Page 11 of Better Luck Next Time

Georgie’s lips pressed together, expressing her obvious doubt.

Groaning, Adalia snapped her laptop shut and stood. “I’m going to go work at Brown Beans.” The coffee shop down the street had a horrible name and subpar coffee, but the internet was fast and the employees left you alone.

“Addy,” Georgie protested, dismay filling her voice.

Adalia snagged her purse, slipping the strap over her shoulder, and grabbed the closed laptop. “Just to give you fair warning, I’ve decided to look for a graphic design job.”

Georgie was out of her seat in an instant. “Why?” she said, coming around the desk. She sounded as concerned as if Adalia had just expressed interest in joining a cult.

Releasing a sigh, Adalia held her gaze. She hadn’t planned on having this conversation yet, but now that she’d brought it up, she might as well push through with it. “There’s not enough work to keep me busy.” Finn had been right about something else too, damn him. “You know this is a part-time position, and I want to keep it, but I need to do more.” Then she steeled her back and said, “I need to make money. I have bills to pay.”

Georgie’s face fell. “Your student loans.” She grabbed Adalia’s upper arms. “Let me pay them off, Addy.” She shook her head before Adalia could protest. “Now, hear me out. You can pay me back if that makes you feel better, but you won’t be stuck with all that interest, and we can lower the payments so it’s affordable.”

Adalia stepped back out of her sister’s grasp. “Why should you bail me out at all? Going to art school wasmychoice. You and Dad and Lee were against it, so why should I expect you to help me now?”

“I was wrong,” Georgie said with tears in her eyes. “You’re so good, Addy. Of course you should have gone.”

“How do you know I’m good?” Adalia countered. “Because the arrest warrant valued the art I destroyed at over one hundred thousand dollars?”

Because she’d been arrested, and Georgie had bailed her out via a bail bondsman.

Her sister started to say something, but Adalia cut her off. “You didn’t see the value of my art until someone else did?”

Georgie’s cheeks flushed. “Dad paid for me and Lee to go to school. It’s not fair that he didn’t pay for you.”

“That’s betweenme and Dad,” Adalia snapped. “Notyou.” She headed for the office door, not surprised to see River and Dottie standing outside the office, along with several other employees. They’d raised their voices, and sound carried in the industrial office area.

“But we have a meeting in ten minutes,” Georgie called after her.

“Have it without me. We all know airhead Addy isn’t good for anything except for fluffy designs and social media posts.”

That wasn’t fair, but Adalia realized that was how she felt about herself. That she’d been given a pity job. One whose scope kept shrinking until soon there’d be nothing left.

She expected Dottie or River to say something. Or for Georgie to maybe vault out of her office with a cape on, intent on rescuing her. But no one tried to stop her as she made a beeline for the exit, blinking when she hit the bright sunlight.

It was a beautiful day, but Adalia barely noticed as she stopped to shove her sunglasses on her face and stuff her laptop into the oversized purse.

No, Georgie’s laptop. The one she’d bought for the brewery so Adalia could work on the graphics. Sometimes it felt like she had nothing of her own anymore, that the independent person she’d been—the artist—was shrinking and shrinking until there’d be nothing left of her either.

Adalia started walking, and even though she’d told Georgie she was going to the coffee shop down the street, she found herself heading downtown.

Downtown Asheville was nothing like New York City, but it had an appealing vibe of its own. Creative and more laid back than the hustle and frenetic energy of New York. Truthfully, it fit Adalia like a glove, and as she mindlessly walked, she felt her stress ease a bit. Her problems were still there, but they didn’t feel so overwhelming.

Stopping at a coffee shop, she ordered a latte and treated herself to a chocolate croissant. She took both out to a table for two on the sidewalk, feeling herself relax further as she sipped her coffee and nibbled on her pastry. She set her laptop on the table and started to create a résumé, but she ended up people watching. In art school, she’d made a game of observing passersby, trying to figure out who they were and where they were going, making up stories about them in her head. Sometimes she’d even sketch their stories in her book.

She’d been lonely back then. Although she’d always had a large enough circle of acquaintances, something inside of her had quailed from letting herself get too close. Except with Alan. She’d let her guard down with him, and look where that had landed her. Here she was once again, inventing lives for strangers on the street because she couldn’t bring herself to have a difficult conversation with her sister.

She was focusing on a mother pushing a stroller when she heard a familiar voice say, “Mind if I join you?”

Finn. He stood next to the table, gesturing to the empty chair across from her. Was this an unhappy accident, or had he come looking for her?

Her back stiffened. “If you’re here to talk to me about—”

He lifted his hands in surrender. “Not a word. I promise.”

With pursed lips, she gave him a slight nod, wondering why he wanted to sit with her if not for his charity idea. Wondering why she was a little disappointed he didn’t intend to push it.

“Working outside of the office?” he asked once he’d lowered himself into the other chair.

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