But regardless, Charlotte would have fun with her friends tonight, and I’d get a chance to unwind with mine. And maybe this Amanda woman would be nice enough that we could at least survive a conversation without me crashing and burning.
7
NORA
I was curledup on the worn leather couch after getting home, scrolling through the internet for ideas to keep energetic preschoolers entertained, when the front door opened and Lucy walked into the apartment she and I rented on the top floor of an old Victorian home.
“Hey,” Lucy said, toeing off her shoes as she stepped onto the threadbare carpet of the living room. “How did babysitting my adorable niece go today?”
“It was great.” I sat up straighter, my gaze flicking to Owen as he ducked through the door behind her, waving my way before carrying their takeout containers across the peeling laminate floor of the kitchen and sliding them into our aging fridge. “A bit tiring. Spending the whole day with a three-year-old was way more demanding than I’d thought. But it was good.”
“Charlotte has always been a little tornado.” Lucy laughed as she dropped onto the worn couch across from me. “Even as a baby, she was demanding. Pretty much never let Alisha or Theo put her down.”
“I believe it,” I said, smiling.
Owen shut the fridge with a careful nudge, then came over and settled beside Lucy, stretching his arm along the back of the couch behind her. A section of wallpaper above them had been torn away long ago; the plaster underneath rough and crumbling, like a reminder of how old the place was and in need of a good remodel.
“But it was okay today, right?” she asked, leaning into him. “You think you’ll survive a whole week with her?”
“I think so.” I nodded. “She has a play group at the park tomorrow, so I’m hoping she’ll like that.” I lifted my phone and added, “And I’ve been looking up different activities for three-year-olds, so I think we’ll survive.”
“Well, I’m sure Theo appreciates it,” Lucy said. “I felt bad when I couldn’t help him this week.”
“You were smart and picked the right summer gymnastics program to work for,” I teased. “If only I’d known about Mr. Romeril’s embezzlement charges a month ago.” I shook my head, glancing toward the window where our garage-sale air-conditioning unit hummed valiantly, probably one power surge away from disaster. “But really, it’s been fun. Who knows, maybe I’ll even teach Charlotte some tumbling tricks while I’m at it. Think Theo would be okay with that?”
“I’m sure he would.” Lucy smiled. “She’s already mastered the somersault, so a few lessons from you and she’ll be on her way to the Olympics.”
“At least one of us might make it there,” I joked. Both Lucy and I had come close to making the women’s gymnastics team during our elite days, only to fall just short. But Lucy had gone on to become the NCAA all-around champion this past spring, which was a pretty fantastic consolation prize.
Meanwhile, I had taken eighth overall.
Not terrible. But when you grew up in the shadow of a Grammy-winning older brother, eighth place felt like a participation ribbon.
I pushed my thoughts away and looked at my best friend’s college professor boyfriend. “So, what are your plans for the rest of the night? I assume you’re going to steal my best friend away again.”
“I totally am.” Owen grinned. “We’re actually heading to my friend Romeo’s place. He’s having a garden party tonight. It should be fun.”
“Actually…” Lucy perked up. “You should come with us.”
“Yeah, you totally should.” Owen nodded. “You already know most of the people who’ll be there.”
“Who’s going to be there?” I asked, unsure it was something I should actually tag along to since I didn’t really know Romeo or his wife very well. “Is it a bunch of happy couples?”
Because Owen was close to thirty now, which meant most of his circle was already hitched or heading in that direction fast.
“There are definitely a few couples,” Owen said. “But I think Miles, Bash, and Alessi will be there, too.” Owen looked at Lucy. “And your brother Theo should be there, right?”
“I think so.” Lucy nodded. “Unless he decided to back out of it.” She turned her blue eyes to me. “Hemayhave texted me this afternoon to complain about Romeo’s wife trying to set him up with one of her friends tonight.”
“He has a lot of friends and family playing matchmaker for him, doesn’t he?” I laughed, thinking about all the times Lucy’s mom had mentioned one girl or another that she was trying to introduce Theo to.
“He definitely does.” Lucy nodded. “But really, it will be a lot of the same people who were at your brother’s New Year’sEve party. If hanging out with Owen and me isn’t appealing enough, surely seeing Miles again might be fun, right?”
My ears perked up at her mention of New Year’s Eve and Miles Hawthorne—professional quarterback and my brother’s best friend.
One I actually had atinycrush on.
Aslightlymore practical crush than the one I had on Theo.