Page 51 of Taylor

“You good?” Kate asked, who didn’t seem to be forgetting that she walked in on Alice mid pep talk.

“Yeah,” said Alice, her mask firmly in place. “I’m good. It was just getting loud out there.”

“Are you really interested in the job, or was that a weird family thing?” asked Sasha. “I am looking for another person, but I got the sense she was bombarding you.”

Alice gave an actual smile and laughed at that. “You picked up on that, huh?”

“What’s going on?” asked Evie.

“Just my mom overstepping boundaries.”

“Girl,” said Evie, reaching out and grabbing her arm, “I totally get it.”

Sasha laughed like they knew something she didn’t.

“How about this?” Sasha said. “I’ll call you Tuesday, when I’m back in the office, and we can set something up. No pressure but just enough to get your mom off your back. And you never know it could be a good fit. If you want to send over some of your work, I can take a look at it beforehand.”

Alice nodded. Working for the Magic wasn’t ideal... It would put her around Taylor more than she cared to think about because just the thought of him brought tears to her eyes. But maybe if she worked with women like this, some it would rub off on her, and it would be good for her new self. Plus, if she had this new job, maybe she wouldn’t have to tell her mom she’d been fired from her last one.

Slowly, she nodded. “Okay, that sounds good.”

“I really like your necklace,” Kate said.

“Oh,” Alice said, clutching it. “Thank you, I made it.”

All three of the women examined the necklace. It was a vibrant, multicolored star pendant she’d made with small crystals and resin. It felt good because this was her own piece. And it was a splash of the color she craved. But she’d been told her whole life her outfits were too loud, she was too loud, her body was too much, her entire existence was too much. Which was so disorienting—because how could she be too much and feel so invisible at the same time?

“Wow. Do you sell these? I would love one,” said Evie.

“Really? I can just make you one. What colors would you want?”

“Hey, now! I need her to help me with social media, no poaching.”

The women laughed and joked, and Alice felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Camaraderie. How was that possible in this room full of beautiful, put-together women she didn’t know? But they all seemed really nice.

Evie shoved her phone in her purse and snapped it shut. “It’s almost midnight,” she said as she turned to leave.

“It was really nice to meet you,” Kate said with a genuine smile.

“You too,” Alice answered back.

“I mean it about the necklace. You know where I live,” Evie said with another smile before they all made their way down the hallway.

“And I was serious about calling you when I’m back in the office. Feel free to tell me no, but it would be nice if something worked out. You’re basically a part of the Magic family anyway,” Sasha said, taking her by the arm.

They entered the party, and the women all made their way to their men. Alice blinked back the tears. She wanted so badly to be going to Taylor and have him wrap her up in his big, strong arms, but he wasn’t hers. Not like the couples she was watching. The love was written all over their faces. These handsome hockey players adored their women, and they equally adored them. Alice had thought she had the same with Taylor... but that was just in their magic little cabin, not here in the real world.

Alice reclaimed her seat at the bar and ordered a Coke. She would wait until midnight, then turn into the pumpkin. She only hoped that when she woke up in the morning, she could find a way to be more like the women in the bathroom. They all had their shit together, but they were also kind. Maybe Alice could find a way to be more like them. Maybe working with Sasha would help her to figure out how to do that.

The countdown started, and the couples were all utterly lost in each other. At midnight, they all kissed and cheered and she couldn’t take it anymore. She shoved dollar bills into the tip jar and made her way to the door. She pushed through the door andbooked it to the parking light, brushing away the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Tomorrow was the day. She would find a way to get her life together, find a job she liked and keep it. But most importantly, she would find a way to get over Taylor Campbell.

23

Taylor

“We’ll make more plans closer to time, but thank you for the tickets,” his mom said as he pulled up to the center.

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