Page 9 of On the Rocks

How was I supposed to know? You said you met her at the smoothie bar.

No, at the gym. Then we had smoothies. She’s super cool. So can you try not to call her smoothie woman when I introduce you two?

No promises.

An eye-rolling emoji followed, but I knew her well enough to know I’d made her laugh again. Work had been stressing her lately, and I considered it my responsibility to cheer her up whenever I could. Especially on a day like today, when she might have lined up an important gig for me.

For all my pretending, I knew exactly how Jenn and Allie had met. They’d gone for post-workout smoothies, and apparently Jennifer had made a one-off comment about how the Masked Mixer could have easily whipped up a better drink, which led to Allie mentioning an exciting job opportunity for me. I was cautiously hopeful. After my disastrous run-in with Aiden the previous night, I could use some good news.

I rounded the end of the next block, spotting the green canopy over the door of Eastfield Eatery. It was quite a step up from Clive’s, the dingy restaurant where she and I had both worked five years ago—me behind the bar and her in the kitchen. It was how we’d met. I was glad she’d moved up in the world, getting to show off her amazing chef skills at a place that was actually worthy of her.

“Cora!” Jennifer called, waving me across the restaurant to our usual table. There were fresh cut flowers on every table and abstract artwork adorning the walls.

“How’s work?” I asked, sitting down.

“Same old. The new menu items launch tomorrow.”

“Exciting.”

She shrugged, indifferent. “You should order the bacon, brie, and cranberry panini if you’re hungry.”

I glanced over the menu. “I don’t see that on here.”

“I know. I want to put the kitchen on the spot. Make sure they’re ready for tomorrow.”

“Well, that sounds delicious. You know how much I love cheese.”

Her eyes darted to the door, and she raised her hand, smiling. “Allie, hi!”

The woman walked across the restaurant with a brisk, purposeful stride and parked herself in the seat next to Jennifer. She had a French bob, multiple ear piercings, and a tattoo of a dragon crawling up her forearm. I felt markedly less cool every second I spent looking at her. “Not late, am I?”

“Not at all,” Jennifer said, gesturing between us to make the introductions. “Cora just arrived too.”

“So this is the Masked Mixer?” Allie reached for my hand. “Alison Barker. Good to meet you.”

“Cora Newport.”

“Thanks for taking this meeting. I realize I sort of put Jennifer on the spot, and I’m exploiting your friendship a little here.”

I grinned. I liked her honesty.

“But when Jennifer told me she knewtheMasked Mixer, I had to shoot my shot, as they say.”

“Well, I admire that.”

“And since you turned up, the friendship exploitation clearly worked.”

I chuckled. “Oh, I’m totally making Jenn pay for lunch to make up for revealing my alter ego.”

“That sounds fair to me,” Allie said.

“Umm…” Jennifer cut in. “Jenn can hear you both, you know.”

I smirked at her. “Does Jenn really have time to laze around eavesdropping on us instead of getting back to work in the kitchen?”

She stuck her tongue out at me. “Jenn would like to suggest everyone stop referring to her in the third person starting…now. And with that,Iam going back to work. Good to see you, Allie.”

“You too.” Allie flashed her a warm smile. “Thanks again for this.”

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