Page 106 of A Moment for Us
My hand sits at the top of the swell, waiting and willing them to do it again. After a bit, I feel it again. Josh’s smile tells me he did as well, and I feel like things in my life couldn’t be any better.
* * *
Today we are having a girls’ brunch. I love how my friends think they’re so sly. My birthday is in two days, and they’re not fooling me on why we’re doing this.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Ronyelle asks.
“Because life is a beautiful thing, my friend.”
While I go to brunch with Jessica, Stella, Ronyelle, Winnie, and Kinsley, Josh and his brothers will be painting and assembling furniture. My mother, in all her impatience, went and bought an entire bedroom set for the babies.
We had no idea until the boxes started showing up at the house.
“And why is that?”
“Because I am happy, having babies, and my boyfriend loves me. Which neither of us ever thought was possible.”
She rolls her eyes. “That man has fried your brain.”
“He has.”
“I am so glad you can’t drink, if love impairs your judgment this much, imagine what some booze would do.”
I stick my tongue out at her.
“Where are we going to eat?”
“Stella found some place a town over. She swears the food is great.”
“I can’t wait until the Firefly is open. Josh was telling me about the two restaurant options they’ll have.”
Ronyelle nods. “And with Stella deciding things, you know the food is going to be good.”
“And the drinks even better.”
On the ride over, we talk about work and how busy our production schedule is. There have been rumors that Ronyelle will be promoted again and additional rumors that I will get her position. A few months ago, I would be praying for that to happen because not only is it more money but also much better hours. Gone would be the shifts and rotating schedule.
Now, though, I don’t know if I want that added stress. My life is about to be stressful enough.
“It’s not going to happen,” she says again.
“You don’t know that.”
“Come on, we both know that I am never going to get the job because they’ve never once had a woman in that position.”
She’s right. The owners are dicks that way, but Ronyelle is the most qualified.
“It’s unlikely, but it’s possible.”
She gives me a side-eye look. “Stop it.”
“Fine, fine, but if it does happen, don’t put my name in to fill your spot.”
“What?” she yells. “Are you insane?”
“I know, but . . . I don’t know if I want to take over all that work with two newborns. Plus, Josh is busy with the resort and while I have no intention of working there when it opens, Josh will probably be putting in a ton of hours and our lives are going to be on overload.”
Ronyelle blinks a few times. “You’ve always wanted that position.”
