5. Vorfreude
CHAPTER 5
VORFREUDE
T he night Tim came over to discuss getting Jake and Laura back together didn’t just give her an opportunity Addison a chance to reconnect with an old friend; it felt like a more mature, independent experience, one not overshadowed by Jake and Lexi.
She and Tim had always preferred more intimate settings, forming close bonds with a few people. Back when they hung out as a group, Jake and Lexi were the extroverted center of attention while Addison and Tim chatted quietly in a corner. Most of her time then was spent with the group or alone with Lexi or Jake, leaving little room for a true friendship to form between her and Tim.
Now, without Jake and Lexi, Addison found herself enjoying Tim’ s company more than ever. His sense of humor and balanced approach to work and social life inspired her to show her fun side. I can’t believe he’s single. The women in this town are really missing out.
Addison looked forward to Tim’s silly texts and stories about the people he met through his job in commercial real estate. As a specialist in restaurant and retail properties, he always had the inside scoop on what was happening around D.C. That evening, he had invited her to the opening of a new German restaurant on Capitol Hill.
“You want all these new places to thrive,” he remarked. ‘‘But it often feels like the prequel to one of those rescue shows, like Kitchen Nightmares or Restaurant Impossible. After a while, you can tell which new owners will succeed and which ones have more ego than skill.”
“It must be hard to watch people put everything into a place you know won’t make it,” she said, plucking a tiny sausage from a passing hors d’ oeuvre tray.
“Absolutely.” Tim gazed around the cramped room.
“And what’s your prediction for this one?” she asked with a conspiratorial smile.
“ Es wird geschlossen .”
“Bless you?”
Tim laughed. “You don’ t speak German, I take it?”
“You do?”
Tim laughed. “Oh, not a master of the German language?”
“You are?” she asked, surprised.
“Not really. I dropped my Duolingo subscription ages ago." He shook his head with a sigh. "But yeah, this place won't last. The chef is talented, but he has no business experience. Unless he gets a partner who understands the hospitality industry, you'd better enjoy the German food while it lasts."
They put the future of the little restaurant out of their minds for the rest of the evening, eating until they were ready to burst and dancing to the Bavarian folk band.
Later that night, Addison collapsed into bed, still laughing. Somehow, Tim was even more fun in his 30s than in his 20s. She felt full in a way that had nothing to do with food. Lying there, she realized how much she had missed his presence in her life—a delightful reminder of their easy friendship and how much she valued it. Saturday, still buoyed by the previous night's joy, Addison looked forward to spending some quality time with Lexi. She hoped their watercolor class would be just as fun as her evening with Tim.
She hurried to meet Lexi at their favorite store, Shop Made In D.C. They often came here to browse, but this was the first time they’ d signed up for one of the workshops. Addison wasn’t particularly artistic—especially compared to a trained painter like Lexi—but she’d suggested they do something that didn’t involve eating or drinking for a change.
Lexi made a funny face at her from inside the store as Addison entered. “Your face will get stuck like that if you’re not careful,” Addison said sagely.
“Eh, I’m ready for a new look anyway,” Lexi replied, leading Addison to the long tables in the back with watercolor supplies. The place had filled up early with pairs and groups of friends, but Lexi had gotten there early to save them seats.
“Did you shop while you were waiting?” Addison asked, noticing the shopping bags occupying their seats.
“You know I can’t resist this place.”
Lexi got a little carried away every time they were at Shop Made IN D.C., but she insisted she was helping the local artisans who sold their work through the store. Lexi could justify most things she did, a quality Addison admired. She wished she could be as confident in her decisions as her friend.
Painting in the beautifully drawn array of flowers the instructor provided was relaxing. I need more nights where I just relax.
“How’s everything going?” Lexi asked while mixing the perfect shade of cherry blossom pink on her palette.
“Nothing much to report with work other than dealing with Kyle and trying to stay firmly on the partner track.”
“I was thinking less about your work life and more about your personal life,” Lexi chided. “Please tell me you’re spending your evenings with a man, not just Prickles.”
“But—”
“Since I’m guessing you’re about to say, ‘Prickles is male,’ I’ll clarify. Human man.”
Damn. She got me.
Addison’s work tended to overshadow her personal life since she only had Prickles waiting at home for her. When she was starting out, Addison had rightfully claimed that her long hours were necessary to prove herself at the firm.
It wasn’t entirely true anymore. At just 30, she was a partner-track rising star. Her reputation often preceded her in court, earning her the respect of opposing counsel and judges.
I wish it wouldn’t start a whole thing if I told her I had restarted my friendship with Tim. I don’t have the energy for all of her questions about that.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll find a boyfriend when I’m ready and have more time,” Addison said.
“Excuses, excuses. You’ll say that until you’re as old as your granny.”
Addison seized her chance to deflect the attention. “Then you can tell me about the lasting love you’ve found on your hookup apps.”
Lexi gasped, putting her hand on her heart in mock horror. “There are tons of wonderful eligible bachelors in my five-mile radius who would make good husbands. I’m just not interested in them.”
“So we agree to let each other do our thing?” Addison said.
“You got me again. I agree.”
The friends painted and discussed everything except their love lives. Addison felt her jaw unclench and her shoulders relax for the first time in a long while. It felt good to just be with Lexi.
“What do you think?” Lexi asked, showing Addison her work.
“You’re disgustingly talented, of course.”
“I think so,” Lexi said with a little shoulder shimmy. “Why have you only painted two flowers? We’ve been here for ages.”
Because I’m careful, and you’re wild? And I love that. I wish I could go with the flow and enjoy life like you do. It’s what fascinated me from the start of our friendship.
“I’ll get there. Let me go at my own pace,” Addison said, dipping her brush in diluted pink paint and wiping it on Lexi’s arm.
“Oh, you’re lucky that’s my favorite color,” Lexi threatened. She busied herself with painting a spare image from the instructor as Addison slowly completed hers.
After the class, they carried their artwork to the pier and sat a bench facing the river.
“Do you remember the night we became friends instead of just roommates?” Addison asked.
Lexi smiled at the memory. “Of course I do. You saw me telling off some guy at Irish Times and came over to jump right in to argue on my side. It was pure alchemy. I couldn’t believe my good fortune to have you start telling him off in this organized, logical takedown. All of that after a three-hour class. You were magnificent.”
“I’ve had your back from the moment we met and always will. And, let’s be fair, you’ve always been the truly magnificent one. I love the way you see the world. You’re so free and open to experiences. You’re an artist in all aspects.”
Lexi laid her head on Addison’s shoulder. “I might not be as polished as you are, but I’ll always fight on your side, too. Especially when you need a little chaotic energy to mix things up.”
“My fierce warrior. Best friends forever?” Addison asked.
“Forever.”
When she got home, Addison set her watercolor painting on the kitchen counter and snapped a quick photo for Tim. As she hit send, her phone buzzed almost immediately with his response.
Tim: Looks like it was a successful night. Was Lexi able to pay attention long enough to finish hers?
Addison: Our ADHD queen did more than that. She painted two of them in the time I did one.
Tim: You let her lap you?
Addison: You know she’s unstoppable once she gets locked in.
Tim: Funny, that’s how I would have described you.
Addison felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words. Should I see if he wants to come over? She quickly dismissed the idea. No, that’s not the message I should send at 9:30pm. As she hesitated, her phone buzzed again.
Tim: Are you tired? Or could I possibly talk you into a drink?
Her heart skipped a beat. Should I? She bit her lip, the sensible part of her wanting to say no, but another part—the part that had been having so much fun with him—nudged her forward.
Addison: Depends.
Tim: Come on.
Addison: Convincing.
Tim: ??
Addison: That did it. That single emoji is the winning argument.
Tim lived in Georgetown, too, so they decided to meet at Martin’s Tavern, a short walk for both of them. On her way there, Addison’s heart fluttered with nerves.
Why am I feeling like I’m going on a date? It’s just Tim. He’s not looking to date me, and I’m not looking to date him. I’m not. Am I?
She had left right after they decided on a location, not giving much thought to her appearance. She was still in her outfit from the watercolor class, so she looked fine enough. Should I have put on something cuter?
Addison paused at the door to Martin’s. I need to get over these strange thoughts before I see him. It’s Tim. Lexi’s Tim. Jake’s Tim. My friend. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the racing thoughts.
Addison whirled around, slamming right into Tim’s chest. “Hi,” she mumbled, her voice muffled by his shirt. She stepped back, feeling the awkwardness of the moment settle in.
“Hi.” He smiled at her, opened the door, and gestured for her to go in first.
They followed the host to a booth. The host seemed particularly excited to tell them they were sitting in the famous Booth #3, the Proposal Booth.
“What?” Addison coughed.
“It’s where JFK proposed to Jackie O!” the host said enthusiastically.
“Addie, we’re literally sitting on history,” Tim said, winking at the host, who spun around and walked off.
“Better than stepping in it,” Addison shrugged.
They sipped their Irish coffees and caught up on their weeks. Tim told her about a difficult client he was dealing with and asked her for advice on how to charm them to diffuse the situation.
“Please, Tim. You’re naturally charming. Just be you,” she said confidently.
“Oh, I am?” he said.
Endlessly.
Addison cleared her throat and tried to recover from sounding like she was fawning over him. “Look at your track record. Clients love you.”
He looked a little deflated. “I’ll figure it out. So, how about you? How are things going with Kyle? Have you launched him out of a window yet?”
Addison rolled her eyes. “He should be thankful his dad got him a job. I can’t believe there are people like him out there who are so incapable and still manage to fall into opportunities the rest of us have to work our asses off for.”
Wow, I’ve been holding back some anger about that.
“It’s so irritating. I’ve had to deal with the prep school crowd most of my life. I went to public school, which was a bad thing where they’re from despite it being fine here. But in the real world, no one cares if you don’t have that street cred on your resume. High school. Who cares? But they do. It’s a fraternity of its own. Those guys will always be ahead of us because of the life they’re born into.
Interesting. Compared to me, you led a charmed life growing up in this area.
“I get it. I don’t know if you remember this, but I’m from a tiny town near the mountains. We aren’t backward hillbillies, but our school system is nothing like what you had here. It felt like I had to work doubly hard to get into a good school.”
“And look at you now,” Tim said with a proud smile. “You’re fast-tracked to the top of a prestigious firm. Sometimes, hard work does pay off. You made this happen, Addie. The Kyles of the world might always land on their feet, but they don’t have the character and brains that you do.”
Addison felt a warmth in her chest. Jake had always understood her ambition, but with Tim it felt different. He seemed to recognize not just her drive but the long hours and sacrifices she had made to get here. It was rare for someone to see that part of her so clearly.