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The girl’s smile is hesitant but warm. “Thank you.” Her voice is soft and she clutches her bag protectively against her chest.
“You’re all right sweetheart.” Monika squeezes her gently on her shoulder before walking away from her. I put my arm around Monika, who’s still looking at the girl as she fades away in the busy street. When I turn to face her, she has a soft glow in those dark brown eyes I’ve not seen before. “That was amazing.” Her voice is soft. “That felt so good. I hope…I hope it will change something in her life.” I pull her closer and give her a gentle squeeze. “Like it will change something in yours.”
We follow Prue into the park and moments later we choose one of the benches in the sun.
“I feel sad to leave, but mostly so, so grateful for the time we got to spend together.” Emma takes a bite and lets out a groan as her eyes close. “I’ll also miss the food. These spare ribs aresoooogood.”
Monika swallows her last bite and pulls out a napkin to clean her mouth. When she grabs a bottle of water, she mutters, “Jonas really didn’t understand why I wanted to come here, to meet you all.”
“Yeah, my parents were the same,” I say, remembering again that dramatic conversation I had with Mother right before leaving. “And I can’t blame them. It’s a big thing to leave your life behind and dive into the unknown.”
“We used to do it all the time,” Emma counters.
“Yeah, but we were younger. Something happens when you graduate and settle down.”
“Sodon’t.” We all chuckle.
“No seriously, people grow up. They become boring. They become afraid of change, I suppose.”
“Hm,” I agree. “It’s quite daunting to admit that something’s missing in your life. But for me, I feel so relieved.” The moment I say the words, I realize I mean them. I feel so much lighter all of a sudden. It’s more than a relief though, in my case. There’s excitement as well, although I don’t want to share that with my friends. Not yet.
“Plus, we did some great sightseeing.”
“Yes, thank you for that, guide Prue,” Monika does a German-English accent that makes us all laugh.
“There was something really special about Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. And that picture of us that we took in front of the Hudson River and all those Manhattan skyscrapers. Let’s make that our new profile pic.” As Emma takes her phone out to get to it, Monika glances at Prue for a moment, a puzzled look on her face.
“What didyourchallenge say?”
Prue, busy putting all the rubbish together into a paper bag, looks up in surprise. “What?”
“The envelopes. What was in yours?” Prue smiles and shrugs. Then she ducks into her handbag and takes out the note.
It’s quiet for a while. “Oh wow,” someone says quietly.
By the time we’re standing in front of the hotel, suitcases packed and ready to go, we’re all crying tears of happiness. And after we say our goodbyes and make promises of our next meet up, I feel like the city is glittering, just for me.
Perhaps for us.
After I change into one of my favorite black dresses, I eye the city through the large windows of my hotel room. I bite my lip, unable to ignore the tightness in my chest any longer. It’s time. I take out both phones and flip them open simultaneously. Father has given me a reply, a message filled with thumbs up and a photo of him and Mother. Wyatt’s message announces his imminent arrival. It’s showtime.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
SUNDAY LATE AFTERNOON – LOGAN
The kitchen feels too cramped and the air is thick with anticipation, cheap perfume, and fear. I check out the three young and beautiful women who’ve been selected by our team.
“Like what you see?”
I turn my face to eye Mason and growl, “Like what I see, really? It might not come as a surprise that these bitches aren’t really my type. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be investment goods, yeah? What, you’d fuck them?”
Mason flushes and tries to cover his discomfort with a half a shrug, that makes me grin. I nod at Ella. “Please make sure they have everything they need in their house in Yonkers. Medical check-up, clothes, make-up, whatever.”
“Will do.”
“Oh and—” I approach one of the women and roam my gaze over her face until my eyes find the small nose piercing. “Take that out.”
“Are you sure?” Ella hesitates. “Some clients love piercings.”
