Page 4 of All at Once

If anything’s fate, it was meeting Georgia during freshman year orientation at University of Dove Cove. Our mutual obsession with Taylor Swift’s music may have been what first sparked our friendship, but our default to laugh at the silliest things has kept us inseparable ever since. One of the qualities that makes Georgia so special is her thoughtfulness. The way she always makes time for people who she cares about. And how she notices details that are often overlooked by others.

To my dismay, she was already asleep last night when I got back to our small apartment by the Dove Cove marina. So as soon as she walks into the kitchen the next morning, I hand her a cup of coffee, not wasting another second.

“You’re never going to guess who I saw yesterday,” I blurt, feeling like I’m going to burst at the seams.

“Who?” she asks, almost uninterested, but clearly just still half-asleep.

“Enrique!” I eagerly reveal.

“Who?” She squints, trying to put a face to the name in her mind.

I guess I’m alittleexcited.

I take a breath, and then explain, “The guy from Spain who was studying abroad freshman year from my lit class.”

She snorts. “The one who you asked if his last name was Iglesias?”

Nowshe’s awake.

And of course she also remembers this. “Yes, him.” I sigh. “Anyway, he’s been staying with his cousin who lives here, and he’s leaving today. But he also invited me to stay at his family’s resort in Spain.”

Georgia’s eyes grow as wide as mine were yesterday. “His family owns a resort? Damn.”

“I Googled it last night, and the place is honestly breathtaking. Like for a second I was thinking that I should actually go.”

“To Spain?” She narrows her eyes at me. “On your own?”

“What if you came with me?” I ask, trying to make this sound less insane.

She sighs. “I can’t, I’m working. And I don’t have enough vacation hours right now.” When she senses my disappointment, she adds, “I know it sounds fun, but going to Europe by yourself and out of nowhere like this? Isn’t that a bit spontaneous for you?” This is the ultimate Georgia response that I don’t even bat an eye.

“Okay, yes I agree. But it’s a new experience, and I’m just so tired of nothing changing. I feel like I need to do something, and maybe this is my push to finally do it,” I argue.

She looks down at her coffee, taking a long sip. Clearly thinking hard about this. “Actually? Maybe you’re right. Maybe it is the perfect opportunity.”

Georgia is definitely the more logical one out of us two, so I question if I misheard her when her response shifts this quickly, momentarily stunned silent before snapping myself back to the conversation.

“I think it could be great especially since I don’t have a job right now,” I say.

The only time I’ve ever been “laid” is the job I got laid off from two weeks ago as a publicity coordinator at a major publishing company. After the initial shock of losing the closestthing I’ve had to a career faded away, a part of me felt a little relieved, knowing how I wasn’t enjoying the role. Though I wish I still had another job, at least I have the time now to do something I wouldn’t have had before.

“Who knows if I’ll have a chance like this again for a while?” I add, giving Georgia a knowing glance. “And you know how much I liked him.”

“I know.” She raises her brows and grins. “You wouldn’t stop talking about him for an entire semester.”

“That’s why I’m saying there has to be a reason why I bumped into him. Don’t you think this is fate?” My delusional side is starting to seep through.

And she senses it.

“I wouldn’t exactly make that conclusion yet since you barely know him. But like you said, this could be your chance to experience something new,” she says before walking to the sink and rinsing her coffee mug.

“Exactly,” I say. “Plus I’ve always wanted to go to Spain.”

“Oh your parents are going to love this.”

I groan internally, her words reminding me that it’s Sunday, therefore family dinner tonight. And now suddenly, I’m dreading the inevitable conversation that’ll result from bringing this up to my parents.

“I just know what they’re going to say.” I mimic their predicted condescending tone, “That I’m crazy for even considering it, not to mention also irresponsible and distracted. Then they’ll try to discourage me by pointing out all the reasons why I shouldn’t go.”

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