.”
“Evander Holyfield, watch out.” He chuckled. “Oh, Penny, my producer friend is here. You can meet her if you still want to. It’s up to you.”
Dahlia hesitated, feeling stronger than she had an hour ago. “Yes, I’d love to chat with her. Who knows, maybe she’ll be able to track this G person down.” However, she did wonder if hewantedto be tracked down, especially if he was famous.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
July 19
Three days had passed since the run-in with Noah’s ex in the bathroom. Dahlia felt as if she was floating on air. Not only was it Noah’s twenty-ninth birthday—closing the gap between their ages just a bit—but he also slept over every night, closing the gap between them in bed. Aside from a few trips to the island, the two of them were joined at the hip—and other places too. It was like the universe was telling her to trust in things again. Things, meaning Noah. Their relationship was moving fast, but she liked the feeling of being swept away. It meant she was still very much alive inside.
Dahlia sat motionless at the kitchen table. She scanned the paperwork for the gallery, feeling her armpits sweat. Did she want to do this? Once she did, there was no turning back. She liked Noah; that was clear. But making another life decision around a man wasn’t what she’d had in mind when she left her old life behind in Greenwich. Dahlia bounced her foot under the table,feeling a tightening in her chest. She thought about all the years she had been home with Daisy and how long her career had been at a standstill. Being her mom, there were no regrets, but she’d also known standing on her own two feet was her only chance to leave Spence. She’d worked hard to move up at MoMA, placating both her male and female bosses. All for the sake of her soul and independence.
She sipped her coffee and stared at the screen. She let out a huff and leaned back in the chair. Dahlia tried to imagine what it would be like if she were in Charleston and he were in New York. Would they go back and forth on weekends? Would he even want that? They didn’t even have a label. How could she decide when she didn’t know what they were? Her mind played ping-pong. What if things changed after the summer? And then there was the matter of Daisy. A knot formed in her stomach. Tomorrow, she would tell him. He trusted her, and she was not going to break that trust. She just hoped he’d understand why she had waited so long to tell him. Why did she wait so long? She didn’t even know anymore. It seemed so insignificant now.
The new position and Daisy could wait one more day. Dahlia closed her laptop with an easy assurance that it was the right thing. As if on cue, her phone buzzed. It was Noah.A smile graced her lips, unraveling the knot in her stomach and easing into light flutters.
I can’t stop thinking about poker last night. you were
Heat engulfed her body, and she eagerly sat forward. She was glad she’d suggested playing strip poker and crossing off bucket list number nine.It was definitely the hottest night of her life.
