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Hollis checked her watch. “Are you free tonight? I’ve got a reopening party to go to for that restaurant I’ve been working on.”
“Silver Tides?”
“Yeah. I need to be there around seven. Do you want to come with me?”
“Sure.”
Hollis had always kept a pretty busy schedule, but these last few months it had been wall to wall. She used to just make an appearance at events out of courtesy. She’d finished her job weeks ago, but when it was unveiled to the public, she was always invited to attend. Now, she stayed for the entire night, just to have something to do.
She really hoped that the divorce would be finalized early in the new year. She couldn’t take much more of this limbo. She wanted to move on, and at the same time she was terrified of Kate rejecting her, for whatever reason. Because she’d waited so long to contact her. Because Kate had met someone else. Because it was never going to be more than a weekend fling.
“I better go home and find something to wear,” Jen said as she stood up. “Dressy?”
“Definitely. Will I pick you up?”
“You’re not drinking?”
“No. Not when it’s a work thing,” Hollis said, pushing aside all her worries about the future. For right, she’d do her best to enjoy tonight, and it would be so much easier with Jen at her side.
21
Kate opened her locker and took out her bag, slinging it across her body. As she shut the locker, she glanced at her phone, the screen lighting up with notifications. Her steps slowed as she read the alerts: five missed calls from Lexi in the last hour. A sense of unease washed over Kate as she quickly dialed back.
“Hey,” Lexi answered, glasses clinking and people laughing in the background.
“Are you okay?” Kate asked, her heart racing.
“Yeah. Yeah, sorry for all the calls. You’re working?”
“Just finished.”
“Good. You need to get over here. Like right now.”
Relief flooded through her. Nothing had happened. “Where are you?”
“Silver Tides.”
“That’s the restaurant where your girlfriend works.”
“Yes, and technically, she’s not my girlfriend. Yet. But Kate, listen to me.” Lexi sighed into the phone. “Hollis is here.”
Kate’s breath caught in her throat as she fell back against the locker. “Are you sure? I mean, you only saw her Friday night when we were sitting outside.”
“Hold on.” Lexi’s voice was muffled, but Kate could still make out what she was saying. “Hey babe, do you know that woman in the red dress by the bar?”
Ash’s voice was more distant, but Kate caught the right words. “She’s the interior designer.”
Kate nearly dropped the phone.
“Did you hear any of that?” Lexi asked.
“Yeah. It’s her,” Kate said with a sigh. “Fuck.”
“You gotta get over here.”
Kate leaned back against the cool metal locker. “I don’t know Lex. I’m not going to stalk her. What would I even be doing there? And I look like shit. I just finished my shift.”
“We’ll worry about all that when you get here. Just get here. Kate, you have to. You’ll regret it if you don’t. At the very least, you might get some closure. You might see her… And not feel anything. And then you can move on.”
