Chapter 3
Chapter Three
On Saturday, I meet my sister, Daphne, for lunch in the neighboring town of Lake Wakahanra.
She’s three years older than me and married, with two energetic kids under five.
Physically, we could pass for being twins.
We both have shoulder-length light-brown hair, stand about five-foot-five, and got the same icy-blue eyes from our parents.
Personality wise, however, we’re polar opposites.
Daphne has always boasted an easy, go-with-the-flow approach to life, while every step I’ve taken has been meticulously researched and carefully calculated.
Daph always jokes it’s a required trait to work in a STEM field, which is partially true.
Some people are just born organizers, and others are meant to be free spirits.
I’ve spent the last half hour bringing her up to speed on the Dylan fiasco.
“Well, all I can say is good riddance, Ava. I never liked him anyway. He always struck me as self-centered and unaware. And it looks like I was right. I don’t know what you saw in him.
He isn’t good enough for you. I hope he has a miserable start to his new life in Denver.
” She takes a sip of her tea, laughing into her cup.
“He’s in Fort Collins, but close enough.”
“Whatever.”
“And please don’t bad-mouth him. He’s still my friend.”
“I wish you’d cut ties with him.” She wrinkles her nose. “Friends don’t treat one another like Dylan treats you. I bet he hasn’t even called to apologize for the callous way he broke the news to you.”
“No.”
“And how long has it been?” she asks.
“Three days. But he might be out of cell range or busy driving,” I offer, suppressing a grimace.
“Quit making excuses for the guy. He’s a grown man. You’re probably more worried about him than he is about you. Anyway, the more important thing is that you move on. Don’t waste any more of your brainpower or tears pining over a guy like him.”
That’s easier said than done. I lean back in my chair and stare out the window, watching some of the boats sail past the restaurant on the lake. It’s a beautiful warm fall day. Everyone around us is in a great mood, talking about the upcoming Harvest festival hosted by Sequoia Valley Middle School.
Except for me. All I can think about are past memories of Dylan. It’s as if somebody’s taken a rubber band and keeps snapping it against my wrist, causing flickers of pain. I still remember the first time we met, crystal clear.
“Hi, I’m Dylan.”
“Ava,” I say, not looking away from skimming the course syllabus being handed out.
“I must’ve lucked out to get such a smart and talented woman like you for a lab partner.”
I snort. “Nice try at flattery, Dylan, but you don’t even know me.”
“That’s what you think, Ava Brown, but you’re wrong. I know exactly who you are.” His voice sends a shiver up my spine. “You’re the top student in our year, you spend most of your afternoons in the library, and your favorite food is the pho from the student union. Does that sound right?”
I glance away from the syllabus and into the handsome face of the man sitting next to me. He flashes me a Cheshire cat smile. His brown eyes sparkle with mirth. I swallow hard. Dylan Conti. Of all the people I could possibly be paired with, it had to be him.
“It does.” My voice quivers.
“Good, because just like you, I don’t just want an A in this class. I want us to be number one. I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to get it.”
From the starting gate, we were both on the same page.
I was afraid Dylan would be one of those guys who slacked off and couldn’t pull his weight on a project.
But each step of the way, he proved me wrong.
He spent more time in the library than I did that semester.
And he always came to class prepared, with a fresh set of ideas on how to run our assigned experiments.
We spent so much time together that by the end of the term, we’d become good friends.
“Ava, what are your plans tonight to celebrate the end of finals? Are you heading to Joe’s party?”
“No, I didn’t think I was invited. We’re not really friends,” I say slowly. “I was planning to relax and binge-watch Project Catwalk or The British Baking Championship.” I stare at the ground. “I actually don’t really know anyone in our cohort very well. Except for you.”
“Well, it’s time that changes. You have such a bright personality. Everybody deserves to see it shine.”
I giggle to myself. It’s such a lame pun, but somehow the way Dylan says it makes it sound sexy.
“Joe invited everyone in the class over to his place. That includes you. If you want to go, I’ll even pick you up. I know how much you hate driving in the snow.”
I hesitate. This is so far out of my comfort zone.
“I know how intimidating it can be to hang out in a room full of strangers, but I promise, the other vet students in our year aren’t that bad,” he says.
I take a deep breath. I promised myself vet school wouldn’t be a repeat of my undergrad years, where I lived like a hermit. Dylan’s right. The other students in our cohort wouldn’t be here if they weren’t as motivated and driven. My throat goes dry. “Okay, I’ll go.”
He flashes me the cheeky smile I’ve come to know well. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
Attending Joe’s end-of-finals celebration wasn’t the frat party I had pictured in my head.
There were no kegs or hot, stuffy rooms full of twenty-year-olds dancing to loud, blasting music.
It was a potluck in a dining room filled with adults who enjoyed stimulating conversations.
But I never would’ve known that if it hadn’t been for Dylan’s urging.
As I return to the present, I wonder how I could have been so blinded by him.
I always thought his flattery and flirting were signs he had a crush on me.
But I guess I should’ve picked up on the fact that he always gravitated toward women who looked like Victoria’s Secret Angels.
Not women like me who dress for comfort and wear their hair in a long braid, with baggy blue scrubs and tennis shoes.
“Maybe I should’ve tried harder. A little makeup wouldn’t have hurt,” I mutter.
Daphne’s head snaps in my direction. “Ava, did I hear you blaming yourself?”
“No,” I say quickly. Heat rushes to my cheeks.
“Good. Because you’re perfect just the way you are.”
I snort. “I should record you saying that for future use.”
“If you want, but I’m happy to repeat it.” Daphne shrugs. “Anyway, you know what I think would help you take your mind off things?”
“What? A blind date with one of your friends?” I joke.
“No.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re not anywhere close to being ready to date anyone right now. What you need is a vacation. When was the last time you took one?”
“That depends on your definition of vacation.” I pick up my water glass and take a long sip.
“I’m not talking about taking a day off here and there. I mean a solid two weeks off where you escape all your troubles and go off the grid. No phone. No working. No men. Just you and your surroundings.”
“Daph, I can’t. I’m the only vet on staff.” My body tenses. “If I took a vacation, it would mean closing down the practice for two weeks.” Not to mention the financial implications.
“Aren’t you also the owner?” she challenges. “Didn’t you tell me last month you’d managed to buy out Dylan’s half of the partnership?”
“I did. But that means I’m under a lot of pressure and have a lot more responsibilities than I used to.”
“All I’m hearing are excuses. If you’re the boss, you call the shots. Hire a temp, pick a date next month, and go. Your receptionist can handle running all the other stuff.”
Dollar signs flash before my eyes. Temps aren’t in my budget, but on the other hand, I do feel like I need a mental break from everything that’s been going on.
“I guess it could work . . .” I trail off as an idea comes to me.
“My friend Laura from vet school is always talking about wanting to visit California. If I offered her my apartment for two weeks rent free, maybe I could lure her here.”
“I sense a but.” Daphne pinches her lips together. “What other excuse are you about to throw at me?”
“Money is tight. I don’t know if I could afford to pay her a salary,” I admit.
Daph waves me off. “If you need a loan, consider it done.”
“But—”
“Look, you can pay us back by babysitting for us every Friday night for the next year. No more excuses. You’re my sister. You know Brian and I would do anything for you.” Daph reaches across the table and places her hand on top of mine. “Now tell me, what else do you need?”
I chew on my lip. “Do you think I could have you refresh the clinic’s reception area? Vicki is working on the website and marketing. Now that it’s my baby, I’d like it to reflect me.”
“Totally. I’ve hated the boring beige walls you guys have for years.” Daphne smiles to herself. “It’s time for some color—maybe something bold like orange and purple.”
“Orange?” I sputter.
“Uh-huh. It’s a color people won’t forget when they walk away. Why do you think Home Depot uses it?”
I open and close my mouth. “I, er, trust your vision, but it’s not exactly . . .”
Daph laughs. “I’m joking. Relax. I wouldn’t use orange. I’ll go with something more relaxing.”
Daphne is a talented, highly sought-after interior designer.
She’s done up many of the houses in the area belonging to the players of the Jasper Ridge Jaguars professional hockey team.
Her work has been featured in magazines and in popular architectural blogs.
As she’s grown in popularity, she’s started charging top dollar for her work.
But as her sister, I know I can count on getting the family discount—free. That’s a price I can afford.
“Thanks, sis.”
After lunch, Daphne and I head to the antique market. It’s one of the largest in this area of the state. Tents are set up throughout the entire downtown square, packed with families all taking advantage of the nice weather.