“What the hell have you been doing all day besides ignoring my calls?”
“Hi Allie,” I said. “How are you? Wonderful? Great, because I'm just peachy.” A taxi pulled up in front of me and I got in. “642 56th Street, please.”
“Are you in a cab?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Oh shit, were you on another breakup luncheon? I swear last time this happened, I told you to refuse the next guy who asked you out to lunch.”
“So I’m just supposed to drag out a relationship with some guy who doesn't like me?”
“Alicia, I hate to tell you this, but I don't think there are any guys who like you in New York anymore. So if you can snag one that has a good job and a 401(k), you should just let it drag out as long as possible. Hopefully all the way down the aisle.”
“You sound like Mom.”
“Well, you've got to start listening to someone. I swear to God, I'm going to be dead before you finally meet a man.”
“You're so lovely at this time of day. Or actually any time of day,” I said, sarcasm dripping off my words.
“Speaking of death, we need to talk about Uncle Jimmy's funeral.”
I sighed. This is why I had been avoiding her calls. There was no way in hell I was going back to Savage, Colorado for some ridiculous family reunion and the depressing funeral of my Uncle Jimmy, who I hadn't seen in at least a decade. “I'm not talking about Uncle Jimmy's funeral right now. I already told you, I have to work.”
“Well that's hilarious because I called Adam and he told me that he could clear your schedule for all of next week. So I expect you to be here tomorrow.”
Adam, that Queen. He was officially on my shit list now.
“I can't just pick up and be there tomorrow! That’s not how it works here. I have clients and appointments—”
“Adam has cleared all of that for you already,” Allie interrupted. “By the way, he says he is very sorry for your loss.”
I sighed again. “You're not giving up, are you?”
“You missed Christmas, Mom and Dad are pissed as hell at you, and no one wants to talk about you because they think you're sad and lonely. Now I know that you are sad and lonely, but I still want to see my baby sister. So come home. Pack a bag and get on a plane tomorrow. Do I make myself clear?”
I hated the way she bossed me around, but she was right. I hadn't gone home for Christmas because a friend surprised me with tickets to the Rockettes on Christmas Eve. I had never been before even though I'd been living in New York for five years, so it had been an opportunity I hadn’t wanted to pass up.
“Fine. I'll come,” I said begrudgingly. “But don't expect me to be excited about it. And I want my own room! I'm not paying to stay at some rinky-dink hotel up there for a week. Mom and Dad have plenty of space, so they can put me up. Or even better, you can.”
“Nope,” Allie said quickly. “We’re already full, so you're definitely staying with Mom and Dad. And the best part is Aunt Ira is staying with them too.”
“Great. So I can get judged from all sides.”
“Always.”
I glanced out the cab window, seeing that we were nearing my apartment. “Well, I guess I gotta go pack now. Bye.”
“Ta-ta for now!” Allie said, and hung up.
I leaned back and closed my eyes for a second. My sister was an over achiever who made me want to vomit ninety-five percent of the time. She was our parent’s favorite, had stayed close to home, gotten married, and had kids. Basically, she’d done everything the right way.
But not me. I was the black sheep of the family. The super-successful, yet unmarried lawyer whom they were never satisfied with. There was a reason I had run away.
But now I was going back. It was going to be a long week, that was for sure.
CHAPTER 2
Alicia