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Lilyheld up a hand. “Iget the point.That’sstill not a reason to walk away from a five-year relationship for an entire summer.”
Thewaiter came withJilly’sorder.Thesteak sizzled.Underother circumstances the divine aroma would have sparkedLily’sown appetite.Nottonight.
Jillytook a sip of her cocktail. “Ooh, that’s good.”
“Iassume you’ll be leaving me with this bill, alaPeter.”
“Oh, come on.Myyearly salary is equivalent to one month ofPeter’s.Andanyway, what are therapist rates these days?Thinkof this meal as payment for services rendered.”Jillygrinned.Shedug into her steak, moaning with each bite.
Whenshe came up for air, she said, “Listen,Lily.Itdoesn’t matter whatIthink ofPeter.Youcare about him.Butmaybe you need to ask yourself why after five years, you jumped on this job outWestso impulsively . . . without talking toPeterfirst.Couldit be you need a change?Needto mix things up a bit?Maybeyou just need a bit of perspective before you take the leap into marriage.”
Lilynodded.Someof whatJillywas saying resonated. “You’repretty smart for a kid.”
“I’mtwenty-seven.”
“You’llalways be my kid sister.”
Jillyraised her glass. “Andfor thatI’mforever grateful.”
Afterdinner,LilywalkedJillyto the corner, then took anUberhome.Peterwasn’t there.Maybehe had made a big decision for both of them.Maybehe wasn’t willing to wait to get their life plan moving.Maybehe was done.
Lilytook a quick shower, put on her favoriteMinnieMousepjs and went to bed, alone.
ChapterFive
Lilystood amidst the bustling crowd atLaGuardiaAirport, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and trepidation.Shecouldn’t believe the whirlwind of the last few days or the unexpected business trip she was about to embark on.Shewas leaving behind the familiar streets ofNewYorkfor the vast expanse ofColorado.
She’dbeen chosen to manage a secret and important real estate deal.Sure, her boss,Chelseahad few if any choices.Anyonewith a life didn’t drop it in aNewYorkminute like she had.Still, opportunity awaited her in the picturesque town ofBreckenridge, a venture that had the potential to redefine her career.
I’mgoing to hit this one out of the park.
Lilykicked off herKedsand placed them beside her carryon on the conveyer belt.Shetook her place behind a behemoth of a man waiting ahead of her on the security line for the body scanner.Itwas a good thing she arrived early to the airport.Itwas a zoo.
Sheglanced at her watch.Twentyminutes until boarding.Shouldbe fine.
Then, theTSAagent held up a bright blueValentinowheelie. “Whoseis this?” she called out.
Ohno.
Lilygrabbed her shoes and shuffled over to the metal table, facing the agent whose expression was one of boredom. “It’smine.Isthere a problem?”
Wordlessly, the agent unzipped her bag,Lilyknowing she’d just lost ten more minutes.Atthe last moment, she had overstuffed it with items she decided she’d need in the mountains.Awool scarf, ski hat, boots.Sheknew it was summer butGooglesaidBreckenridgewas nearly ten thousand feet above sea level, occasionally getting snow inJune.Sheneeded to be prepared for anything.
Bythe time the agent pulled out her container of hummus, claiming it was a liquid—Lilyholding back her argument that no, if anything it was a puree—and sitting on the bag to re-zip it, she needed to run all the way to the gate.
Breathless,Lilyedged her way past the annoyed economy passengers, mumbling half-hearted apologies, handed her business-class ticket to the flight attendant, and found her seat.
Imade it,she thought, a wave of relief washing over her.
Settlingin her seat,Lily’smind drifted back to the night before, when she andPeterhad left their relationship hanging by a thread.Hehad returned home after a night away, and though he put on a supportive façade, dropping phrases like, “You’llkill it out there,” she could see the pain etched in his eyes.Theyboth knew the hurt was still lingering, unspoken yet palpable.
“We’lltext every day,” they had promised each other, agreeing it was the best way to keep the momentum going.
Now, on the plane bound forDenver,Lilyrealized that her emotions were leaning more towards a sense of breaking free than missingPeter.Itwasn’t that she didn’t care for him, but this opportunity had awakened something deep within her—a yearning for adventure and personal growth.
Herthoughts wandered to the last meeting she had withChelsea.Herboss had entrustedLilywith this crucial project, recognizing her potential to win over the community leaders ofBreckenridgeand secure their confidence in the mall’s development.
Shepictured herself standing in front of a room filled with skeptical faces, her words echoing with conviction and sincerity.Sheimagined their initial resistance melting away, replaced by a flicker of hope as they realized the benefits this development could bring to their beloved town.Themental image invigorated her, fueling her determination to make a lasting impact.
