“Hey, Lucy,” she says, her voice warm as she walks straight toward us.
Lucy laughs, already moving in to hug her. “I told you we were coming.”
“I’m so glad we’re doing this,” Eva says, pulling back, her chestnut brown eyes already zeroing in on me with a quick, curious sweep. “And you must be Vivian.”
“I am. This is for you.” I hand her the bottle of wine I’ve been clutching.
Eva grins, taking it from me. “Love this one. Thank you.”
“Nice to finally meet you.”
“Same,” she says, her gaze flicking between us, amused. “I feel like I already know you. Lucy talks about you all the time.”
“Because I adore her,” Lucy laughs as she tosses her bag onto a chair. “Oh, Juliette was going to swing by, but she texted a little bit ago saying rain check. Something about swimming lessons with her son.”
“Then I’ll just have to arrange for another champagne toast on a different night when she can make it.” Eva winks and then disappears behind a curtain, only to appear a moment later with a bottle of bubbles in one hand and three stemmed flutes in the other. “Champers, anyone?”
“Always,” Lucy says, already reaching for a glass.
Eva pours with an easy flick of her wrist, handing one glass to Lucy before turning to me.
“For the inaugural happy hour,” she says, offering it over with a small, knowing smile.
I take it, the gesture simple but intentional enough to light up something in me. Like I’ve been folded into something that already exists. The three of us drift into place—Lucy claiming her spot on an old leather couch in the corner, Eva leaning back against the counter, and me resting on the other side of the counter from Eva.
I take a small sip, buying myself a second I probably won’t get to keep.
“Okay,” Lucy says, turning toward me immediately. “So, I’ve joined a new lunch-only dating app as of Monday and I still don’t have any hits.”
Eva, who was mid-sip, spits out her champagne. “What?”
“I know. Talk about feeling low. Like not even lunch, guys? Come on.” She turns and looks at me. “Rapid fire. How was your week?”
Lucy is the kind of woman who takes over. I usually can get on board, but I am not prepared right now. “My week? What?”
“Your week,” she says. “Come on, decompress with me and make me feel better.”
Eva’s mouth curves as she watches us, clearly entertained. “Oh, I’m really starting to like girls’ night already.”
“My week was not that interesting,” I say.
“That’s never true when someone says it like that,” Eva replies.
Lucy points at me. “Exactly. Start talking.”
I exhale, already knowing I’m not getting out of this. “Well, I had a bride come in for her wedding band fitting.”
“Cute,” Eva says.
“Very normal,” Lucy adds. “So far. Is the bride someone we’d know?”
“It was Emma, actually, and yes it was quite normal,” I agree. “Until her brother tried on the ring.”
Lucy pauses mid-sip. “Ty did what?”
“Tried it on,” I repeat. “And then it got stuck.”
Eva’s eyes widen. “No.”
