Page 116 of The Do-Over

We decided I had two more weeks at Mayfield Home Mortgage, which I would spend hiring and training my replacement. But I also had a special project of my own. One last thing I wanted to do as an employee.

“How’s it going trying to find someone to replace Miss Ruby?”

He frowned. “Not well.”

“I’ve been doing some looking too, and I think I have the perfect person for you, if you’re willing to give her a chance. Her name is Bria.”

A week later, I burst into my apartment with a song and a bouquet of flowers. Even I was tired of how excited I was about my life, but I couldn’t contain it. Mimi said I was walking sunshine.

“Phoebe Anne Mayfield, where are you? You haven’t answered any of my texts.” I shut the door with a tap from my shoe and waltzed down the hallway. “I’m dying to know how it went today.”

Phee had spent the first week sleeping in and enjoying a life of no responsibility. Aside from responding to an abundance of text messages which she grinned over and refused to say who they were from, she’d spent time with me watching movies and painting our toes and being sisters.

However, when it was time to pay her credit card bill, Phee had buckled down to find a new job. But it wasn’t like you could snap your fingers and find a job in her field. It was likely she’d have to move to where one was available. The last two weeks, she’d called in every favor, spoken to any connections she’d ever made, flown to Orlando for an interview, then Minneapolis, and Seattle. Three days ago, Chuck, her old producer at KKRE, had called and wanted to “talk.”

“You’ve left me hanging all day.” I dumped my purse and the flowers on the counter. Shrugging off my coat, I turned and stumbled. There was Phee sitting on my red couch, and next to her was Mathias. Let me rephrase that. He wasn’t just next to her, he was right next to her, as in, breaking every rule at a middle school dance. His arm wrapped around her shoulders; her hair tousled. Both of them were flushed.

I froze, my mouth hanging open as my eyes flitted back and forth between my sister and my best friend, before focusing on Mathias. Even from here, I could see his glasses were fogged up. But they didn’t hide the shiner his left eye was sporting.

“Why do you have a black eye?” I asked.

Mathias’s smiled widened. “I got in a fight.”

“What?” I shook my head. “Wait. First, what is going on here? I thought the plan was to get over Phee, not get under her.” I gestured toward my sister with a hand. Phee’s cheeks brightened to red.

Mathias grinned. “We’ve been… talking.”

I gave him a very pointed look. “Is that what the kids are calling it?”

“And stuff. We’ve been talking and stuff.”

I glanced between the two of them. “So, are you a thing now?”

“We’re not giving it any titles. Just seeing what happens and not letting anyone get in the middle of it,” Phee said.

“Are you going to tell Mom?” I asked.

“Yes. I texted her and then turned off my phone.” She paused, looking a little nervous. “I’m not worried about Mom. Are you okay with this?”

I stared at her a long moment, just to watch her squirm before I laughed. “Are you kidding? It’s about time.” I tackled her with a hug until she was laughing too, and then pulled back to look at her. “How did it go with Chuck?”

Her eyes sparkled. “He offered me a job as weekend anchor.”

I squealed. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him that I would think about it. I’m going to make him sweat it out for a few days before I accept it. Don’t want to look too eager, you know.”

Then I turned to Mathias. I crossed my arms and tried for intimidating. “If you hurt my little sister, I’ll kill you.”

“Deal.” He hung his hand out for me to shake.

Instead, I threw my arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. “Now tell me how you got the black eye.”

“I wish you could have been there, Perci,” Phee said. “He went with me to pick up the rest of my stuff yesterday and Joel hit him. It was a sucker punch. Mathias didn’t even have a chance to prepare himself.”

I gasped. “What?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Mathias held up his right hand, the knuckles red and a little swollen. “You should see the other guy’s face.”