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“You just weren’t listening,” Oliver scolded, and poked her arm. “Lucy, you haven’t been fine for a long time, and we’ve done our best to help you see that, but maybe you weren’t ready.”
She stared at the two people in front of her, profoundly thankful and humbled to have friends who cared about her like they did. What cosmic intervention put them in her life? What did she do to deserve their faith?
Perhaps those were questions that did not need answers, but rather gratitude and a vow to carry on.
“I’m listening now,” she promised them.
“Good,” Oliver said approvingly. “I’m going to go check out the food situation.” He headed toward the table. Nina lingered with a hint of concern in her eyes. Other than a few text messages, they hadn’t had the chance to talk during the day.
“You sure you’re okay?”
Lucy released a big sigh, thinking she’d rather rehash it all with Nina over brunch that weekend instead of at her birthday party that night. “It’s been a day but yeah, I’m good.”
“Good.” Nina cast a glance over her shoulder. “And Caleb’s not coming, right?”
“Definitely not.”
“Great. We can totally talk about it if you want to, or we can pretend it didn’t happen. Or we can get drunk and do both or neither.”
A swell of gratitude lifted Lucy’s heart, and she threw her arms around her. Nina stiffened, caught off guard by the sudden burst of affection. Lucy surprised herself, not normally one to pass out hugs until she was a few drinks deep. But she realized as she embraced her friend that the usual reservation was only another form of dishonesty. “Thanks, Nina.”
Nina softened into a warm squeeze and patted her back. “Of course.”
From over her shoulder, Lucy spotted the arrival of someone she never thought she’d ever invite to her birthday party, yet there he was.
Chase McMillan entered in the same suit he’d been wearing all day, his tie a little loosened now, and Lucy wondered if he came straight from running around under the Staples Center.
Nina noticed Lucy looking over her shoulder and turned to see Chase. “Isn’t that the guy you hate?”
Based on her reaction, Lucy knew Nina hadn’t seen the news. She came from a shift at the hospital where she probably hadn’t even looked up all day. She was none the wiser about Chase’s eleventh-hour redemption.
“Yes, but not anymore. We’re kind of friends now. Long story for later,” she rushed out before blurting, “Chase! Hi. I’m glad to see you made it out of that basement.”
“It was looking dicey for a minute, but yeah. Hey, I’m Chase.” He greeted Nina with a nod and a handshake.
Nina did her best not to eye him too suspiciously while shaking his hand and gauging if Lucy somehow invited him by accident and needed her to bail her out.
“This is Chase, my colleague,” Lucy said to reassure her. “And this is Nina, one of my best friends.”
“Nice to meet you,” Nina said, loosening her defensive stance and nodding toward the table. She took the gift bag from Lucy. “I’m going to grab some champagne. I’ll see you later.”
They watched her walk away, and Chase laughed. “Does she not watch the news? Does she not know who I am?”
He made a fair point; his press conference video had gone viral. It had a million views already.
But Nina, rarely one to indulge in celebrity gossip—thank god, because Lucy needed a break once in a while—was not one of them. She used her Instagram to post pictures of food and books she enjoyed and the occasional sunset. She never touched Twitter. In fact, if Nina had heard the news, Lucy would have been shocked.
“Contrary to what you think, the world does not revolve around our jobs, Chase.”
“Sure it does.” He grinned.
She rolled her eyes.
“So,” he said. “Any news on this board meeting?”
Lucy leaned back on the bar. “Not yet. Did you get in trouble for the press conference?”
He flagged the bartender down with a friendly wave. “I might owe the Lakers a fine, but I at least made it out of there without getting tackled by security.”
