Page 7 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
But I’m desperate to save my career. And I need her help to do it.
“Actually Ingrid, things are kind of trash right now.”
“What do you mean? Are you okay?”
I let out a breath before I dive in. “I’m fine, it’s just…I lied to you last night, Ingrid. I’m sorry for that. I’m a fucking mess, and I owe you an explanation.”
Chapter4
Maya
“Ican’t believe I kissed Theo at your party last week.” I take a long gulp of my mimosa until my nose burns.
“Ha, yeah. Weird.” Ingrid clears her throat before downing the rest of her blackberry mimosa, then flags down a nearby server. “Another round, please,” she says in a squeaky voice.
“Are you okay?”
She’s nodding before I even finish speaking. “Yeah! I’m good! It’s just…” She shakes her head and stares out the nearby bay window of the restaurant at La Jolla Shores Hotel, which overlooks the beach. For a long moment, she watches the crystal blue waves crashing along the shore before turning back to me, a tight smile on her face. “It’s just, uh, weird….like you said, you walking up to Theo and, um, kissing him.”
She clears her throat again before chugging from her water glass. When the server drops off a fresh round of mimosas for us, she downs half of the fizzy liquid in her champagne flute, then coughs.
“Ingrid, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m sure.” This time her smile looks less forced. “Hey, your earrings are gorgeous.”
I gently touch the dainty half-circle brass earrings I’m wearing. “Thanks.”
“You made them, didn’t you?”
I nod. “Out of that antique brass we found at that random flea market.”
Ingrid beams at me. “Gorgeous. You’re gonna be a famous earring designer someday, I know it.”
“Ha. Tell that to my brothers.”
“Don’t say that. I bet they’d be proud of you for starting your own business.”
“They’d be more likely to lecture me for changing jobs for the millionth time. They both think it’s kind of ridiculous that I’m working for you as your personal assistant since you’re my best friend.”
As embarrassing as it is to admit, it’s true: I’ve had a million jobs and have yet to find a career that I enjoy, and a lot of my family writes me off as a massive flake because of it.
“When are you gonna let me showcase the pairs you made me on my Instagram?” Ingrid asks. “If you cranked out a bunch and showcased them online, I’m positive you’d make a killing.”
I smile despite the punch of doubt that lands at the center of my chest.
Maybe when that thought doesn’t completely terrify me.
Designing and making jewelry is something I truly love. My dream is to someday have my own line of earrings, but the thought of putting my work out there for people to judge and criticize freaks me out…and it would be yet another career failure that my family would look down on me for.
“I’ll think about it.” I down more of my mimosa and glance at the beach. “Such a pretty view, right?” I say in an attempt to change the subject. Even though we’re inside, I can still pick up on the faint salty ocean smell in the air.
Our server drops off a plate of fruit and pastries, and for a few minutes, we eat and chat.
Ingrid sighs. “I still can’t believe my cousin showed up to my party.”
“You and me both,” I mumble as I finish the rest of my mimosa. My mind drifts back to a week ago when I walked up to Theo and kissed him.
Despite how much I dislike him and his cocky attitude, I still can’t get over how hot he looked. Yeah, he’s always been attractive, but time has been very, very kind to him. He’s gone from boyishly good-looking to ruggedly handsome. Instead of those floppy blond surfer waves I remember from my twenty-first birthday, his hair is cut in a fade style with short, clean sides and length on top. Faint crow’s feet flank his mesmerizing whisper-blue eyes. Even as I silently swoon over them, I can’t help but grind my teeth in irritation. He’s gonna age like a fine wine with his killer bone structure and that glowing skin. Goddamn it.
