“I don’t…think so. I haven’t thought much about it or made any real decisions, but I like having art in my life. I never thought it would be a viable option, but here we are…”
“I mean, you’re about to be a huge, famous artist with your big mural for the town.” I don’t argue with her even though I still have to present my idea next week. Instead, I grin.
“And my first big mural for Daydream,” I say. “End of September, I’m spending a week at the Keys location. They also have four new Daytrip locations opening next year, and he wants to make them must-see destinations. I’m about to be a busy girl.” I bite my lip as Claire’s jaw drops.
“What?” Lainey asks, coming to the sinks to wash her hands, eyes wide. I nod, giving her an excited smile. “Why is this the first I’m hearing of this?”
“It’s been a busy couple of weeks,” I say with a laugh, even though the truth is it all feels a bit too good to be true, like if I start telling people before the ink dries, it might disappear. Butyesterday I got the final contract back from Rowan, signed by all parties included, so now it’s official.
I’m making a career out of art. The one thing I always swore I’d never do, the one thing I always swore was impossible after a lifetime of watching my parents chase it at the expense of thee people I love.
Lainey’s eyes go wide, Claire’s tear up, and my throat aches a bit at the sight of their utter joy and pride.
“It really is the luckiest summer ever,” I say with a smile.
“Told you that you getting fired was lucky!” Claire says, grabbing a towel and dabbing at the corner of her eye. I glare at her. “Oh, come on. It might not have felt that way at the time, but now…I mean, it’s obvious. Everything just… worked out so perfectly. Your career, your love life, everything.”
“So, are you going to quit on Graham?” Lainey asks, and something churns in my gut. I hadn’t actually thought of that.
“I…I don’t know,” I say, with a shrug. “We haven’t talked about it, to be honest. Originally, he wasn’t going to be here much longer after the season, moving on to bigger and better things, but now he’s staying here, taking on the Daytrip branch…” I bite my lipas my words trail off.
“Why does everyone look so sad? We’re supposed to be celebrating!” Sutton says as she walks toward us, joy in her words as she moves to wash her hands. “No pouting on a birthday Atlantic City Trip! Sad, drunk girl on her birthday does not actually have to be a real stereotype!”
“June just realized she doesn’t know what she’s going to do when she has to tell Graham that she doesn’t want to be his assistant forever,” Claire murmurs.
Quickly, before Sutton gets the wrong idea, I shake my head.
“It’s not that I don’t like the job—I do. I actually enjoy it so much more than I thought, but I don’t want to be stuck inanother job that I feel like Ishouldstay in. But I also don’t want to leave Graham high and dry.”
Sutton looks to me, brows furrowing before she shakes her head.
“That won’t be a problem,” she says. “You could quit today, and he’d be fine.”
I give her a look.
“I can’t imagine him hiring anyone else for the position. He’d be mean and scare them off.”
“It wouldn’t be a non-issue because he’ll get a new assistant. It will be a non-issue because Graham doesn’t need an assistant,” she says. Claire hands her a paper towel to dry her hands while I stare at her, lost.
“I’m sorry, I?—”
She looks at me before her eyes go wide. “He didn’t tell you.”
My stomach drops to the floor. “Tell me what?”
The color starts to leave her face, and panic fills my veins.
“I really thought he told you,” she murmurs.
“Told mewhat,Sutton?” I ask. She looks at me, both appeasing and nervous.
“It’s really not a big deal, June. And it’s kind of sweet, if you think about it.”
“Hey, Sutton, babe, you gotta tell her before she has a coronary,” Claire says to her sister, something I’m grateful for, but I’m too panicked to be able to express that.
Especially not when Sutton looks at me a bit drunk, her eyes apologetic, a tiny smile on her lips.
“I made this position for you.”
