Totally Worth It, page 25
“We’re definitely going.”
“You nervous? To see Julie? I mean, since you’re with Jesse now?”
Lexi spread her legs wide and began to stretch. “I guess a little.” She bent forward over her right knee, then her left. She twisted her head to the side, keeping it parallel with the ground. “Let me just ask you a question,” she started. “About her and Sam.”
“I’m not sure,” Meg answered before Lexi could even get the words out.
“How do you know what I’m going to ask?”
Meg looked at her. “You want to know if there’s something going on with them, right?”
“Is there?”
“Would that bother you?” Meg asked, working at a patch of dandelions.
Lexi sat upright and stretched her arms above her head. “No. Not really. I know it shouldn’t.” She moved her shoulders in small circles. “It’s a little weird, though.”
Meg speared her small shovel into the dirt. “Look, I’ll tell you this, because I’m your friend. If it bothers you, get over it.” She looked right at Lexi. “Because whether it’s happening now or not, I don’t know. But if they’re not hooking up yet, it’s just a matter of time, trust me.”
“You think so?” Lexi sounded surprised but not upset.
“You said yourself a million times that Sam always took Julie’s side over yours and stuff.”
“True.” Lexi considered the concept.
“I’ve actually thought about this a lot.” Meg pushed the handle of the gardening tool back and forth in the ground. “I think what probably happened was Sam realized pretty early on that she was into Julie, but you guys were already, you know, whatever, so she had to back off.” Meg paused. “But now, you’re with Jesse…” Meg took off her gloves, drying her damp hands on her dirty shirt. “You don’t really care, Lex, do you?”
Lexi nodded. “No, you’re right, I don’t. I was just…I didn’t see it coming. But I’m happy for them, if it’s what they want.” She finished with a shrug of her shoulders and stood up, shaking out her whole body.
“I can’t believe you’re going running in this heat,” Meg said from her position in the grass, but she was distracted by one of the new renters waving at her from down the street.
“Gotta stay in shape,” Lexi said, backing toward the sidewalk. “In case you hadn’t noticed, my ninety-year-old girlfriend has a slamming body.”
*
Meg hitched a ride to the pub opening with Lexi and Jesse. She hadn’t been out at all since Memorial Day weekend and was excited for the potential of tonight. She loved Brooklyn. She loved her new home too, but she had missed her old stomping ground more than she’d realized during the last year. She was happy to be out with her two best friends, happy for them that they were together, and she was secretly hoping her new friend Taylor might make it to the opening as well. Meg had told the new renter about the event when she stopped by while Meg was fixing her yard. The girl seemed genuinely enthusiastic, but she’d also informed Meg she was enrolled in summer session and had a big exam on Monday, so her presence tonight depended entirely on how much work she was able to accomplish in the afternoon.
Still, Meg was optimistic. It certainly beat her other prospects. Becca had been calling her steadily for a week and a half, emphasizing with each message that they needed to talk. Meg had dodged all the calls, letting them go to voice mail, and left all the texts unanswered. She suspected Becca was still shocked Meg had turned her down at The Kitchen two weeks earlier. Becca was not one to take rejection without a fight, and for as much as Meg was proud of her restraint and completely confident in her decision, she figured it likely Becca would be here tonight, and she wasn’t wholly confident that after a few drinks she would always be so strong.
She was three-quarters of the way through her second drink, enjoying the pleasantly tame conversation between Lexi, Jesse, Julie, and Sam, who were all being overly nice to one another, when she noticed Mia’s head above the crowd. It offered the perfect diversion, and Meg was genuinely excited to check in with her and find out what she’d been up to lately. She was just about to excuse herself from the group when Mia spotted her, and Meg saw something in her face change. And then Meg noticed Mia clasping someone’s hand. It took Meg a second to recover, and she knew her surprise showed, as much as she wished to God it hadn’t, as she watched Mia drop Becca’s hand.
Both Mia and Becca stared at her blankly before they turned back to each other. Mia whispered something to Becca, and Becca nodded agreement. Meg watched them interact; she couldn’t tear her eyes away. They were so familiar with one another, their subtle touches not those of the recently acquainted. She saw it then, the intimacy between them, and recognized it as something she’d never experienced with either of them. Meg felt the lump in her throat even before Mia started over.
Mia hung her head more than she needed to. “Meg, I’m sorry,” she offered with a look that was more pity than remorse.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Meg looked into her glass, disappointed to find it was mostly ice by now.
“We didn’t mean for it to happen.” Mia lifted her shoulders. “It just did.” She glanced behind her, checking on Becca’s status at the bar, part of their staggered approach. Meg witnessed her concern for Becca and almost gagged on the spot. Turning back to Meg, Mia added, “We actually kind of owe it to you.” She smiled awkwardly.
It had probably come out wrong. Meg could tell Mia was uncharacteristically nervous—she was overtalky and her voice had a kind of shrill shake to it. It didn’t make Meg feel any better. “You’ve got to be kidding me, that’s what you’re going with?” Meg’s anger was there in force.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know, Meg. I don’t know what to say.”
Meg took a sip of her nonexistent drink. “You can stop apologizing, I’m not that surprised. Becca’s beautiful. And let’s be honest, you never pretended you weren’t shallow.”
Mia took the shot in stride, blinking heavily. When she opened her eyes they were glassy, and Meg thought she might be genuinely distressed over the turn of events. Mia quickly looked over her shoulder again for Becca, using the opportunity to swallow her emotion. “Look, I know you’re hurt.”
“Don’t worry. You guys can relax. I’m pretty sure I’ll survive.” Meg didn’t even try to mask the animosity in her voice.
“Come on, Meg. Don’t be like that.”
“Like what? Pissed off that my ex-I-don’t-know-what”—she gestured at Mia with her empty drink—“is with my ex-girlfriend? Sorry, but it’s frustrating and annoying and, truthfully, just a bit high on the ick factor for me.”
“I am sorry.”
“Yeah, you said that.”
Meg was looking for an escape and caught Jesse’s attention. Jesse beckoned her with two fingers and Meg heeded the silent advice, barely nodding as she walked away from Mia, and putting on a forced smile as she passed Becca.
Jesse put an arm around Meg’s shoulder and grabbed Lexi’s hand. She leaned in between them. “Let’s get out of here. I know a great little spot, perfect for the three of us.”
*
A full week later, Meg had completely recovered. Honestly, she was pretty much over it that very same night, when Jesse had taken her and Lexi to the quaint Mexican joint hidden amongst Brooklyn’s pre-war factories that lined the water’s edge. There in Red Hook they’d sat two stories high in the open air, overlooking the harbor as they sipped margaritas, noshing on empanadas and hashing out the situation.
Meg wasn’t heartbroken, as Mia had suggested. She was more embarrassed than anything. She felt like an idiot, imagining Mia and Becca initially connecting over her as their common denominator and ultimately finding happiness with one another where neither of them had found it with her.
Jesse and Lexi had let her vent. They both seemed to genuinely understand where she was coming from and they’d commiserated with her. To their credit, neither threw out any I-told-you-sos. On the contrary, they’d let her yammer away, getting drunk and listing each girl’s shortcomings in full detail.
In her heart, Meg knew she didn’t want to be with either of them. They could have each other, and Meg imagined they did so, often, in their new bliss, the thought eliciting only a slight pang as it occurred to her. There was too much good in her life to let it really get her down. The past year had been amazing, complete with twists and turns, unexpected triumphs, and unforeseen hurdles, chock full of the moments big and small that change your life forever.
Never again would she settle for the shell of a relationship she’d had with Becca—she deserved more. And she wanted more than the mindless frivolity she’d shared with Mia. In some ways it was ironic: she wanted what she had so clearly seen they had with each other. She laughed inside, registering how annoying that was, but there was also a part of her that was kind of happy for them. Not happy enough to want to see them or anything, which was why she was glad that tonight’s party was an open house and not a social. She knew they didn’t have an invitation.
Meg sat quietly on her deck relishing this thought, finding solace in knowing that she didn’t have to endure their lovefest just yet. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, soaking up the last few rays of the setting sun. She was more than content, and the night, with its myriad possibilities, had yet to begin. Her phone dinged with a message, and she swiped it quickly to see if it was Teddy with some final update or Taylor checking one last time that it was okay for her to attend an open house when she didn’t even know the sponsor.
To her surprise, it was neither. Even though she had a hard and fast rule against doing any kind of work on Saturdays, Meg couldn’t resist what s.michaels@sullivanandson.com might have to say.
She tapped open the email whose subject line said only thank you.
Dear Megan,
I can’t thank you enough for all the projects you completed for me in the last few months. I realize this email is incredibly overdue, but I felt a touch awkward about the whole situation and didn’t rightly know what to say. Thank you seems to fall far short, considering the amount of time and effort you’ve put in.
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I am transferring to the New York office after the holidays. I look forward to finally meeting you and to having the opportunity to repay you in person for single-handedly saving my career.
Sincerest thanks,
Sasha
Meg really wasn’t prepared for such a genuine note. She must have had quite the reaction as she read it, because as soon as Lexi stepped out onto her own deck, her friend noticed.
“What’s with the face?”
Meg shook herself free of it and got up, meeting Lexi at the railing. “Weird email.”
“From who?”
“Sasha Michaels.”
“The Sasha Michaels? From your job?”
“The very one.”
“What’d she say?”
“Thank you, basically.”
“Hmm. Didn’t see that one coming. Not after everything you told me about her.”
“Yeah, me either.”
Lexi squinted into the dying sun. “Maybe she’s not all bad?”
“Maybe not. We’ll find out this winter.” When Lexi looked perplexed, Meg explained, “She’s moving to New York. Coming to work here.”
“Interesting.”
Meg shrugged. “We’ll see.” She put her phone down on the smooth top of the shared railing that divided the two adjoining decks. “Anyway, you guys ready for tonight?”
“Ready as we’ll ever be.” Lexi breathed out heavily. “We should be at the open house about nine, you know, provided we’re still alive by then.”
Meg laughed. “It’ll be fine. Where is Jesse, by the way? I thought I saw her crossing the street before.”
“She’s inside, in the bathroom. I caught a glimpse of you out here, staring at your phone with that bizarro expression.” She shrugged. “I was intrigued.”
“So you left her in there, by herself?” Meg said with another laugh.
“We’re all going to be at the same dinner table for the next two hours,” Lexi said, deadpan. “What’s another five minutes?”
They both turned toward the sound of the sliding door as Jesse passed through.
“Are you crazy?” Jesse started, but she clearly wasn’t mad. She came right over and looped her arms around Lexi’s waist from behind. “I’m not sure I’m even ready for this dinner tonight. Do not leave me alone with your parents, please.”
Lexi laughed, placing her hands on top of Jesse’s.
“What’s your game plan, kid?” Jesse looked right at Meg.
“Going over to Sam and Julie’s for a pre-party thing beforehand, and then heading over to the open house with them. I’ll probably get there the same time as you guys.” Her phone beeped with a text and she clicked on it, aware that a slow smile emerged as she read.
Lexi raised her eyebrows, waiting to be informed of the texter’s identity.
“Taylor,” Meg provided, a little shyly.
“Is she coming tonight?” Lexi asked.
“Yep.”
“This is the nurse? The new renter, right?” Jesse added for clarification.
“She’s not quite a nurse yet,” Meg corrected with a smile.
Jesse crinkled her forehead. “Aren’t you getting set up with Reina tonight?”
Meg hung her head and chuckled. “It’s not a setup. We’re just meeting each other.” She looked from Jesse to Lexi. “I would like to remind you that it’s entirely possible we won’t be remotely interested in one another.” She nodded emphatically. “And besides, there is absolutely nothing going on with Taylor. She’s new here. I’m just being friendly.”
Jesse and Lexi exchanged a look as Jesse spoke. “You buying it?”
Lexi shook her head in playful response and Meg rolled her eyes and laughed at her friends, who were so obviously teasing her.
“Who knows, Meg. This could be your night. One of these girls could be the love of your life.” Jesse smiled, dropping a kiss on top of Lexi’s head as she said it.
“Well you certainly have options, that’s for sure,” Lexi added with her dimpled smile.
“Get out of here, you two.” Meg waved them off, watching as they linked hands before entering Lexi’s house.
Meg picked up her phone and leaned back against the rail, taking a long look at the very top of the bridge just visible over the tree line. She turned and headed for the shower, replaying her friends’ last words over in her mind, wondering if they just might be right.
About the Author
Maggie Cummings is a new author with Bold Strokes Books. A lifelong New Yorker, she currently lives in the borough of Staten Island with her wife and their two children. She has degrees in English, theater, and criminal justice, and works in law enforcement in the NYC metropolitan area.
Totally Worth It is the first novel in the Bay West Social series.
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