20. Talia
Talia
The next afternoon, Talia arrived at Lighthouse Books half an hour before the event was supposed to begin, only to find the seats already filled.
She was a bit surprised, not because she didn’t believe in Sam’s ability to draw a crowd to the store, but because it was one of those rare sunny and warm days at the beach, and usually that meant people wanted to be outside picnicking and building sandcastles while watching the surfers on the waves.
But there was palpable buzz about this author, and Sam had designed an event that stood out from normal book signings.
First, there was the workshop with the local origami artist, and afterward, the author would arrive and give a talk and then autograph books.
There would also be some light bites inspired by the author’s work—charcuterie and fruit cut and shaped like roses, a nonalcoholic cocktail called “Tiny Kindnesses,” and mini chocolate ice cream sundaes with mulberry syrup, because there had been a news article somewhere that mentioned that this was the author’s favorite flavor combination.
Talia gasped as she took in what Sam and Kenneth had done with the store. All the bookcases had been pushed to the sides—she knew what a gargantuan effort that had been—and then draped in cascading fabric that matched the yellows and blues of Chloe Quinn’s book cover.
In the center of each bookcase, a couple of shelves had been left visible, and Sam had filled them with displays of Tiny Kindnesses: How Your Small Actions Can Change Everything.
Instead of the lighthouse looking like a store that sold lots of different books, he had transformed the space into a lighthouse that shone its spotlight on one book, and only one.
Talia was sure the author would feel Sam’s tremendous admiration of her work as soon as she stepped foot inside the shop.
A momentary pang of something flared in Talia’s chest.
Ideal Life Queen Elizabeth: There seems to be increased activity in your basal ganglia and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, perhaps indicating jealousy.
Talia frowned at herself. What? Because of Sam and the author?
“Hey, you’re here!” Sam jogged down the staircase and hopped over the rope with the sign UPSTAIRS AREA CLOSED.
WE’RE SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE that cordoned off the steps.
He’d blocked off the second-story nonfiction section, since that’s where he and Kenneth had stashed all the extra books from the main floor.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” she said, giving him a hug. She held him a little tighter than usual; that irrational echo of jealousy still lingered.
Ideal Life Queen Elizabeth: You are experiencing continued spikes of activity in your basal ganglia and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Would you like some suggestions to alleviate your current emotions?
Talia ignored Queen Elizabeth. “Looks like you’ve got great turnout,” she said to Sam.
“I know. I’m thrilled. And this isn’t even everyone. Kenneth is up to his eyeballs at the register with preorders ready to be picked up.”
“Is the author here yet?” Talia asked with as much nonchalance as she could feign.
“Not yet, but she and her fiancé got in last night. They’re staying down in Half Moon Bay, and her publicist confirmed they’d be on time.”
Talia didn’t hear anything other than “her fiancé.” She let out a long exhale, relief following as the jealousy left her lungs, while at the same time thinking, Since when do I care who Sam likes?
Only last week, Talia had badgered him about Kayla the caterer, and Talia hadn’t felt anything about it then.
Well, mostly not.
But maybe that was because she knew Sam wasn’t serious about Kayla. They just went out every now and then. Whereas he had been so excited when Chloe Quinn’s name appeared on The Grid. Talia hadn’t seen Sam want something—the book tour stop—so badly since he’d bought Lighthouse Books.
Ideal Life Queen Elizabeth: I am again detecting a slight increase in the activity in your—
Talia whipped off her Omni 3Ds and crammed them into her purse.
“Everything okay?” Sam asked, eyeing her purse.
“Totally. I just realized I don’t need them right now. It’s Sunday, and you always say no tech for Sunday Lunch.”
He smiled. “Yeah, sorry we’re missing that today. But thanks for being here even though there aren’t any tacos.”
Talia laughed. “I’ll order double next weekend.”
“Fine by me. Next weekend is your turn to pay anyway.”
She socked him lightly in the arm, and they were their old selves again.
The origami-folding workshop was a success, with the artist teaching everyone three kinds of origami—a rowboat made out of a dollar bill, a classic Japanese crane, and of course, a paper rose.
Chloe Quinn arrived on time, as promised, along with her fiancé, Oliver, who acted as both Biggest Fan and assistant, writing down reader names on Post-its while they waited in the signing line so that Chloe wouldn’t have to ask them how to spell their names.
He and Chloe shot each other quick, adoring looks throughout the entire event, and Talia’s jealous flash did not have reason to return.
Mostly, though, she noticed how alive Sam seemed, happy to be the generous but almost invisible hand behind the scenes orchestrating the event.
In Talia’s friendship with him, she’d always been the one leading.
Not that he was a mindless follower. It’s just that it could be hard for two CEO types to have such a long and close relationship.
But Sam was smart yet not an alpha personality, so it worked really well.
Neither Talia nor Sam stepped on the other’s ambitions.
Still, she had always defined success as something external—valedictorian, fancy university degree, selling your startup to a company like Google or Omni.
But watching Sam be himself and thriving in his cozy, not-famous business made her think that maybe success could look different for different people.
He didn’t need to be popular on social media or in the news headlines.
He was happiest when he could just do the things he loved.
When the last book was signed and Sam had sent Chloe and Oliver off to a local restaurant with an ocean view, Kenneth closed out the register and flipped the sign on the door to CLOSED.
“Need me for anything else?” he asked.
“No,” Sam said. “You’ve done more than enough for a weekend, Kenneth. Thanks so much.”
Kenneth saluted and pulled out a joint as he left. He lived just a ten-minute walk from the lighthouse and would presumably unwind with a smoke on the way.
Kayla was cleaning up the long table where she’d had her snacks and cocktails on display.
Sam crossed to the other side of the floor where Talia waited.
“Congrats,” she said. “That was such a cool event!”
“Even better than I could have hoped.”
His face glowed, still on the high of how well it had gone. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. And the way he looked at her, all soft and warm, suddenly made her joints go loose and tingly at the same time.
She hadn’t felt this way about anyone at the singles mixer Thursday night. She’d played the numbers game, and she’d come up empty.
But maybe that’s because she’d already won a long time ago?
Was Sam the one she was meant to be with?
Talia’s breath caught in her throat.
He’d been there all this time. On the other end of every text. At every important event in her life. And without fail, at Taco Bell with her every Sunday.
How had she failed to recognize it? Ideal Life Queen Elizabeth had even pointed out Talia’s spikes of happiness whenever she was about to see Sam, but Talia had chalked it up to being excited to spend time with her best friend.
He was still looking at her, although now he raised a brow in question. She’d been staring at him, mouth hung open.
Talia rushed across the space between them and kissed him.
Sam froze.
And he didn’t kiss her back.
“Oh god,” Talia said. “Oh god, oh god, I’m sorry, shit, what the hell was I thinking!”
He rubbed his hand over his mouth, speechless as he stared at her.
Had she ruined their friendship? All those years spent building this incredible thing they had, gone in one impulsive, indulgent moment?
“Pretend it never happened,” Talia said. “You know how trucks make that beeping noise when they reverse? Let’s beep beep beep… Oh my god, I sound like an idiot.”
Her eyes shot to her watch.
“Talia, no—”
But Sam was too late. Talia wound the watch crown backward. Just a couple of minutes, but it was enough.
Kayla was cleaning up the long table where she’d had her snacks and cocktails on display.
Sam crossed to the other side of the floor where Talia waited.
“Congrats,” she said. “That was such a cool event!”
“Even better than I could have hoped.”
His face glowed, still on the high of how well it had gone. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled.
Talia averted her gaze so she wouldn’t see the way he looked at her, all soft and warm. She held her arms and legs straight so her joints wouldn’t go loose and tingly.
Instead, she caught Kayla watching them, probably trying to gauge whether Sam and Talia were going upstairs together tonight, or if Talia was truly just a friend, as Sam had told her before.
“Um, well, I’m really happy for you,” Talia said a little louder than necessary. “I should probably head out now. Lots of work to do.”
“Do you really have to go so soon?” Sam asked.
Talia knew it wasn’t like her to cut and run like this, especially not after he’d pulled off something big that mattered a lot to him, but she couldn’t stay.
Not only because the mortification of Sam’s lips unmoving on hers still reverberated through her.
But also because she’d promised him she wouldn’t rewind and change his life without his permission.
And that unreciprocated kiss was not something she could confess.
She gave him a quick hug with plenty of distance between them, arms barely touching, and whispered, “Have fun with Kayla.”
Then she fled the lighthouse, taking the book she’d bought and all her conflicted feelings with her.