“I’llmake the offer. You stay quiet.”
“Hi-ii! It’s us again!” Veronica sweeps us both back to the soda fountain area, where Lexi sits at the counter waiting. “Okay, here’s the deal: we want it, and you’re going to lease it to my client at this rate per month with the price locked in for the entire five-year term.” Veronica slips a piece of paper across the counter to the listing agent, whose eyes widen just so.
“And why wouldmyclient agree to that?” Lexi’s tone has gone cool and professional.
“Because Sparrow Nook loves this place, and the city council has spent ridiculous amounts of taxpayer dollars to restore it. My client will keep the historic renovations in tip-top shape, so the town still has its historic pharmacyanda thriving new business.” Veronica places a hand on one hip as she eyes the soda fountain skeptically. “How many other interested parties would be willing to leave up a neon sign screamingstrange drugs? From what I heard, your lead contender wants to open achain restaurantin here.” Veronica leans in for the kill. “This is a way for the city council to save face for spending all that taxpayer money and neverdelivering, and might I remind you, it’s an election year. Heads will roll if you let an Applebee’s come in and bulldoze this space.”
“I’ll—just call the city manager.” Lexi scurries into the kitchen, and Veronica grins at me.
My eyebrows rise. “You are the scariest D’Angelo.”
“You flatter me, babe.” Veronica throws an arm around my shoulders. “But that’s my mother.”
“Speaking of scary D’Angelos, um, what’s with your cousin coming back home?”
“Frankie?”
“No, Julian.” I’m aware my cheeks are tinged pink, but I push forward anyways. “I… saw him the other day.”
Veronica snorts. “That condescending d-bag moved back a few weeks ago after he fucked up his gig at Philly Gen. He’s working at Dr. Appa’s now.”
I swallow, stress-sweat prickling beneath my shaggy bangs. Veronica’s just confirming what I already saw with my own eyes, but it still raises my blood pressure.
Concerning since I can no longer go to my doctor about it.
Veronica, apex predator that she is, picks up on my discomfort immediately. “He’s not back forever or anything. He’s on probation, and Dr. Appa’s letting him work off his time here. He’ll move back to Philly as soon as his time is up.” Veronica looks down her nose. “That doesn’t change your mind, does it?”
“No.” I cross my arms tightly. I’ve had my eye on this building for years—no surly phantom from my past can scare me off now just because he works next door. Even if hedidjust handle my labia professionally and I’ll never look at lasagna again without feeling mortified. I’ll figure out his exact schedule so I never see him. Easy.
Veronica makes a small, satisfied huff, and I side-eye her.
“What?”
“The pot-smoking valedictorian who stole Julian’s thunder is opening up Sparrow Nook’s first dispensary, and straight-laced, better-than-everybody Julian’s gonna have to walk by it every day to serve his glorified community service hours.” She smirks. “He’s gonna lose his goddamn mind.”
A small, nervous laugh escapes my mouth. I’ll never forget the day he found me smoking up with Eve behind the theater after I came back to school. Julian went on this tirade about how I was ruining my life, how I’d never be anything and nobody’d ever want to be with a loser like me. Those words haunted me for years. He didn’t know that pot was my lifeline back then, that it was saving me from the agony I experienced every time I tried to eat. And he couldn’t know what I really heard in his horrible words was thatCrohn’swas ruining my life, thatitwould stand in my way of becoming anything, and that nobody would ever want to be with someone as sick and hopeless as me.
Even all these years later, those words still feel true.
Veronica’s studying me closely, and I force a big, bright smile on my face. Julian may have written me off as a loser, but for the first time in ages, I’m finally winning. Judgmental, unfortunately gorgeous Julian can’t take that away from me, especially not now that he’s spinning out in his own shame spiral.
I clear my throat. “Do you know what he did? At Philly Gen?”
Veronica gives me a conspiratorial smile. “No. But for my favorite babe, I’ll find out.”
Lexi reappears with a big smile, and then I’m shaking hands, trembling with joy while Veronica patiently pats my shoulder as I review the paperwork that’ll change my whole life. Soon there’ll be no more Damon or Cuntsicle or waiting for my life to begin. Next week, I’ll have my licenseto operate, and next month, we’ll open our doors to Stranger Drugs officially. With Eve’s edible bakery counter, my extensive knowledge of product and dispensary operations, and one thousand percent better vibes than XYB, Stranger Drugs will be a huge success. It even has office space for the nonprofit I’m cofounding to expunge the records of individuals convicted of marijuana-related offenses prior to state legalization. Being able to gift free office space and a dedicated portion of the dispensary’s proceeds will finally get it off the ground, and the rush of knowing all the good we’re about to do fills me up with a golden, shimmery happiness.
A golden, shimmery,poorhappiness, but still. I can cash flow a few months’ expenses, and investing in my dream is worth the uncertainty. If I have to work next door to a certain asshole doctor, at least I get to delight in running a successful dispensary and rubbing it in his intense face, proving once and for all that I, Nomi Wyeth, am both a potheadanda cunning businesswoman, and Idohave a future being exactly who I am after all.
I cross the finaltinWyethon the lease with a flourish.
Fuck you, Julian D’Angelo. Iwin.
CHAPTER FOUR
JULIAN
I glide into a spot in front of the clinic, parking my new Volvo hybrid behind an ancient Subaru, its bumper covered in stickers so faded, the words flicker in and out like ghosts. The few still legible include a witchyCoexist;two flying cartoon guys proclaimingFlight of the Conchords; and a big, fat marijuana leaf that saysINew Jersey, the only one that looks new.
