“And what? Be a bartender-slash-waitress the rest of my life?”
Mattie pursed her lips. “I mean, youdoseem happier.”
I glared at her.
Even though I wanted her to be wrong, she wasn’t. I had a glow about me these days. I noticed it every time I passed a mirror. In a lot of ways, this was the least put together I had ever been. My hair was never straightened, my outfits were always casual, and my makeup was hardly done. But those were never the things I noticed lately. Instead, I saw my worn-in smile and the healthy flush that always graced my cheeks. I’d attributed the change to a vacation glow, but it was likely more of an Oliver glow. That boy had me off kilter in the best possible way.
“Iamhappy,” I said. I wasn’t blind to that fact so there was no use in denying it, buteveryonewas happy on vacation. That didn’t mean they should pick up their lives and toss away their dreams to create a new reality.
“You’re happy because of Oliver,” Mattie said bluntly.
I threw up my hands. “Yes, Oliver is one reason, but so are you. It’s been nice spending time with my only sister. And now that I’m finally free of the spell my last company had me under, I can realize how overworked I was. Being here has been the reset I needed.”
“And Oliver made you realize that,” she added.
“Why are you so obsessed with talking about him?” I asked, my eyes narrowed.
The door chimed and a small group walked in from the front entrance to Marie’s. I waved in greeting. “Sit wherever you like. I’ll be right with you.”
When I turned back to Mattie, she was staring at me thoughtfully. “I’m glad you’re finally having some fun. I justhope you don’t forget how to have a life once you land this fancy new job.”
My skin bristled. Even after all these weeks, it still bothered me when people insinuated I had no life. I didn’t care if it was partially true, it raised my defenses all the same.
“I know how to have fun. Oliver isn’tmakingme fun,” I said. “I’ve done plenty over the years.”
“Uh-huh.” Mattie blinked at me.
“I have.”
“Sure.”
“Ugh!” I let out a frustrated groan. “I have! Remember that time I went to Cancún last year?”
“Wasn’t that a work trip?”
“I also joined a book club right before I left Atlanta,” I added.
“Were the books nonfiction?” Mattie asked.
I snapped my mouth shut. “So what if they were?”
“I’m just saying, if the book club had the words ‘self-betterment’ in the description, then it doesn’t count as fun.”
That shut me up. Because our first book was about how to get ahead in your career as a woman in a male-dominated field.
“Whatever,” I muttered.
“Don’t get me wrong.” Mattie’s tone was gentle now, as if I was a toddler she was trying to coax out of a tantrum. “I like Oliver and I’m glad you’re having fun with him. I think this is probably the healthiest way you could spend your time right now. I mean, you could spend less time job hunting but?—”
“How am I supposed to find another job if I’m not looking?” I interjected. “You’ve seen how much effort I’ve put into it and I’ve only just started making progress.”
Mattie was the older sister through and through. It didn’t surprise me one bit that she was so insistent that she knewwhat was best for me. She’d always been like this. I knew deep down she was trying to protect me, but I was perfectly capable of handling my own life.
She sighed. “You’ve been obsessing about your career trajectory since college. Why not take a breath and figure out what you want to do?”
“I know what I want to do!” I exclaimed. “I want this job.”
Despite my outcry, the words held little underlying conviction. With every passing day I spent liberated from that office I’d been trapped in for years, I felt a little lighter. My head used to always be down—blindly working toward the next goal. It was nice looking up for a change instead of ahead.
