“Let’s see how well I like living in London with Stephan. But yes, if things work out I expect we’ll get married. If we don’t work out,” she tips her head and shrugs before continuing, “I guess I’ll come back.”
After looking at my shocked expression she gives me a hug. “I’m not planning on getting married in the next year, and anyway, we’ll always be friends. It might just be more of a Skype relationship than a hanging out relationship.”
My gut feels empty thinking that Juliette might be living six thousand miles away. The other princesses are either here or are heading back here, but if Juliette goes to London to be with Stephan, we’ll be lucky to see her even on vacation.
***
Isabelle comes back into town with great stories of living in China and her travels around Asia and Australia. She moves back home as she figures out what to do next, telling us, “My parents laid down the law. I either need to get a job or go back to school.”
We all meet for happy hour, Juliette calls Kelly, she’s in Boston at her parents. We pass the phone around and all tell her she’s missed. If you include the voice of Kelly, it’s the first time in two years the seven of us have been together.
Kelly makes it back the weekend after Meredith and Juliette graduate, and a few days before Juliette leaves for London. Figuring we need a weekend together, we all head up to Isabelle’s parents’ house in Tahoe. I drive with Olivia and Jennifer, who tells us about coming up to Tahoe a few weeks ago with Isabelle and Juliette. According to Jennifer, they took her on some kind of crazy death march to the top of High Camp.
“I had to walk up that damn hill only to find out when we got to the top they have a pool, hot tub, restaurant and a tram that could have taken me up” Jennifer complains.
Olivia is sitting in the back seat laughing at the story. Jennifer turns around and tells her, “You think it’s so funny? Those two are crazy, I got all caught up in their Pioneer Women thing. Every time I complained I had to hear that they hiked these mountains in long dresses and crappy shoes.”
Olivia responds, “Hey, that pioneer women crap inspired me when I first got to the camp in Jordan. Though, if I was alive in the 1860s, I wonder if I would have ever left New York.”
I fill in, “If you were alive back then, you’d be living in the Middle East, wearing a burka, and being subservient to some guy.”
Olivia shoots back, “Only Muslims wear burkas. I’m not Muslim. Anyway, don’t act like it would have been so much better in India.”
“You’re right on that,” I respond, thinking how little has changed for women in either of our ethnic homelands.
Jennifer adds, “It could be worse. I’d be in China padding around on my big toe.”
Which only makes me add, “I am so glad to be living now, here, and with all of you as my friends.”
Chapter 25 – Blow up
Sitting at my desk one morning, I hear a big commotion. It’s a couple of men’s voices yelling from down the hall. Like an idiot, I run over to see what’s going on. When I get there I see a couple of guys holding back Chris, the Marketing Director, as Sid stands red faced with his arms crossed. As Chris is led away, he breaks from his escorts and says, “Don’t bother, I quit.”
Sid puts his hands up and says, “The show is over, folks, everyone back to work.” I can still feel the anger rolling off of him as he heads into his office. I have no idea why Chris and Sid were arguing. As the day progresses, the rumors run rampant.
Meeting up with Caroline and Kami for lunch, Kami leans in and tells us, “The most logical rumor is that Terri dumped Chris and is now seeing Sid.”
Caroline adds, “She’s an overlapper. I think she’s one of those women whose boyfriend finds out she’s broken up with him when she’s dating someone else.”
“Why would you think that?” Kami asks.
“Carol over in finance told me that’s what she did with the last guy,” Caroline confides.
“Doesn’t dating Sid put her back in the chain of command again?” I ask.
“Only if this rumor is true,” Kami responds.
“How many guys are going to quit before someone gets rid of her?”