Page 116 of Just One Season
I think it’s the second one.
CHAPTER 33
(Almost) Midnight Kisses
LUCY
Tuesday, December 31
“Lucy, hurry your ass up and get out here!” January screeches at me from Atticus’s family room. “We have pre-gaming to do.”
“Coming, you psycho!” I glare down at my phone, anger boiling in my belly at the text from my father.
Dad/Richard/Asshole
Happy New Year’s, darling. I’ve been thinking about you a lot since Thanksgiving. I know things got awkward. I would love to talk about a new role I’m creating for you at DC FC. When are you free?
The man does not take no for an answer.
And he owes me an apology for inviting Ron to our dinner. But he would never apologize. Because he never thinks he’s wrong.
Even after I brought Kellen to dinner, even after I assured him I am happy in Colorado and pursuing the England job, even after Kellen told off Ron in front of him, my father pretendsnone of that is true or important. He pretends I didn’t leavebecauseof Ron. Because my own father didn’t take my side.
But I’m really getting sick of thinking about all that.
I ignore the text and smooth my hair down in the mirror. January and Raleigh convinced me to get it straightened for tonight, and after hours at the salon, I look like an entirely different person. My hair is straight and much longer without the endless curls.
“I adore that dress, girly,” Raleigh says when I stride out into the living room, MBM trailing behind me.
I’m wearing a short, black, sparkly evening dress with long sleeves off my shoulders and a plunging V neckline, showing a bit of cleavage.
“Thanks, you look great too.”
“Not too much?” Raleigh looks down at herself and blushes. She’s wearing a belted maroon, sequin wrap dress, sleeveless with a scooped neckline. Add in dramatic eye makeup and bright red lipstick, and she doesn’t look like a boring pharmacist at all.
“If anything, too little, babes,” January pipes in. She’s in the kitchen preparing vodka tonics with an eye-watering ratio of vodka to tonic. “You’re still giving pharmacist vibes.”
Raleigh gasps. “Am I?”
“Definitely not, sis.” I throw a dirty look at January, who shrugs and leans down to scratch my dog’s head. He’s behaving and not jumping up on us for the time being, which is good because I’ll have to lock him in my room if he starts messing with our outfits.
“Hey, Janny? Can we not get trashed tonight?” I watch January add an extra splash of alcohol to the almost-full glasses.
January sashays over and passes me and Raleigh drinks.
“Why not?” She stares at me. “We’re finally all together! It’s been ages. We should celebrate.”
January is wearing a lace jumpsuit probably designed for twenty-year-olds with zero body fat and perfect curves, but shepulls it off with ease. The wide-legged black pants lead seamlessly to a sleeveless black and silver lace corset. Paired with high strappy heels, she looks like a runway model.
I wish I could be that confident in myself. In my life. She travels the world, hopping from one city to another doing freelance consulting. January’s managed to create a dream life for herself.
“Why not? Because this is my job. My boss will be there,” I attempt.
“Your job for, like, a few more months, max. And you can’t tell me this Lina person is going to be mad if you get a bit tipsy on New Year’s Eve.” January rolls her eyes. “Relax. You’re gonna get the England job.”
The morning after Kellen and I broke up, I got an email from Winchester FC inviting me to England for an in-person interview. Apparently, Lina had provided a glowing reference. And after hesitating for weeks, I asked the DC FC vice president of marketing and public relations for a reference. He had been my boss, technically, not my father. It still felt dirty to ask. I did it via email so I wouldn’t have to have a long conversation with him. He agreed to be a reference and suggested we schedule a call to catch up, which I never did.
Everything is coming together just as I planned.
