Page 87 of Silver Linings
“You’ll have to freestyle. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“You’re always throwing me into uncomfortable situations where I’m put on the spot,” I huff.
“Don’t act like singing ‘ What Dreams Are Made Of’ in front of a crowd wasn’t a transformative experience for you. I was there.” He grabs my arm, pulling me in the direction he wants me to go. “Silver! I’m stealing your boyfriend for a minute.”
Pink creeps into her cheeks at the use of the term ‘boyfriend’, but she doesn’t correct him. “Okay! But be gentle with him. He’s delicate.”
“We both know that’s not true.” I shoot her a suggestive wink, further deepening her blush.
Kena gasps next to me, clutching his pearls. Literally—he’s wearing a pearl necklace.
We head about two hundred feet in the opposite direction of where we left Silver, and each step away from her has me aching to run back, but I also want to get on Kena’s good side since he’s her best friend.
Walking up to the antiques vendor, I see what Kena was talking about. This guy looks more likely to be a butcher for the mafia than he does a furniture salesman.
“I already told you my price is final.” His New York accent is thick, and his ire is directed fully onto my friend.
“I understand, Vinny. I just brought my contractor over to take a look. I want to make sure it’ll fit in the space I’ll use it for.”
Kena nudges me, and I start walking around the mahogany cabinet with filigree embossing. It was a nice piece of furniture, tall and sturdy, but nothing crazy. I make a big show of opening the doors, tapping around the inside, bending down and checking the fluted styling on the legs. Then I see the price, and I realize our friend Vinny here is a scam artist.
I stand in front of Kena. “He’s charging four grand for that?”
“I know, it’s insane. I’m trying to get him down to three.” Kena shoots daggers at Vinny over my shoulder.
“I could make that for you.”
His head whips in my direction. “Come again?”
“I mean, this is kind of what I do. My family owns a furniture design business back in Seattle. I grew up doing this.” I don’t need to go into the specifics of the family drama behind it all, but I would be damned if he got taken advantage of like this.
“How much would that cost you?” Oh, he’s serious. Part of me thought he wouldn’t take me up on it, and I didn’t want to hope for more than what I’ve already been given recently, afraid to jinx my good luck.
“Materials would probably cost a few hundred. With labor, we could round it out to a grand?”
“Hey!” Vinny yells, finally catching on to what we’re discussing.
“I’ll give you two grand.” He sticks out his hand to shake on it.
I shake my head. “That’s too much.”
“Let’s make it two and a half. Know your worth.”
And goddamn, if there isn’t something inspirational about that. Something that makes my chest flutter uneasily. It couldn’t really be that simple could it?
“I’ll get you some sketches by the end of next week?” I slip my hand into his and shake.
“That’s perfect.”
We turn and head back to where we left Silver, Vinny shouting a trail of expletives as he chases after us. We weave through stall after stall until I see her, head thrown back in laughter at something the person next to her is saying as they rifle through boxes of tchotchkes. I stop and stare, struck stupid by how beautiful she is like this, carefree, with sunshine pouring down over her skin, making her glow.
Kena clears his throat, and when I turn, he’s looking at me, looking at his best friend with a knowing smile.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
I want to tell him I love her, that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she feels that love and security every day. But I don’t want to tell him before I tell her. “To put it mildly, yes, she’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.”
His grin stretches wider.
