Old Sarah would have never finally applied to one of the positions, Julia—her BFF from college—kept sending links to when an opening came up.
Old Sarah wouldn’t be considering moving back to Holiday Springs before the holidays, so she could enjoy the spirit of Christmastime after celebrating Chanukah for its religious and spiritual purpose.
Old Sarah wouldn’t smile at the hordes of people walking in and out of a fancy hotel during the day, answering calls, and considering heading back to Holiday Springs this weekend to hang out with Faith and have some drinks at Blizzards. Also, to stock up on books from the Bookland Book Shop that are waaaayyyy kinkier than she read before… but is totally addicted to now.
Luckily, old Sarah is officially gone.
Julia walks out of the back office and slides the paperback copy of Bared to You in front of me. I exhale, relieved that my baby is back in my care. I reluctantly let her borrow it, but not until she signed a contract giving me her second-born if she left a single smudge on one page or dared dog-ear the book.
“Happy now?” She chuckles. “Your baby is home. Now let’s have our lunch. I had breakfast two hours ago, and my stomach is already growling. I’m starting that diet tomorrow—end of story.”
“Which is it this time? Keto?”
“Nope. I tried that last month. This time I’m doing Paleo.”
I slide the book into my bag tucked under the front desk, kicking off my navy flip-flops beneath and putting my black Cole Haan heels back on. Grabbing my purse filled with my paperback and lunch, I follow her out.
Once outside the building, we head toward our favorite lunch spot. As soon as I sit down on the wooden bench nestled beneath a green willow tree, Julia puts her hand over my forehead. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
I bat her arm away. “What do you mean, do I feel okay? I feel great. The sun is shining. I’m breathing—”
She interrupts me with a smirk, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Your missionary position loving ass is reading books about dominant billionaires, who wear suits and ties. You’ve thrown out those hideous stretchy pants you used to have in four colors from Target and switched to form-fitting dresses and skirts. You’ve been smiling for months. Even your hair is shining!”
I pull my salad out of my lunch bag, pop the lid off, and shrug. “Tastes change.”
“You’ve never changed,” she huffs, pulling out her turkey club sandwich. “I’ve been trying to figure it out over the last few months, and I’ve finally decided to just ask.” She takes a bite and closes her eyes, moaning. “I love cheat day. But I need to know the truth from you. Stat.” She opens her eyes, swallows, and pouts.
I laugh at the fact that Julia is pouting. Julia never pouts. Ever since college, she’s been the one to live free and always look on the bright side of things, whereas I was always the more predictable and calculated one.
“So not true. I’ve changed a lot in my life.” I avert my eyes—the lie is just too blatant.
She elbows me lightly. “Tell me what happened to cause the hundred pounds of invisible weight to lift off your shoulders so that you’re no longer caving into yourself trying to hide from… life. Tell me now, or I swear to God, I’ll snap your bra.”
Leaning back against the bench, I close my eyes and lift my face to the sun. “You really wanna know?”
“Oh my God, yes, or I wouldn’t have asked.” She throws her dark hair into a high ponytail like she’s getting ready for something big.
“I had a one-night stand.” I smile smugly to myself.
She takes another bite of her sandwich. “You’re so full of...” She stops, and I hear her gasp, her big blue eyes widening in shock. “Holy shit.” She swallows hard. “You totally did. You little hussy! And when? Why haven’t you told me? Spill it. And I mean every last detail.”
I tell her about Faith introducing us at the bar. A friend of her brother-in-law. I tell her about the room above Blizzards, and I tell her about the many orgasms. The tattoos. The suit. I tell her everything…except his name and the fact he’s Irish. Those things I keep to myself for no reason other than I want to. I treasure that night…my reawakening.
Sitting back at my desk, my head spins with the memories of the night of my most memorable,