I swallow hard. I’m really here. I did this.
Pippa sits down on the navy velvet sofa, her gaze sweeping across the room. “It’s a solid flat. Good on the team to put you up here. They even got the landlady, Jane, to agree to a special season-long lease for you. You’ll love Jane, by the way. And she lives right upstairs too. You’re close to the stadium, in a safe area, and it looks like there’s a good coffee shop right around the corner.”
“And more importantly,” Luke says, plopping down on the sofa next to her like he already lives here. “A pub!”
“Honestly,” Pippa says, rolling her eyes. “You’re like a retriever. Throw a pint your way and you’re good for hours.”
I stand in the adjoining kitchen, still taking in my surroundings. “I can’t believe I did this.”
“How’s it feel?” Luke asks, leaning forward. “Second thoughts?”
I shake my head and smile. “Not yet.”
“Good.” Luke grins, standing up. “Now let’s go celebrate your arrival.”
“Celebrate? I just got off the plane. I’m exhausted, and I probably smell like shit.”
Pippa smiles at me. “We can start with something small.”
“Right then,” Luke says, clapping his hands together. “To the pub.”
I roll my eyes. “Walked right into that, didn’t I?”
Pippa nods. “Absolutely.”
I sigh, though something in me feels brightened. Like the smallest bit of hope has crept in.
Nestled on the corner of a narrow North London street is the neighborhood pub,The Crown & Lion.It looks exactly like I’d expect it to—dark wood, low beams, warm lighting, sports memorabilia on the walls, and the smell of ale. It feels like it’s been here forever, like it’s seen many lives and years of laughter and drunken declarations of love.
Luke rejoins our table expertly carrying three pints. “Here we are,” he says, placing them on the table and sliding one towards me. “First proper pint in London. None of that watered-down nonsense you lot call beer across the pond.”
Pippa raises her glass. “To Addison, and her new beginning.”
I roll my eyes and laugh, but lift my glass anyway. “And to my temporary insanity.”
I take a sip of beer and set the glass down. My eyes scan the bar, taking in the loud conversation, the patrons energetically watching twelve different matches on the televisions. It’s a far cry from the sleek cocktail lounges I went to in New York, but it feels more real. No one in this bar feels like a stranger. I don’t know a single person, but I feel comfortable among them.
“Alright,” Luke says, leaning back in his chair. “How are we feeling about our first day?”
I nod slowly. “I feel… good. Really good, actually.”
“Wow.” Pippa smiles. “I’ve never heard you sound so confident.”
“I have a plan,” I say, taking another sip.
Luke arches a brow, clearly intrigued. “Do tell.”
I take another sip of beer. “When I created my own firm, I set rules for myself. Boundaries, if you will. Basic things. No distractions, no emotional entanglements, that sort of thing. Nothing that will make me lose focus or control.”
“Emotional entanglements?” Luke asks, confused.
Pippa gives a slow, knowing nod. “She means she’s not sleeping with anyone, honey.”
“Yeah.” I laugh. “Not just sleeping, though. Just no emotional involvement whatsoever.”
“Fair play, I guess. Though not very fun.” Luke smirks at me.
“I’m supposed to be cleaning up the messes, not creating them.”
