Page 46 of The Close-Up
I nod. “He just had this vibe. Like, super charming without saying a whole lot. It was all in his mannerisms, the way he smiled and made eye contact.”
Harper lets out a low whistle. I smack her leg.
“Cut Simon a break,” Harper says. “He sees this debonair guy walk into his apartment for a meeting fresh off a breakup, then try out a few flirty lines on you, his friend. He probably just wants to warn you because he cares.”
Inside, I soften the tiniest bit. Even if Simon is jumping the gun, he’s doing it because he cares about me.
“Maybe you’re right.”
I take in everything she’s said while I remove the sheet mask and set it on a napkin on the coffee table. She hands me the giant bowl of buttered popcorn we popped earlier, and I munch on a handful.
“Thanks for hanging out with me tonight, by the way,” I say. “I know you’ve been crazy busy with work.”
I notice she hasn’t checked her texts or her email once since coming home from the office this evening. Unusual for a workaholic like her.
“You’re my cousin and best friend. Of course I’ll do that for you.”
“How’s work going?”
Harper leans her head against the armrest of the couch. “Fine. I’m just freaking exhausted.”
“Fifteen-hour days will do that to you, Harper.”
“It’s not just that.”
Even with the sheet mask covering her expression, I can tell by her strained tone that she’s stressed about something. It’s a strange change of pace. She’s always been someone who thrives off work stress. The more deadlines she has to keep up with, the more impressive her pace and stamina.
“What is it, then?” I ask.
She shrugs, then sighs. “I think I’m getting burned out.”
“You’ve been working these impossibly long hours for the past what? Seven, eight years? You’re well within your right to scale back.”
“Yeah, but... I don’t even know if I want to be an architect anymore.”
I sit up to look at her. Her normally focused eyes now read weary. I can’t remember the last time my unflappable cousin looked so unsure of herself.
“Seriously? That’s all you ever wanted to do. Even when we were kids, you spent playtime drawing houses and buildings. You’d talk about how you couldn’t wait to grow up and actually design them someday.”
“Right. And that’s exactly what I did. I think I’m just bored with it now.”
I quietly muse over Harper’s words. She’s always been so certain of her career goals. But now that she’s second-guessing her lifelong dream, I don’t know even know what to say to begin to comfort her. So instead, I reach for her hand, hoping that it helps a little bit. The wet white material of the sheet mask crinkles as she smiles at me.
“Whatever you want to do, do it. You’ve spent years working so damn hard, you deserve to do something that makes you happy.”
“What if I want to do some crazy, irresponsible thing?”
“Harper, I know you. You’ve got your retirement fund maxed out, a two-year emergency fund, and three years’ worth of living expenses saved. You don’t do irresponsible, at least not the way the rest of the world does.”
“But what if one day I just said screw it. I quit my job and became a beach bum?”
“Then I’ll pack extra sunscreen and spend every weekend visiting you.”
I squeeze her hand in mine. Even with the barrier of the sheet mask, I can read the hesitation in her expression.
“Seriously. No matter what you decide, as long as it’s what you want, it’s the right thing to do,” I say. “And I’ll be there for you through it all.”
“Thanks, Naomi.”
