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CHAPTER1
Sophie
With one last dry heave, I close the toilet lid. I swipe a finger under my eyes, the wetness there a product of my body’s recent efforts, but I’m thankful the waterproof mascara I put on is doing its job. My throat burns from the mixture of coffee and stomach acid that I’ve just expelled. With a shaky hand, I reach out to press the flusher. I’m grateful for the plush rug under my bare knees courtesy of my brother’s wife, Emma. When they first moved in together, my brother, Griffin, had been mystified by his wife’s feminine decorating style, her love of soft hues and cozy textiles, since he himself had used a moving box for a nightstand for years.
On wobbly legs, I stand. In the mirror, I fix my blonde curls, then press down the length of my green shift dress and reach for my toothbrush. At least my manicure still looks good. I like to paint my nails every week and I thought the bright coral color I picked out yesterday would be the perfect color for my first week at my internship.
Who throws up on their first day of work? It’s probably just nerves. Or it could have been that questionable sushi I picked up at a corner market.
The knock on the door sounds over the buzz of my electric toothbrush.
“Soph, I’m about to leave.” It’s Griffin. “You okay?”
It doesn’t matter if I’m two or twenty-two, Griffin has always been watching over me. If he knew I’d just thrown up, he’d probably take my temperature, order me to bed and call my new boss to inform her I’m taking a sick day. That’s what he would have done when we were growing up. Our mother likely working at one of the odd jobs she would only be able to hold down for a week or two at a time, or gone for a stretch of time with no phone call or note.
While my brother has been my reliable safety net for most of my life, I’m determined to change our relationship. Change the balance so I’m more like an equal, less like someone to take care of. Ultimately, I want to take the burden of my existence off his shoulders.
Step one: Kill it at my first day at my internship.
I spit and rinse, then glance at my watch. I need to leave in thirty minutes.
I open the door and give him a beaming smile as I move past him to my room across the hallway.
“A few nervous jitters. I’m sure they’ll pass.”
The last thing I need is for my overprotective brother to think that I can’t handle this situation.
I’m chalking the stress of today up to a culmination of all the major life changes I’ve experienced recently. Graduating from college, moving from Las Vegas to New York City and landing a paid internship with one of the most sought-after wedding planning companies in the country.
While I made it to the city on my own, I’m currently living in Emma and Griffin’s spare bedroom. As my brother pointed out shortly after I accepted my paid internship with Marion Adler Events, New York City is the most expensive place to live in the country.
Griffin leans on the doorframe while I debate the merits of wearing heels or flats on my first day. My mind goes to the scene inThe Devil Wears Pradawhen Andy shows up for her first day atRunwayin those hideous loafers. Neither of my choices arethatbad, and I’m interning at a wedding planning firm, not a fashion magazine, but Marion Adler is the pinnacle of wedding planners and I want to make a great first impression.
“You’ve got the subway directions I sent you?” Griffin asks. “And the preloaded transit card I set on the counter?”
“Yes and yes.” I opt for the flats. They’re stylish yet functional, and made from old water bottles, so I’m also helping the environment. I slide them on, then toss the heels into my purse. “That timed practice we did yesterday was super helpful.”
“I’d think you were being sarcastic if I didn’t know how much you love to be prepared.”
He’s right. Winging it is not my forte. I’m all about planning, knowing every detail. Knowledge is power and all that. And for me, knowledge and preparedness are key to combating the anxiety that builds in new situations.
I move around the queen-sized bed to the other side of the room where I’ve set up my desk that also doubles as a mirrored vanity to store jewelry and accessories.
“Headband or no headband?” I ask my reflection as I adjust the floral print knotted headband on my head.
“It’s cute.” Griffin offers his opinion.
I pull it from my head and set it back in the drawer.
“Yeah, that’s not what I’m going for.”
He lifts his hands up in surrender, the gold band on his left ring finger glints as he moves his hand.
It’s still hard to believe my brother, the man who never dated or partied while he was raising me, got married in Vegas after spending one wild night with his now-wife, Emma. It’s a shock to say the least.
While they had planned to annul their marriage, Emma found out she needed him in NYC for an important interview. After spending more time together, they ended up falling in love and staying married.
None of it made sense at the time, but now it’s easy to see that there was a reason they were drawn together in the first place.
