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“I think so too,” she agrees. “Dax’s mom is on board with that too. She bought him a thank you gift for saving his life.”
Curiosity nips at me so I ask, “What did she get him?”
“A pen.” She winks.
I laugh. “Cute, Pen.”
“It’s a beautiful silver pen,” she goes on to explain. “She ordered it online. It’ll be delivered to his office tomorrow since he’s working there. I think I’ll stop there after work with a thank you card. It’s the least I can do after he ran to the rescue in Atlas 22 on Friday night.”
It suddenly hits me that was only two nights ago. I feel as though I’ve lived a thousand years since then.
“Where do you work?” I ask.
“At an insurance company.” She sticks her tongue out. “It pays the rent, but doesn’t fuel my soul.”
I can understand that. I’ve worked part-time for years at the record store that Astrid owns. I was allowed to set my own hoursand she paid me more per hour than I ever could have earned anywhere else. I still put in a few hours there whenever the mood strikes since my apartment is in the same building.
Pulling a shift there isn’t the same since Astrid’s music went viral and she handed off the day-to-day operations of the store to a new manager.
“How’s your boyfriend?” Pen shifts the discussion with ease. “What’s his name again?”
“Philip,” I answer, not bothering to add his last name.
It’s inconsequential since I can’t imagine a scenario when the two of them will ever be in the same room again.
“Have you talked to him since your date was interrupted?”
I watch her take a gulp of her drink before I answer, “No.”
“Do you want to talk to him?”
I shake my head.
“Dump him, Els.” She grins. “If he hasn’t called to check in on you in the past two days, I say he’s now a permanent part of your past.”
As complicated as that is to follow, it’s solid advice but when I pull the plug on my relationship with Philip, I need to do it face to face.
I was dumped via text once. I know the bitter sting that comes with that, so even though Philip isn’t the guy for me, I respect him enough to show up in person to end whatever is left between us.
“I did have an actual reason for asking you to meet me for a drink.” She smiles. “Other than to enjoy your company as we build our friendship.”
I’m not sold on it being a long-term friendship yet, but I’m open to calling her a close acquaintance until we see how we mesh after at least a week.
“What’s the reason?” I tap her hand. “By the way, the sweater looks amazing on you.”
“I know, right?” She leans back a touch to gaze down. “I had two compliments on my way here. You need to charge more for these, Els. I’m talking in the two fifty to three hundred dollar range.”
Astrid and a few friends from school have said the same, so maybe it is time to revisit my pricing model. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Anyways, back to why I asked you here.” Reaching for her purse, she smiles. “I have a picture on my phone I want to show you.”
I suspect it’s a selfie of her and Dax. I haven’t asked if she’s been allowed to see him yet, but from the scant forty-eight hours I’ve known her, I can tell she’s persistent when she wants something.
Her fingers skim over the screen of her phone before she sighs. “It’s beautiful.”
I lean toward her to try and steal a glance, but she turns it in her hand so I can easily see the image. It takes me back enough that I sigh, too. “Wow.”
“It’s incredible, isn’t it?”
