Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
J ames Campbell texted me—Christine’s symptoms were a false alarm. That was the last I heard from anyone at Luxmore.
Three weeks later, I sat in a restaurant booth, scrolling social media while I waited for my friends to arrive.
A photo of Brooke popped up on my feed. She beamed from beneath a wide-brimmed hat and oversized sunglasses, her little black bikini showing off her perfect figure. In the background, clear water spread out below a hill covered in whitewashed buildings with blue window frames.
“Who needs Fiji when you can have Mykonos?” the caption read.
My chest tightened. Lucky for some . While Brooke was living it up overseas, I was struggling to make ends meet. I tossed my phone into my bag with a huff, glancing up just as Hannah and Nicole approached the table.
The first thing I noticed was the contrast of their outfits—Hannah in a jumpsuit with a loud, colourful print, and Nicole in a simple black dress. Hannah swept towards me, strands of her unruly dark hair escaping her loose ponytail. “Milly!” She threw her arms around me. “It’s so good to see you. How have you been?”
I hesitated. This dinner was supposed to be her going away party. I didn’t want to dampen the mood. “Oh, you know, just keeping busy. How about you? All packed for your big OE?”
“Yep. Sure am!”
“You must be getting pretty excited now.”
“I’m equally thrilled and terrified. It still doesn’t feel real, ya know?”
“London is going to be an absolute blast. You’re going to have the time of your life.”
As happy as I was for Hannah, my heart still clenched at how much I wished I were in her shoes. Travelling around Europe was a long-held dream of mine. A dream which felt further out of reach than ever.
Hannah looked at Nicole with a frown. “Too bad I won’t be able to make it to your wedding.”
Nicole waved her hand. “Don’t worry. It’s just the way the timing worked out. Lots of my other overseas friends can’t come either, and I wouldn’t expect them to. New Zealand is too far away.”
“Milly, you’ll have to say a little speech on my behalf.”
I couldn’t tell if she was joking or serious, but I played along. “If you write it, I’ll read it.”
“It’s a deal!”
The chitchat continued while we looked over the menu. I tried to work out what would be the cheapest and most filling option. Every dollar counted. “Hey, is it okay if we all pay separately?” I asked.
It felt awkward, but I knew I had to say something or risk getting stung.
“Fine by me,” Hannah said.
“As long as one of you does the sums,” Nicole said. “I’m not good with numbers.”
The waiter arrived, notepad in hand, and asked if we were ready to order drinks. Nicole and Hannah jumped in with their cocktail orders. Then it was my turn. “Just water for me, please.”
Nicole lifted a sculpted eyebrow. “Water? At least get a glass of wine or something.”
I squirmed. “Well, the thing is... I’m trying to save money.”
“So that’s why you’re hung up on paying separately.”
Hung up? That was a bit harsh. I hadn’t planned on talking about my unemployment, but now I felt a need to explain myself. “I actually got made redundant a few weeks ago.”
Hannah gasped. “Redundant? Oh no!”
“Bring her a glass of the house red,” Nicole told the waiter. “My treat.”
I shook my head. “You don’t have to?—”
“Consider it a ‘sorry you got shafted at work’ drink on me.”
“And I’ll buy your next drink!” Hannah said.
They were so enthusiastic, all I could do was sheepishly accept. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”
The waiter confirmed our order, then disappeared behind the bar.
Hannah leaned in. “So what happened? Why did you get let go?”
I fiddled with my napkin.
How should I explain this?
“Did you hear about what happened to the CEO of Luxmore?” I asked.
Nicole perked to attention. “He jumped off a roof, right? It was all over the news.”
Hannah’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my gosh. You mean he killed himself?”
I nodded. “That’s what started this whole mess. So, the CEO died, then a new boss came and started making all sorts of changes, including a big restructure. I was one of the unlucky ones.”
I wasn’t about to go into the whole Amelia Crook saga. This was all they needed to know.
“Oh man. That sucks.”
We fell silent for a minute. Then our drinks arrived.
Hannah swirled her straw, making ice clink against the glass. “You know, Milly, maybe losing your job is a blessing in disguise. It’s the perfect time for you to finally do your big overseas trip.”
“Good idea, but I don’t have enough money. Not to mention my student loan. I’ll have to start paying interest if I move overseas.”
Nicole frowned. “Ugh, don’t even get me started on student loans. What a rort.”
“Well, you never know what the future might hold,” Hannah said. “Maybe something will change, and you’ll be able to make it happen sooner than you think.”
Her optimism heartened me, even if I didn’t share it. “I hope so. Anyway, don’t worry about me. Tonight’s your night, Hannah. Let’s make the most of it.”
As the conversation shifted to wedding and travel plans, I did my best to stay engaged and positive. But inside, I felt like I was getting left behind while my friends moved forward with their lives.
Once Hannah left for her overseas experience, Nicole would be the only friend I had left in Auckland. All my other friends had moved to other parts of the country, or to Australia or the UK. And now Nicole was about to get married, cementing her place in that coveted next stage of adulthood. While my friends were building their careers, getting engaged, and jetting off to exotic locales, I was struggling just to stay afloat.
I took a deep, steadying sip of my wine, trying to push down the sense of dread and inadequacy. What if I couldn’t find a new job soon? Would I end up falling even further behind, watching helplessly as my friends continued on to bigger and better things?
The thought made my gut twist up in knots. I’d worked so hard to get to where I was, to build the life I wanted. And now, in the blink of an eye, it felt like it was all crumbling around me.
As Nicole launched into a detailed description of her wedding dress, I mustered up what I hoped was an interested smile. Now wasn’t the time to wallow.