“Coffee and a croissant for my bestie,” Viv sings. I moan a sound of gratitude and take a tentative sip, savoring the deliciousness as it tickles my tastebuds.
“So, I booked us a ten-day stay at that bed-and-breakfast I showed you yesterday,” Viv says, blowing across the steam floating out of her coffee cup.
“You—youwhat?”I sputter. “I thought I was supposed to be thinking about it! Literally yesterday I said I’dthinkabout it!”
“Was that not a yes? I absolutely took it as a yes.” She has the audacity to seem surprised that I might be upset. Viv sighs, taking a seat. “Okay. Let’s be realistic here for a moment. I think we all know I’d have bothered you about it daily for weeks until you finally agreed to go. I need this. You need this.Weneed this.How can we expect to move Liv + Viv forward when we’re too exhausted to even think?”
“Well, for starters, I was about to reserve us a spot at the next East Coast Marketing World Conference in July.That’show we move forward. You know how I operate, Viv. I need time to process things, and now you’re telling me you booked a trip?”Pinching the bridge of my nose, I take a deep, calming breath. “Forten days?”My life is being hijacked.
“You’d process it for a year if it meant you thought I’d forget about it.”
“Exactly!”
“Come on, Liv. Just the two of us. It’ll be fun.”
“Viv.” I shake my head, staring with unseeing eyes at my computer screen. “We need to reach out and find more clients, not take a vacation. Besides, with the work we have, I don’t see how we can make this happen?—”
She holds up her palm. “Well, you didn’t exactly let me finish. I’ve already divided the workload among the team. They know what they need to do and are good to go.”
Shit. There goes that argument.
“Sunny can stay in your room. The B&B is pet-friendlyandwill even make sure there’s a cat condo in there for his comfort. You’ll have a queen-size bed and a bathroom that might as well be the size of your living room, with a tub. A tub, Liv. That means you can soak in abath.”
She’s fully aware of the impact of that statement. I love baths. It’s the ultimate relaxation.
“We can hustle hardaftervacation, but right now, we need this.”
She really prepared for this conversation, and honestly, I’m impressed.
I lean back, breathing in deeply through my nose and slowly releasing it, closing my eyes to think. It’s inevitable—she’s right. It would only be a matter of time before she finally convinced me, so what’s the point in fighting it?
“When would we leave?” My fingers massage my temples at the headache brewing.
“Two days,” she mumbles, curling her shoulders around as if to hide from my reaction.
“WHAT!? No. Absolutely not. The team might be ready, but I’m not. I need to plan. I need to pack. I need?—”
“To chill out. Seriously,everythingwe do is carefully planned all the time. Just this once, let’s be a little spontaneous.” Viv throws her arms up.
“That is literally against my nature.”
“I know, but stepping outside of your comfort zone is crucial for growth. Whenwegrow, so does Liv + Viv.”
She’s right. I know she’s right. I hate that she’s right.
I stare up at the ceiling, groaning. “Fine. How much do I owe you? I’ll Venmo.” I reach for my phone.
“No need. My treat,” Viv says a little too easily.
I narrow my eyes at her. She immediately evades my look, gaze darting to another corner of the room as she lifts her coffee cup.
“How much did your parents chip in?” I ask.
She shakes her head. It looks like she’s debating something internally. I lean closer, waiting for her response.
“Like, half.” Viv shrugs noncommittally.
My mind starts, gears grinding as it all becomes so clear.“So… Pop covered the other half?” I rub my temples.
