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Not a lie.
He convinced me to take an internship.
Also, not a lie.
I'll be working a few days a week on my thesis.
I'm stressed out.
Scared.
Overwhelmed.
Also, not lies.
Everything I said was a fact, so why does it feel like I'm lying to her?
"You can handle this, Piper. You can handle anything. But you already know that. So take a deep breath. Everything is going to be fine. You're going to rock that internship and nail your thesis."
The heaviness that's settled in my chest lifts a little. Just hearing the confidence she has in me calms my nerves.
She doesn't know the whole truth, but she knows enough. And she has faith in me.
I need to have a little in myself.
Am I nervous to work with Julian? There's no doubt in my mind it's going to be harder than I can imagine, but I'll manage. I have to. I want this internship. I'm excited about it.
And it's not like I don't see him regularly anyway. What's a few days a week going to change? If I can pretend not to be affected by him when our friends are around, I can certainly do the same while we work together.
Plus, I'll be focused on my thesis. I won't have time for small talk. Head down, work hard. That'll be my motto.
"I can, it's just a lot," I finally reply.
"You're going to do great. Now, let's go have a margarita and decompress. We both need one."
The music's already pumping as Lex and I walk in the door. K's dancing around the living room with her hands over her head, and Lo's on the couch rolling with laughter.
This is exactly what I need. A night with my girls. A night where I don't have to think about classes or my internship. A night where I'm not worried about how I'm going to interact with Julian on a regular basis.
I'll deal with all that tomorrow.
Literally.
Because I start at the restaurant tomorrow afternoon.
"Piper got an internship," Lex hollers as soon as the song ends.
I wasn't planning on telling the girls. Not that I want to keep it from them; I just know they'll make it out to be more than it is. See something that isn't there. And someone will try to play matchmaker.
My money would be on Lo.
Kendall taps her phone, pausing the next song just as it begins.
"That's exciting," Lo exclaims, popping off the couch and walking into the kitchen. She returns a few seconds later with a margarita in each hand and offers them to me and Lex. "Where at?"
I want to lie, but there's no point. Julian is bound to say something at some point, and it'll make it look worse later on.
"Downtown. At Metro Bistro."
"Really?" Kendall's the first to make the connection, if the smirk on her face is any indication. "Isn't that Julian's parents’ restaurant?"
"It is. His mom requested an intern, and my adviser placed me there." Her smile falls when she realizes it was a coincidence. "She seems really nice and is excited for me to start."
"What about Julian? What does he think? Will you two be working together?" Alexis is rapid firing questions at me faster than I can answer them.
"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him, but tomorrow's my first day, so I'm sure I'll see him then."
My reply is accompanied by the fake smile I've mastered over the summer. To hide not only my fear but also the way my heart just skipped a beat at the mention of his name.
