If We Were Perfect - Ana Huang Page 0,5
got this riled up, but Olivia was, as always, the exception to all his rules.
Jessica appeared unfazed by his outburst. “For someone who claims he has no idea what she’s thinking, you possess a rare insight into Olivia’s reasoning.”
“When it comes to her career, she’s an open book,” Sammy said flatly. “Ambition above all else.”
He had no issues with ambition. It was one of the many things he’d loved about Olivia—her drive, her intelligence, her determination to succeed in an industry known for being a boys’ club. She was strong, smart, and loyal, and she loved the people in her life as fiercely as she did her work.
Or so he’d thought.
Perhaps that was why he’d been so blindsided by her actions after she realized his vision for his future—his, not hers—no longer fit into her neat, color-coded, perfectly planned-out life.
Love blinded even those with perfect vision. It was a lesson Sammy had never forgotten.
Their server took their orders, and Jessica waited until he’d left before she resumed her interrogation. “You must’ve known she was in town. Farrah must’ve told you,” she pressed. She’d only met Farrah twice, but she had a steel-trap memory. It was one of the reasons why she was one of the most sought-after lawyers in the Bay Area.
Sammy’s jaw flexed.
Farrah hadn’t told him, but he bet it would come up in their next conversation. She’d never given up on the hope that Sammy and Olivia would get back together, and her matchmaking attempts had intensified after she and Blake tied the knot. Blake and Farrah had had a nasty breakup in Shanghai, but they finally got back together after years apart. It took a lot of pain and heartache, but they got there. They were now so blissfully happy Sammy expected music to soar and spontaneous rainbows to arc over their heads whenever they were together.
He was happy for them, truly, but just because they sorted out their issues didn’t mean happily-ever-after was in the cards for Sammy and Olivia, too.
Blake and Farrah broke up because of a fucked-up lie from a third party; Sammy and Olivia had no one to blame for their relationship’s demise except themselves.
Besides, they’d ended things eight years ago. It was time for Farrah to let that shit go.
How about you try taking that advice yourself? A smug, unwanted voice in Sammy’s head whispered.
He batted it away and refocused on the blonde sitting across from him.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “So what if she’s in SF? It’s a big city, and we’re not friends.”
Not anymore.
Once upon a time, Sammy and Olivia had been best friends. Lovers. Dreamers. They’d shared and held each other’s hopes and wishes in their hands and woven a glittering tapestry of what the future would look like. But when those hopes and wishes changed, the threads frayed, and the discordance stretched the tapestry thin until the fabric tore, ripping itself and its owners apart.
“Let’s talk about something else,” Sammy said before Jessica could push him further on the subject. “Like your well-deserved promotion, which is why we’re here.”
Deflection: the world’s greatest weapon.
A grin spread across Jessica’s face. “One step closer to partner.”
“You deserve it.”
Sammy flashed a genuine smile. Jessica was a killer lawyer, famous among Silicon Valley’s movers and shakers for her sharp instincts and talent for reading people. She worked harder than most people Sammy knew, and she’d been promoted after helping her firm’s most important client—a major tech company—win a massive legal fight against the European Union. If she kept going at this rate, she’d make partner before she turned thirty-five.
They clinked glasses, and Sammy downed his sake in one smooth gulp.
He’d missed Jessica’s official celebratory dinner because of a last-minute emergency at the bakery. She’d insisted it was fine, but he’d been adamant about treating her to a make-up dinner.
He just hadn’t expected to run into his ex-girlfriend at the same restaurant.
What were the odds?
Then again, Sammy shouldn’t be surprised. Food was Olivia’s weakness, and she was always on the hunt for great new restaurants. He still remembered her spreadsheets crammed with information about various establishments—the type of cuisine, price point, number of Yelp stars, signature dishes, and additional notes (awards, dress code, cash only, etc). It was both impressive and terrifying.
Ishikawa was the city’s latest culinary hotspot, so of course Olivia would be here. With a date.
The server returned with their food, and Sammy dug into his noodles with a frown. Her date had left soon after she did, and he’d seemed too