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“Do you feel any different to before you married?”
“I don’t know, not yet I don’t think. Ask me in a few years.” Christy’s eyes drifted back to Dean who was now dancing with Taylor, his stepsister, and Christy chuckled. “Is it weird and unfeminist of me to say I feel like my life didn’t truly start until that man blundered his way back into it?”
“Not at all, it’s the people we meet that make our lives what they are. He’s your husband, you’re kinda stuck with him now.”
“Yeah, I guess I am,” she replied, a soft smile playing at her lips as she watched him. “Thanks Kayleigh. Have you got anyone in your life?”
She darted a look at Ben. “I’m not sure.”
“That sounds like a yes to me. I was in the same boat once and look at me now.”
“How did you do it?”
“I honestly don’t know, sorry. I thought I would be good at giving sage relationship advice, but I think I’ve had too much champagne. If you need other life advice, then maybe I can help?”
This was her moment, Kayleigh could feel it. To kickstart a journey to cross off the number one task on her list: start her writing career. She’d been so scared that her research would tell her that what she wanted was impossible so she had put it off for as long as she could.
“Actually…” she began then stopped herself.It’s Christy’s wedding day for God’s sake, she doesn’t need this right now. “Never mind.”
“Kayleigh,” Christy warned. “Out with it.”
“It’s your wedding day, I can’t!” she hissed.
Christy laughed again. “As long as it’s not my weddingnight, we’re good, darlin’. What’s on your mind?”
Kayleigh tugged at the corner of her white blouse and nibbled her lip. She felt bad hitting Christy up for advice and help on her special day, but this could be the last time she would get the nerve to do it.
“I was after some writing advice, please, if that’s okay?”
Christy’s eyes immediately lit up. “Oh my God, for real? You’re a writer too?”
“Well, kinda? Not really.”
“You are, accept it. What is it you write?”
“I like to write the storylines for games.” She held her breath, waiting for Christy to laugh in her face, but she didn’t.
“That’s so exciting. How many have you written?”
Kayleigh squirmed. “A dozen or so.”
“Kayleigh!” Christy squealed. “That’s amazing! Have you sent them off to anyone?”
“Well, that’s it, I don’t really know what to do. I want to do this as a career and it’s my passion, but I don’t know if I’m any good. How do I even do this? Coming from little old Citrus Pines, who would take me seriously? What if I failed? What if…”
Christy cut her off. “What if you’re amazing and get everything you ever dreamed of?”
Kayleigh rolled her lips inwards. “Then there’s that…”
“It sounds to me like you have imposter syndrome. Tell it to fuck off, right this second. It will cripple you from doing anything. Do you want me to take a look at some of your stuff?”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that!”
“You didn’t, I offered. Look here’s my email address, send it to me and I’ll read it and give you some feedback.” She took the pen from Kayleigh’s blouse pocket and scribbled her details on a cocktail napkin before sliding it across to the bar with a wink. “But Kayleigh, hear me loud and clear, youcando this. It doesn’t matter that you come from a small town, it doesn’t matter that no one knows you. Make them know you.” Christy added, fierceness dripping from her words. “Trust me.”
Then she flounced away back to her husband, with Kayleigh calling weakly after her, “Thank you!”
Out the corner of her eye she saw Ben heading down the corridor towards the restrooms and kitchen. She hurried after him, eager to share the news of how she’d garnered her courage, taken a chance, and it had paid off.
