I texted Grant back.
Out with friends but I should be home soon. Are you at home? The show went great, thanks!
There. That was casual, right?
Out with my cousin Victoria and her boyfriend but I’ll be home soon too.
The relief I felt that the blonde was his cousin was inappropriate and embarrassing and I would walk over a path of burning Legos before I would admit it out loud.
Now what? I didn’t want to sound too eager to talk to him.
So I took a picture of my feet with the slippers on and held my wine glass in front of them. I sent it to Grant.
That’s my girl.
His response went straight to my inner thighs.
So much so that I slapped my phone down on the table and took a sip of wine, hoping to cool myself down. It didn’t work.
I realized no one was speaking. All four of my friends were staring at me with various expressions. Isla looked thoughtful. Savannah looked hopeful. Felicia worried. Dakota amused. “What?” I asked defensively.
“I just want to remember this moment,” Savannah said. “This is the day your destiny changed. I just know it.”
Why did I feel this tiny seed of panic that she might be right? That this job might have consequences I couldn’t even fathom at this point. That I mentally checked myself. Like what? A newfound appreciation for slippers? An obsession with maple syrup?
It might spoil me a little with the awesome clothes and the excellent kissing, but the only life-changing aspect would be the seriously fat paycheck.
“This is like the movie Serendipity,” Savannah said.
“It’s not even close to that,” Isla protested.
“Let me have my rom-coms!” Savannah said, her voice rising dramatically.
I was taking a sip of wine when she said that and it was so over-the-top I choked on my wine from laughter. “Isla is a dream crusher. Don’t worry, Savannah. I believe heavily in the rom-com. After all, Overboard is what brought me and Grant together.”
“Oooh, you said together!” Savannah pointed a finger at me.
“That’s not what I meant! You know what I meant! It brought me to this job. That’s what I meant.”
I was over explaining and over protesting.
Overboard. That’s what I was.
I drained the rest of my wine and reminded myself I was an actress.
This was a role. Don’t confuse art with reality.
The server came by. “Another glass of wine.”
I nodded emphatically.
Bourbon, bacon, and Bali. Your turn.
Bacardi, bread, and Buffalo.
That made me laugh. Of course Leah would say Buffalo. She had started texting me at night with three “favorites” with a random letter and then I would respond in kind. It was part of getting to know me, she’d said.
It was mostly a game, a glimpse into her sense of humor.