Page 14 of The Winning Ticket

Just Jake

I’ll just have to come up with one for you now.

Brianna

It has to come naturally. A nickname like Just Jake is hard to compete with, after all.

Just Jake

Hmm, I shall think this over. You’ve awoken my competitive side now.

Brianna

Good luck, Just Jake.

I grin at the last message from Jake just as my new team leader walks up to my desk.

“I hope that’s work-related?” Cynthia asks pointedly, and I place the phone back on my desk.

“I was just checking the latest social media stats I’m responsible for.”

That was exactly what I was doing when Jake’s last message came through, so I’m technically not lying. Besides, Cynthia doesn’t need to know that the smile on my face was caused by a text from a friend rather than seeing the engagement numbers on the ad I am running for our latest campaign.

Cynthia walks off to terrorise someone else, and I resist the urge to sigh. I’ve been struggling to find enthusiasm for my job for a while, and after meeting Cynthia, I know I’m even less likely to find it here. Five minutes with her earlier showed me she is not a fan of new blood and would most likely view me as competition rather than a colleague.

Why do some women insist on tearing others down instead of lifting them up?

I am good at my job, and I know that. My boss in Sydney always told me how helpful I was to the team and had given me quite a lot of responsibility for someone so young. But I know in my heart that marketing high-end fashion items is not going to provide me with a sense of purpose. The two days of driving gave me a lot of time to work out what I want to do with myself now, and after my conversation with Jake and mentioning photography, a small kernel of an idea has been brewing in the back of my mind. I can’t allow myself to entertain it properly, though. I’ve heard that you should never make life-altering decisions after a major life event. I have already upped and left my old life behind. Now isn’t the time to try new things.

Several hours later, I drag myself away from my desk and head towards the City Cat terminal near my new office. There is already a line on the gangway, so I join my fellow commuters, who all stand silently, lost in their own worlds with music playing in their ears and scrolling through their phones. Usually, I’d be doing the same thing, but I am distracted when I spot Jake’s apartment building across the river.

It is one of the tallest in Kangaroo Point, and my mind drifts back to waking up next to Jake on Sunday morning. I had fallen back to sleep with his arm over me and slept a few more hours until he woke up and moved away, looking at me sheepishly. We didn’t have a chance to talk about it, as Morgan had started banging around in the living room, and I’d managed to slip out of the room without her noticing. We all had brunch together at a nearby cafe before I finally returned to my parents to start unpacking. But the memory of sleeping in Jake’s arms was hard to shake, and even now, the comfort I’d felt while snuggled in against his chest is still with me.

Another thought to shove aside. No good can come from falling back into my high school crush on Jake Boyd.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to read the message from Kylie.

Kylie

Hey miss, what are you up to tonight? Need to escape from your parents? Tara and I are planning a night on the couch if you want to join us.

Brianna

Yes, please! Mum is already driving me nuts. She wouldn’t even let me do my own washing! Can I bring anything?

Kylie

Just yourself and that adorable little ball of fluff.

I knock on the door to Kylie and Tara’s West End apartment and wait for one of them to let me in. Maddie sits patiently at my feet, and I smile down at her. Kylie opens the door and pulls me into a big hug as if it hasn’t only been thirty-six hours since we last saw each other.

“I’m so happy you’re back!” Kylie has always been so bubbly, and I smile when she drags me inside.

Tara steps out of the kitchen and immediately starts fussing over Maddie, scooping her up.

“We’ve ordered Thai food. It should be here in about twenty minutes,” Tara says, cuddling Maddie close.

Maddie gives her a sneaky lick on the cheek, and Tara laughs before putting her back down.

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