AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I can be friends with Connor and focus on my relationship with Jake. He can help me do just that. And I can be Connor’s sounding board. We enjoyed each other’s company, there wasn’t anything wrong or forbidden about that.
We could be friends. And friends we would be.
* * *
The red wine slid down the back of my throat like water. I hadn’t known I needed it until I needed another, then another. By ten o’clock, I was scooping out the last of yiayia’s pastitsio and giggling uncontrollably at a cat’s TikTok video Lourde had on her iPhone.
“Ah, I’ve missed this,” I said, holding up my glass. Olivia smiled, clinking her glass with Lourde and me.
“Can’t say I’ve ever really had close girlfriends,” Olivia admitted before taking a large gulp of vino.
“How come?” Lourde asked while fingering the last of the sauce in the baking dish, taking it to her mouth.
“I’m working all the time. If I’m not working, I’m thinking about working!”
“Phew.” I threw my hand up. “This work thing, honestly, Lourde, why would you do it if you didn’t have to? It sounds nasty! I’m just grateful my family is rich because getting out of bed before eight is a genuine struggle.”
“Pepper! You sound so spoiled right now!”
“I am! I’m the first to admit it.”
Olivia laughed. “Well, hun, if you don’t have to work, more power to you.”
“It’s not like that, though. I’ve never been interested in anything before. My parents would let me. They’re not like Lourde’s, who don’t think women should work blah blah blah… they support me either way.”
“Your parents didn’t want you to work, Lourde?” Olivia turned toward Lourde, running her hand through her short blonde bob in disbelief.
“The Diamond women have never worked. So they forbid it. It took Barrett to convince me that I needed to stand up for myself if it was something I really wanted to do. Turns out, it worked.”
“Hell, yeah. You and I are invincible together in design.”
“Well, I think that’s you, Liv.” Lourde’s cheeks bloomed, reaching the tips of her ears. She was so modest. It was sweet.
“If you are so good at design, why don’t you start your own business?” I asked, swallowing the last of my wine.
Olivia looked at Lourde. Had she thought about it?
“Well, I’m loyal to Barrett.” Olivia pulled at the edges of her blonde bob.
I raised an eyebrow. “Loyalty is a beautiful thing, but it’s not going to make you rich.”
“We would never go behind Barrett’s back, but I could see how it could be fun,” Lourde said, leaning in.
Perhaps they were both thinking about it but never spoke about it.
“The truth is I’d love to do something on my own, but I couldn’t do it to him. He’s helped me so much throughout my career.”
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Pepper!” Lourde cried.
Olivia laughed. “You’re even funnier when you’re drunk, Pepper.”
“I’m not drunk…” I looked around, my focus taking a second to catch up with me. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“I’m thirty-two. I’ve worked for Barrett since he started.”
“Botox?” I asked.
