Page 17 of Summertime Friends

“I can do you one better. My fiancé works for another agency here. They work primarily with beauty and clothing brands, but their work is ingenious. I’ll call Blake and see if they are taking new clients.”

“Great.” I’m packing up my bag to head out. “I would prefer you to research other options still and we can review tomorrow morning at eight. Callum will need to video in. Have Marissa clear his schedule.”

“Alright, boss,” Ben replies.

9

EMERSON

Now

It’s Monday, again. I’ve always enjoyed Monday—a new week, new opportunities, but today, I’m dreading it.

Friday night, Brandon and I got into a fight after I told him that I didn’t want to get married at the Waldorf. He went on a tangent about how it’ll upset his mom and that she has been working painstakingly on this wedding, and that I need to be a tad more respectful. I laughed out okay and hung up the phone.

We didn’t see each other all weekend.

I ended up editing all of Blake’s engagement shoot. Staying up all night on Saturday and then most of Sunday night, too.

This is what used to happen after I thought about Liam Hayes.

I’d find something to throw myself into. Distracting myself until I can climb out of the Liam-shaped hole in my life, trying to find a part of me that he didn’t touch in some way, and back into reality.

It hasn’t happened in almost a year, but this weekend, it was as if the hole became a canyon, and there was no way out.

I tell myself I shouldn’t feel this way, that it’s been three years. But also, it’sonlybeen three years. And is there even a time frame for when you are supposed to get over the only person you’ve ever been wildly in love with?

Reality hit this morning when the gear shift on my bike broke.

I called Brandon, but he was already at work.

And I was already running late for coffee with Chloe. There was no way I had time to drop it off at the shop.

I left my bike in my apartment’s bike storage and sprinted to catch the brown line into the city.

Peering out the window as the train bumps along the track, I question why I haven’t decided to move back downtown. I hate commuting.

Money isn’t the problem. I make enough now, finally. After years of hard work, I’m finally a Senior Creative Director. Between that and the weddings I shoot, I can afford more than a shoebox—at least a size eleven one-bedroom in the Loop.

I simply love living in Lincoln Park. I love my old apartment with the exposed brick and high ceilings. I love the neighborhood—how I can walk to the farmers’ market every Saturday, enjoy coffee at one of the six local coffee shops, all within three blocks of each other, and sit outside on my four-by-four metal patio, reading a book in the sun while people-watching. If I didn’t love it the amount that I do, then I would have moved last year.

I get off the train at the station before the stop for my office. Two blocks east and a few extra minutes from my building is the Tipsy Bean, my favorite coffee shop.

Walking in, the aromas instantly fill my nose, making this Monday turn around. What completely revives it is the friendly face waving at me from the couch opposite the door.

“No bike this morning?” Chloe asks me.

I roll my eyes and catch her up to speed on the events of my morning.

People dream about being best friends with their coworkers. Chloe Henry was that dream for me. She no longer works at Nelson and Moore, but that didn’t stop us from our Monday morning coffee dates—a routine that has been going almost five years strong.

Chloe was hired a year after me, and at the time, our desks were right next to each other, even though we were on different teams. She works in events. Our paths crossed for the launch of a new lip gloss for Second Chance Beauty. I was blown away by her ability to command an event from planning to execution.We became best friends shortly after. Once I introduced Natalie and Chloe to each other, the rest was history.

Chloe left the company after being recruited to work on the Natural Cosmetics event team as their Head of Events. Her role requires her to travel extensively domestically and internationally for launch parties and brand trips with influencers. Chloe planned Natalie’s trip to Costa Rica last summer.

“When did you land?” I ask Chloe, passing her an iced oat milk latte with a splash of honey. I sit in the opposite corner of the couch, tucking a leg underneath me.

“Late. Took the red eye, so after midnight.”

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