I smile, though it feels a little wobbly. “I’ll come home when I feel like I’ve actually made something of myself.”
Lucy studies me for a second, then grins. “Or,” she says, “you could fake it ‘til you make it.”
I laugh. A proper laugh this time, and I begin to relax.
RAY
“Did you hear from Wynter?” Anika asks casually.
I knew I shouldn’t have opened my mouth this morning. She’s not letting this go now.
“No,” I reply. “Why would I? It’s her day off.”
“She rushed out of here after taking a call,” she says. “What if something’s wrong?”
“As long as she turns up to work tomorrow, I don’t care.”
Anika gives me a look. “You don’t mean that.” I don’t respond. “She’s really embarrassed about last night,” she adds.
I narrow my eyes slightly, the memory replaying whether I want it to or not.
“Good,” I say. “She should be.”
“Oh, please.” Anika rolls her eyes. “Don’t act like you’ve never drunk so much you’ve thrown up. I can think of plenty of times I’ve had to drag you or Dale out of a gutter.”
A smirk tugs at my mouth. “And I’ve repaid that favour more times than I can count.”
“Barely.”
“But,” I continue, ignoring that, “I didn’t do it on my boss’s dime, and I didn’t make a spectacle of myself somewhere I had to show my face the next day.”
“You told Holly to take her out for lunch and cocktails,” Anika points out.
“Stupidly, I assumed they’d know their limits.” I shrug. “Clearly, that was optimistic.”
“Or maybe you just wasn’t very clear with the objective,” she says.
“Or maybe,” I counter, “this is exactly what happens when you hire someone too young for the job.”
Anika snorts. “God, you’re insufferable.”
“Or just practical.”
“Oh, relax,” she mutters. “Loosen up a bit. You’re so tightly wound.”
I glance at her sharply. “That’s not you talking,” I say. “That’s her.”
Anika grins, completely unapologetic. “Maybe she’s got a point.”
I shake my head, turning away, but she’s not finished.
“You know,” she says more softly, “my one wish is that you find someone and settle down.”
I exhale slowly. “Yes. You’ve mentioned that. Repeatedly.”
“And I’ll keep mentioning it.”
“Well don’t,” I say, sharper than intended. “I’m happy as I am. I’ve got you and Sebastian. That’s enough.”
