Page 51 of Sort of Seeing Someone

Us?

“Wait,” I say. “Are youinvitingmeto do an escape room...with you?”

“I am,” he says, debunking my interpretation that he was simply offering me a coupon I’d never use.

“I thought I told you small spaces make me nervous.”

“Yeah, but I’ll get us out,” he assures me.

After the person in front of me pays for her book of stamps, I’m officially next. Panicked they’ll send me to the back of line if they catch me breaking the cardinal cell phone rule, I have no choice but to take the path of least resistance to get off the phone ASAP.

“Fine. I’ll meet you there at seven.”

“How’d it go?” Liv asks when I slide back into the passenger seat of her car.

Neither of my sisters were willing to loan me their wheels to do my post-office run today, but Olivia offered to drive me. Considering her perfect-for-kids, three-row Honda Pilot basically sits dormant in her deeded garage spot, she figured her errands could include me today.

“Great. Where to now?” I ask, knowing that I’m her hostage while Nora’s kids are in school. “Trader Joe’s for some cookie butter?”

“I was thinking a manicure,” she says.

“Self-care,” I comment. “I love that for you.”

“This isn’t for me,” she says, peeling out onto a busy street called Ashland. “This is for you. You need a warm body that’s willing to hold your hand.”

“Is that some sort of dig about me being single? Because I probably won’t be for long.”

I’m not really in the mood to discuss it right now, but it feels good to say this out loud. Brody is on his way to Chicago, which means I’m basically one text or call away from getting my love life back on track.

“I could care less about who you’re seeing these days. It’s more aboutwhatyou’re seeing. And as your favorite older sister, I can’t in good faith let you walk around with the ability to flex your Exexveei muscle and have no clue what you’re doing with it. So, you’re getting a mani and I’ll walk you through everything.”

I hate to admit she’s right, but Liv has a point. I need palm-reading practice and a mani seems like an easy way to do this inconspicuously. A few minutes later, she parks the car in front of a nondescript nail place. Before we get out, she makes me swear I won’t mention any of this to Nora.

“Is she really going to be jealous we’re going to a manicure place without her?”

“It’s not about getting your nails done,” Liv explains. “She can’t know that I’m peripherally dabbling in this shit. We promised each other we’d swear it off. Okay?”

“Okay,” I say.

Liv holds out a pinky and forces me to hook mine with hers and seal the promise with a kiss.

“Can I help you?” a lady asks as we walk through the door. The smell of nail polish and acetone tickles my nostrils.

“She’d like a manicure,” Liv says, pointing to me.

“What kind?”

The lady gestures to a service menu on the wall.

Regular manicure, French manicure, Spa manicure, Russian manicure…the list goes on and on.

“What’s theSpa manicure?” Liv asks about the most expensive option.

“It has an extra-long hand massage,” she says.

“Perfect. She’ll do that.”

I flash big eyes to Liv. Does she plan on paying for that upgrade?

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