“Oh, thank god. Capri. It’s me.”
“Collie?” Capri’s voice sounds panicked. “Where are you? Whose number is this?”
“Some rando at the airport,” I tell her, knowing she’ll freak out even more. “Don’t worry. I’m fine. Well, sort of.”
“Sort of? Collie. What’s going on?”
“Janet fired me.”
“No!” she gasps. “That bitch. I never did like her,” Capri mumbles, and I can’t help it, I smile with my full cheeks. That makes two of us.
“Yeah, no one did. But still. I loved my job.”
“I know you did. I’m sorry, Cols. There will be other jobs, though.”
She’s not wrong. But a part of me feels like I need a reset from the fitness industry. Even if it’s just a month-long break to re-examine what I want working to look like for memoving forward. I’ve been overworked for years and could use some time off. Covering conferences across the East Coast weekend after weekend is exhausting. Besides, having something stable and consistent has always been the dream.
Maybe this is my chance.
“Yeah, I guess. But get this…I got to the airport, only to find out my flight was canceled, pending rescheduling. So many things happened before and after that—an entertaining story for another day. I even got into it with a bartender over an espresso martini. Needless to say, today has been horse shit.”
“Jesus. I hope the martini was at least worth the trouble. You sound pretty calm despite everything clearly derailing.”
“Hardly. The fucking bartender sent me off the ledge,” I tell her. “The guy tried to tell me he didn’t have coffee. Like, dude…you literally just made an espresso martini.”
“Devastating,” Capri agrees with me.
“Someone gets it,” I shout in a whisper. “Anyway, that’s my day. Now, I’m trying to figure out what to do from here.”
Capri chuckles. “Just book another flight home, and we’ll stay up late chatting like the old days. You know I’m always here for you, Cols.”
God, I miss her.
“Capri, you don’t live in Timber Heights anymore. I have no reason to rush, especially now without a job. It won’t kill me to avoid going home a little while longer.”
Capri moved to Italy a few months ago with Jones, her fiancé, after falling in love over the summer and now carrying his child. Come to find out, Jones is from Timber Heights as well, at one point taking care of his mom three months out of the year. Capri’s decision to move with him to Italy was easy, and one I’m so happy she made for herself. Now, they’re engaged and visit every now and then, but it’s not the same.
I am, however, excited to see them marry in Timber Heights in January, despite my annoyance with the planning. I’m not a planner at all. I’m a fly by the seat of your pants kind of girl.
Keeps things exciting.
Yet, these new plans are not exciting in the slightest. Especially when I’m alone. I never travel alone, and if I do, I meet someone along the way to keep me company.
In more ways than one.
“Collie, you’ve always been a free bird. Actually, maybe a loose cannon is a better term, but I know what you mean. I get it,” she exhales. “As much as I love Italy, it’s definitely missing you, though. I know you know this, but…we do have an extra room…”
“Nope. Absolutely not.” Capri and Jones have offered up their guest room to me multiple times, and I’ve refused. Never. I’ll never invade my sister’s private life. After Capri’s first marriage ended in shambles, I never thought she’d allow herself to love again. Until Jones.
I won’t taint that for her by imposing on their upcoming marriage and the start of the family she’s always wanted.
“Okay. Well, you know the offer still stands,” Capri reminds me kindly. “So, what are you going to do now? Do you have a plan since you’re not coming home? You know how I feel about being unprepared. It gives me anxiety, and I’m pregnant. I can’t be worrying about my sister ending up as the next victim on my true crime podcast.”
“Trust me, babe. I tried to channel my inner Capri earlier and wound up even more pissed off. But honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve got a five-thousand-dollar check in my pocket waiting to be blown.”
“That mega bitch! She tried to pay you off!” Capri shouts.
“Sure did. A part of me wants nothing to do with her dirtydollars. But the other wants to say, ‘fuck you, Janet’ and spend all her gross money.”
