Page 29 of Finding Jess

“Oh yeah,” Tiana groaned, her words just loud enough to hear over the music and swarms of people in the surrounding bar. “And that wasn’t even half of it.”

Sam laughed into her drink as she listened to Tiana recount another one of the conversations she’d had that evening.

“I’ve only talked to him a few times,” Liz said with a laugh, finally looking up from her phone, “but that’s exactly the kind of thing I’d expect him to say.”

Sam had nearly forgotten Liz was still with them. She’d been so quiet, her focus fixed on her phone for most of the evening, that the sudden interjection was surprising.

Jess turned toward Sam, her fingers trailing along the rim of her drink as the laughter settled. “So,” she started, her tone casual, “do you still need help with that PR stuff you mentioned?”

Sam exhaled, the words drawing her focus from the comfortable rhythm of the bar’s noise. “Yeah. I can use any help right now.”

Jess nodded. “Do you want to meet up next Saturday? I have some stuff I can drop off real quick and you can look it over. Then maybe we could meet again later to go over everything in detail if you want?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, if you want to.”

She swore she could almost immediately feel a fraction of the stress melt from her shoulders. “Yeah, that’s perfect.”

Liz, who had resumed scrolling on her phone, suddenly perked up. “Wait,” she interjected, her brows furrowing as she looked at Jess. “You can’t on Saturday. You’re coming to my soccer game, remember?”

“Oh,” Jess muttered, her expression shifting as a flicker of remorse crossed her face. “Yeah, sorry. I completely forgot.”

She turned back to Sam, her gaze apologetic. “Can you fit it in on another day?”

Sam offered a small, understanding smile. “You’re the one doing me a favor, so just let me know when you can, and I’ll make it work.”

The tension in Jess’ shoulders eased, her lips curving into a softer smile. “How about early tomorrow? I can swing by your apartment and drop it off.”

“That’s perfect,” Sam replied with a nod.

“Great,” Jess said, her smile widening as a hint of warmth returned to her voice. “Send me your address, and I’ll be there in the morning.”

Sam immediately pulled out her phone, quickly typing out the address before hitting send.

Then she peered back up at Liz. “You still play soccer?”

“Of course,” she replied with a look that made the question seem insane. “It’s a rec league, but it’s mostly ex college players, so it’s super competitive.”

Sam hummed as she nodded once. “Sounds fun.”

“It is,” Liz gushed, finally brightening up for the first time since they’d arrived. “Playing in college was the best. This makes it feel like it never really ended.”

Sam brought the drink to her lips, taking a sip.

“Hey, you should come play with us next Saturday!” Liz exclaimed.

The idea was tempting—being back on the field sounded incredible—but her schedule was already crammed with work and the endless wedding tasks Scarlett kept roping her into. Adding something else, even something fun, probably wasn’t the smartest move.

“I don’t know,” Sam muttered. “I’m pretty busy with everything going on.”

Liz frowned, although the look didn’t hold all that much disappointment.“Right. I understand.” She reached forward, taking a sip of her drink. Then a small, challenging smirk formed on her lips as she glanced back up at her from behind her glass. “I understand you being too scared you’d lose against me.”

Sam caught the glint in her eyes, a spark that instantly reminded her of the childhood best friend who never backed down from a challenge. The one who would push until she had no choice but to take her on.

And she loved it.

The corners of her lips curled upward before she could stop them.

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