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“But it’s not all doom and gloom!” I add brightly. “I’ve officially launched my own luxury concierge service, and it’s going great.”
I tell her all about my new clients, and their wacky demands. “One woman needs a full-time nanny… For her Chihuahua!”
Poppy laughs. “I’m totally here for all of your self-employment freakouts and business-growing, emotional-venting needs. I was a wreck, getting Cupids Anonymous off the ground.”
“Thanks,” I say, glad for the support. “I’m going to need it. I’ve been a little caught off-guard by how fast it picked up. A good problem to have, of course! But my aunts are about ready to kick me out of their shop, and I need to think about renting office space soon.”
“Hmmm, an office location?” Poppy says, thoughtfully. “My building has an open suite. Nothing huge, but it’s super cute. We could be neighbors!”
I try to imagine myself as a brick-and-mortar office of one. The idea floods with me excitement, but is it too soon? Maybe not, if I’m willing to bet on myself.
“Let me show it to you,” Poppy suggests. “We’re two blocks away. A glance can’t hurt, right?”
It turns out,the glance does hurt a little because the space is heartachingly perfect. It’s a small office, but it has built-in bookshelves and a bay window looking out onto the street. And, best of all, the rent is just about reasonable with my current pace of growth. Poppy is a blast to play along with, as we imagine paint colors and where furniture could go. There’s a pitter-patter in my chest as I ask her to text me the landlord’s information. She squeals in delight, knowing I’m going to go for it.
Walking home, I hug my arms around myself, beaming ear to ear. I want to pick up the phone and call Charlie, to tell him the good news. I know he’d be so excited for me, and—
Nope.
I stop that thought in its tracks.
My brain hasn’t rewired itself quite yet. I don’t call Charlie anymore. He’s not mine to call, if he ever was.
But dammit, I miss him. I miss his teasing, and that charming smile, and how he always knew how to make me laugh. I miss how he believed in me, like he just plain took it for granted I could do more—do anything—without insecurity or doubt.
My phone suddenly startles me with a buzz. I fumble in my bag for it, desperately hopeful that Charlie thought of me in that same moment.
Close but no cigar. It’s Dash.
‘Concierge emergency! U available?
Now? I text back. What’s the job?
It’ll make more sense in person.
I’m expecting another rendezvous at the bar, but Dash sends me an address in the Bronx, and I arrange to meet him there. I make my way over on the subway, wondering what kind of assignment I’m going to get. It’s part of the reason I’m loving my new business: I never know whether a client is going to need a flight to Guadalajara, tea for seventy, or bound advance copies of the new Tana French novel, a laThe Devil Wears Prada.
When I arrive at the address, I’m surprised not to find a bar or coffee shop. Instead, I’m at some kind of park near the river, with wrought iron gates out front, flanked by two stone pillars. Gorgeous trees bloom beyond the signs, which read: Wave Hill. I’ve heard of this place but never visited. Since I don’t see Dash outside, I enter the gardens and dial his number.
“I’m here,” I tell him.“Sort of lingering near the gates. Where are you?”
“Close,” he says. “Just head down the path.”
“On my way!” I start walking, looking around. It’s a gorgeous spot, secluded and pretty, a little oasis in the city. There are flower gardens and benches set up to enjoy the views out to the Hudson and beyond. I make a mental note to come back with a picnic sometime or recommend it to a client for an unexpected wedding location.
“Still looking for you…” I tell Dash, as I head deeper into the gardens. “Mind telling me what all this hiking is for?”
“A good cause,” he informs me mysteriously. “I’ve got this persistent issue that I need your take on.”
“A persistent issue,” I repeat, confused. “Please don’t make me break up with some poor girl for you. That’s more Poppy’s line of work. She’ll pick some beautiful quote to end it gently.”
Up ahead, there’s a gazebo covered in green leaves. Flowers bloom all around it and, in the distance, water sparkles. It’s a hell of a view. An older woman is setting up some kind of table with tea and cakes inside, and seeing her grey, curly hair in the distance, I get the strangest sense of déjà vu, like I know her from somewhere…
“Are you there yet?” Dash asks.
“There?” I repeat, my spidey senses tingling. “Dash, I thought I was meeting you here. What’s going on?”
“You’ll see. Have fun!”
