Page 113 of Hotter in the Hamptons

Her whole life stretched out ahead of her, glittering with promise. She heated up some maple syrup and then drowned the French toast in it.

While she ate breakfast, she doodled idly in her new drafting notebook, a sketch of a dress design copied from one of her textbooks. She was still working up the courage to fully commit to fashion drawing, but what she’d created so far was encouraging, and her professors wereenthusiastic about the talent she was already showing two weeks into her certificate courses.

She finished drawing the dress, and then, because it was her birthday, she drew a huge bow at its waist.

***

Lola spent the afternoon doing her favorite things. She went to the Beacon’s Closet near NYU, trying on Gen Z’s trendy castoffs; she got a manicure at Salon M, choosing Big Apple Red for her short, round nails; she got a blowout at Jenna Perry; she stopped into some of the interior design boutiques near her apartment, looking for inspiration.

Now that Justin had moved all his stuff out, her home felt alarmingly bare. She wasitchingto redecorate. She had filled several Pinterest boards with photos of other people’s homes. She gravitated toward images with lots of rich colors and decadent patterns, power clashing. But she was also trying to be more financially responsible now that she wasn’t taking on new brand deals. So for now, her walls remained bare.

It was not lost on her that she was spending the entire afternoon of her birthday alone, something that would have horrified her just a year ago. But it was exactly what she wanted. She loved the feeling of spontaneity, of following her instincts as she wandered in and out of shops, not having to consult with anyone else on the series of micro-decisions and content opportunities that make up a day. She felt free.

Finally, it was almost 5:00 p.m., and she couldn’t kill any more time. She went back home to get ready for dinner.

As she did her makeup in the bathroom mirror, she got a text from Colette:Can’t wait to celebrate you tonight!

Over the past few weeks, Lola and Colette had hung out so manytimes, she’d lost count. The first time was to meet over coffee to discuss their work together. They’d stayed so long, talking about everything from their childhoods to their dating histories to their favorite designers, the coffee shop asked them to leave because it was closing time. After that, they simply got together to walk around different neighborhoods, popping into little vintage stores as Lola began to assemble Colette’s book tour looks.

Colette apologized several times to Lola for her behavior in Cherry Grove. The first time, while they walked down Mulberry Street drinking oat milk lattes, Colette said, “I think I was so mean to you at first because it freaked me out to see Carter with another girl who looked like a model. It really had nothing to do with you. I just kept thinking, if that’s her type, why did she ever dateme?Did she even like me at all? I couldn’t stop comparing myself to you, and I’m really sorry.”

Lola had already forgiven Colette, but it was nice to hear. “It’s really okay,” she promised. “For the record, youdolook like a model. But I get it. None of us should be judged by our worst moments.”

Colette had narrowed her eyes at Lola and then grinned. “You’re kind of wise,” she’d said.

Colette apologized two more times after that, until Lola told her to stop. “I’m not dwelling on it, and neither should you,” Lola said and hugged her.

Lola had never really been a girl’s girl, and she was starting to realize how much she’d missed out on because of that. Having Colette as a friend was one of her favorite parts of her new single life.

Even Aly was okay with it.I had a feeling you’d become friends, Aly texted Colette after Lola had begged Colette to get Aly’s official blessing on the situation. Lola felt weird about them hanging out so much without Aly knowing. Aly had added:It makes me happy. Don’tworry. Have fun. Maybe someday I’ll tag along too. I’m not ready yet, but I hope someday I will be.

“See?” Colette had waved her phone in Lola’s face, showing her the texts. “She’s much chiller than she makes herself seem.”

Lola had laughed. With the worry about Aly’s feelings lifted, they became even closer.

Now, she texted back,Thanks, love. See you so soon!

***

Lola wore her pink Miu Miu flats so she could walk the ten minutes to Café Altro Paradiso without getting blisters.

It was one of those perfect September evenings when it’s finally cool enough for a leather jacket but warm enough that you’re not shivering. She’d recently scored an oversized black motorcycle jacket from L Train Vintage in Williamsburg, one of the only destinations that could make a trip into Brooklyn worth it. She thought it looked cool with her red, bias-cut silk dress; it signaled that she was chic, but she was stillfun.

The sun was setting over Soho, reflecting off the concrete in gold and lilac. Lola couldn’t help smiling to herself as she walked up to the blue awning of the restaurant, and people walking by her smiled back. It was contagious, this kind of joy.

A handsome man with thick, black hair and dimples leaving the restaurant held the door for Lola with a twinkle in his eye. She smirked at him, her face growing hot as she entered, but didn’t turn to look back at him once she was inside because there, in the center of the dining room, at a long table lit by candles, were the people she loved most in this world.

Her parents wore their reading glasses as they peered over a menutogether, her mom in a purple knit cardigan and her dad in a blue button-down. Across from them were Ryan and Emmett, holding hands, looking fashionable as hell in their designer T-shirts. Down the table, Colette, in a black slip dress, was there with Jess, who wore a navy chore jacket.

Lola took a sly picture of them before approaching. She wanted to remember her friends and family like this, waiting for her.

All throughout the restaurant, groups of people were leaning toward each other, laughing warmly over bottles of wine and plates of pasta. The golden light from the sunset trickling through the big windows combined with the candlelight on the tables gave the space an enchanted feeling, like anything could happen here. The air itself seemed to sparkle. Every face that Lola’s eyes landed on was more beautiful than the next.

“There she is!” Ryan cried, leaping out of his chair and hugging her. “The birthday girl has arrived.”

She kissed his cheek. “Thank you so much for organizing this,” she said.

He waved her gratitude away. “Anything for you.”

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