He grabs a macaron. “I knew you'd come up with something.”
A few minutes later, I leave Keegan's and head back to the Prescott Towers garage to pick up my car.
I try not to think about how vague I was about the presentation and the idea I came up with. I can't really explain why I didn't tell him about Teresa needing time off and that I'll have to give the big presentation myself. Partly, his news just seemed bigger, and I didn't want to make tonight all about me. Partly, I didn't want to have to describe the idea that I will ultimately pitch.
Mostly, I think I'm still just disconcerted by him kissing me in the hall.
Because wowza ... that knocked my socks off. And it was justso not what I needed today. Today I needed familiarity and normality. Instead, I got an earth-axis-tilting kiss from my best friend. Which he gave me only so that his neighbor would leave him be.
The bad news is, now that I'm thinking it through, this event on Saturday is exactly the kind of thing Selah would also go to. Which means Keegan wasn't being wholly honest when he invited me.
Yes, he wants me there to act as a barrier between him and his family. I know enough sustainability and ecology buzz words to hold my own with even the most adamant environmentalist. I will also be a layer of protection to scare off the Selahs of the world. Which means there will be more fake canoodling in my future.
Suddenly, the presentation I have to give on Monday isn't the most terrifying thing in my future.
It's not until I'm nearly asleep that I remember that, for once, Selah didn't bless my heart. Which is ironic, because I have the sinking feeling that, after today's kiss, my heart might actually be in danger.
chapterseven
By the timeI wake up Tuesday morning, I'm second guessing myself. About everything, basically. Why did I agree to do the presentation? Why did I agree to attend the gala with Keegan?
And I already have messages from Teresa asking for updates. I am tempted to chunk my phone across the room and go back to bed, but I put on my big girl panties and force myself out of bed. I drag myself off to the shower and start my coffee. Then I add an extra glug of heavy cream to my coffee. If I'm going to face today, I need to minimize the acidity in my stomach. And reinforcements.
I open up a new text chain between myself, Reb, and my dear friend Thea. I met Thea Jones years ago while volunteering for Austin Creative Reuse, a charity that accepts donations for used art supplies and resells them to fund art projects in local schools.
Thea was an it girl and model turned actress in the 70s. At some point in the 80s, she went from famous to infamous to obscure trivia-question-answer. At least, that’s my impression based on my mom’s reaction of salacious yet judgy disdain when I mentioned that I knew her. I did only the shallowest dive on Google after my mom’s response, then quickly backed out of it when I saw how deep a rabbit hole it was. By that point, I already knew and respected Thea. The way I see it, friends don’t read friends’ bad press.
Basically, Thea has a past. And if she wanted me to know the details, she’d tell me herself. She tells a lot of stories about Hollywood, but very few about her own life. She has a story about everyone who's anyone, and her stories are too entertaining for me to care if they're true. Even more astonishingly, she's one of those people who can tell an outrageous story and still make everyone involved seem like a decent human being. But as far as I know, she’s not close to anyone from that time in her life. Despite that, she seems at peace just being quietly fantastic.
In short, she's my icon. Both Reb and Thea have epic levels of self-confidence. If I'm going to rock this presentation to Butler and earn my own team, I need their advice.
Yesterday's pitch for the Butlers Steam Vac ad went great. But they want me to give the pitch to Butler myself.
Reb
You got this!
Thea
Congratulations, my dear!
I need help! Any chance y'all are free for an emergency summit over lunch?
Thea
Absolutely. Just tell me where and when.
Reb
Definitely. Especially if we can go to HO. I've been craving their fried cheese taco.
I was thinking of that salad place in the building.
Reb
??
Reb
