Page 9 of When Glitter Meets Gold

I should tell him. Tell him I’m not actually serious. These lies today… They’ve gotten out of control.

“Kirby…” he says hesitantly. “Why don’t you go ahead and apply for that position?” And then as if a moment of great realization strikes, he adds, “You do produce pretty good work. I can’t fault you there.”

Two compliments.

I can’t fuss over my moral compass in a situation where Walter hands metwocompliments. It’s like a rare kind of solar eclipse, perfect alignment might never occur in my lifetime again.

I draw in a steadying breath. “I’d be honored to be considered for the position.”

Then Drew’s nudging my arm. “I knew you had a wild streak in there, Sara. You’re gonna crush this hike.” His smile lights up the entire lobby as he jogs to the revolving doors, calling back over his shoulder, “Man, I’m jealous I’m not going with you.”

3

SARA

Amber pounces on me the moment she spots me sneak back to my desk. She bundles me into a meeting room before yanking on a spiral cord, causing every blind to shake and quiver shut.

“That was a joke, right?” Amber places her fingers to her temples, groaning above the hum of the overhead lighting fixtures. “Back there, when you told our boss and Drew and literally everyone that you’re heading to Maine in a couple weeks. To hike! You’re not actually serious about doing it?” She shrieks. “Because if you are, you will simply die.”

I slump in a chair and throw my head against the seat. Amber is my closest friend; however, she does have the tendency to scare the shit out of me sometimes. For example, she has certain attributes that could be compared to those of a grizzly bear. Cute most of the time but if you poked it, it could rip you to pieces and feast on your sorry remains.

“No, I wasn’t serious.” I sigh, staring up at the ceiling. “You heard them making fun of me. I had to come up with something.”

She perches on the desk in front of me, swinging her long legs beneath her. “Couldn’t you have just said you took up archery or something? I mean, they’re going to expect to see you go through with this. Did you think about that?” She places both hands on her chest. “You know what, I don’t even care, we’ll think of something. I’m just glad you’re not actually going, because for a second, I thought you were headed toMaine.” She snorts a laugh of relief as she slides from the desk and slumps into the chair opposite me.

Time to poke the bear.

“I meant I wasn’t serious about the hike, but I have every intention of going to Maine.” I clasp my hands and wait to be clawed to death.

She springs from her chair.

“Come again?” she stutters, giving me a moment to analyze the severity of the vein that’s appeared in the center of her forehead.

“I did a little googling, and it turns out there’s a stuh-ning hotel just a stone’s throw from where this stupid trail starts.” I roll the chair to a row of monitors on the opposite wall. I quickly log on and bring up Whistling Acres Luxury Spa and Retreat.

The screen lights up Amber’s perplexed features as she takes in each slide. Beautiful rooms with crisp linen bedding, enormous marble-tiled bathrooms with claw-foot bathtubs, luxury robes, private saunas, and fine dining cuisine.

“It’s the kind of place they put the little flowers on your plate, you know stuck into the side of a melon…”

“How?” Amber barks. “How is staying at this admittedly perfect hotel going to convince anyone you hiked a trail across Maine? And how are you paying for this?”

“I’ll just use the money I planned to spend shopping inBoston, I’ll probably save,” I say, and I can tell she’s quickly losing her patience. “Anyway, I’ll rent a car, drive out to the edge of the trail, and snap a couple of shots. I hardly use social media so no one’s expecting me to document the whole thing. A couple of photos are all I need, then I’ll relax while my knots are worked out during one of many hot stone massages. And when I get back, Walter will think I’m adventurous, and Drew will think I’m a badass.”

Amber stares into an empty corner of the room, shaking her head and muttering as though she’s entered a dark void, “And this was her villain origin story.” Her eyes flick back to me. “You planned a whole ass trip from the lobby to…here? Do you know how diabolical and unhinged that is?”

I scoff. The plan isn’t entirely flawless, and the morals are somewhat debatable; but an hour ago, Walter didn’t think I had what it takes for a promotion, and now he does. I did what I had to…

Amber eyes me cautiously with an all too familiar glare. It’s the look she gives when she’s about to deliver some harsh truths. “Okay, I get why you’d lie to impress Walter, but don’t you think you should be honest with Drew?”

I shake my head. “Wait, you’re the one who said take an interest in the things he does.”

She groans. “I said take an interest, not fake a hobby. Sara, are you hearing yourself?” She hesitates, before her voice softens. “You spent so long in a relationship where you bent so far to turn yourself into what someone elsewanted, you almost broke. You lost yourself in the process.” She leans against a desk. “I’m not saying a white lie here and there doesn’t help a girl get ahead, this is corporate America, come on.” She sighs. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I miss the old Sara. The one who wore sequin dresses andattempted acrobatics on bars because the only opinion she cared about was her own.”

I chew on my bottom lip because she’s right. She’s always been right with this kind of stuff. She was the one who noticed me withdraw, get quiet, lose mysparkle, as she called it. She saw it all happen when I was with Mark. She saw it when I wouldn’t see it for myself.

“You’re right,” I say. “I’m such an airhead sometimes.”

“You’re not an airhead.” She shuts me down. “You’re just healing.” Then she takes a deep breath. “Okay, so does this mean you’ll reconsider Maine?”

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