Chapter 4
Chapter Four
JEMMA
I immediately catch sight of Gretchen and Suzy at their usual booth. Suzy’s hair is always an adventure, keeping in line with her unpredictable personality. Tonight, her new short pixie cut with soft pink highlights practically beams under the bar lights, making the pair hard to miss.
“Jemma! You made it!” Gretchen exclaims, leaping up to envelop me in one of her signature bear hugs. “Again, I’m so sorry about this morning.” She immediately hands me a glass of red wine. “Got your usual.”
“Thanks.” I say, reaching for the stem.
“I’m sorry too, Jemma. What a total crock of crap,” Suzy adds, taking a leisurely sip of her whisky, not bothering to get up.
I love Suzy’s blunt, no-nonsense approach to everything. There’s no beating around the bush with her. She’s always straightforward, and tonight is no exception.
“Total crock of crap,” I agree, taking a large gulp of the earthy, full-bodied wine, letting the bitterness rest on my tastebuds.
“And what a cruddy time to let staff go—during a holiday potluck—what a bunch of Scrooges.” Suzy huffs, twisting her tiny features upward in disgust.
Gretchen slides into the booth, curling up next to her girlfriend.
I take my spot, settling in across the table from the cute duo. “It’s OK. I’ll be just fine,” I mutter unconvincingly. “I’m glad you still have a job, though.” I nod to Gretchen. “Who else got let go after me this morning? Please tell me it wasn’t Anthony.”
My stomach drops waiting for her response.
She pulls in a deep breath. “Yes, Anthony and Sally Hemsworth from Sales. Oh, and that new guy Bill from Creative. Plus, a bunch of people from the ninth floor and all the temp hires. You’re lucky you were one of the first. Everyone was on pins and needles all day.
It was so awkward.” Gretchen frowns, then her eyes shift, practically lighting up.
“But let’s not dwell on sadness tonight.
Perhaps this is the fresh start everyone needs.
Maybe Anthony can finally be the stay-at-home dad he’s always dreamed of being.
And Sally—this could be the push she needs to start that jewelry line she won’t stop talking about.
As for Bill . . . Well, who knows what he’ll do, but maybe he’ll discover something amazing. And you, my dear friend—”
“I—I,” I stutter, cutting her off. “I actually have some big news,” I say, leaning in slightly, locking eyes with my friends.
“Spill it!” Gretchen urges, a curious twinkle flashing in her golden eyes.
I bite my bottom lip, nervous to spill the beans because that means it’s real, but the words just tumble out. “I’m going to Paris!”
Suzy’s jaw drops, and Gretchen claps her hands together, practically bouncing in her seat.
“That’s freaking amazing! I’m so glad you’re doing something for yourself for once. I see my pep talk worked this morning.” Gretchen beams proudly.
“You’re pretty convincing when you want to be,” I respond, running a finger along the rim of my glass.
“So, when do you leave?” Gretchen presses.
“Thursday night,” I say, feeling the gravity and the excitement of my impulsive decision settle in. “I booked my flight and an amazing vacation rental in the Marais. Am I crazy? I lost my job this morning, and now I’m taking the trip of a lifetime to Paris, of all places.”
“Crazy? No way! This is epic! You deserve every bit of this.” Gretchen lifts her glass high. “To new adventures and fresh starts. You deserve this, Jemma.”
I raise my glass to clink with hers.
“Speaking of adventures, can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything,” she replies without hesitation.
I know what I’m about to ask isn’t exactly a fun favor, but it’s an adventure of sorts. “Can you give me a ride to JFK on Thursday night? I booked the red-eye flight. I’d owe you big time. Please. Please,” I beg.
Gretchen takes a dramatic sip from her expensive cocktail.
“For you, I’d drive to the ends of the earth, darling.
” She chuckles. “But seriously, yes. That way, I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t chicken out.
” She winks. “Oh, but I’ll have to take Suzy’s car; mine’s on the fritz again. ”
“You’re the best—both of you. Thank you.”
“Don’t you mean merci? You do know some French, right?” Suzy asks in her dry, teasing tone.
I flash her a confident smile. “Je parle un peu francais. I took four years of it in college. I was good at it. Not fluent by any means, but I could hold a conversation pretty well.”
“Sweetie, that was eight years ago,” Gretchen kindly reminds me, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
Eight years ago—the thought gnaws at my insides. It’s been eight years since college. Two back-to-back corporate jobs devoured my free time in the name of security and money, only for it all to unravel.
Nope, I’m not going to think about that now.
“I hope you’ve managed to stash a bit more French in your brain since then,” Suzy adds.
With a playful smirk, I quip, “J’adore—” The French word for wine evades my memory.
My friends patiently wait for me to get it.
“Ah yes, j’adore le vin rouge. See? It will come back to me.”
“Slowly.” Suzy chuckles.
“Wow, I’m leaving for Paris in seventy-two hours!” I exclaim. “And I still need to pack. I have no idea what I’m getting myself into, do I?”
“Girl, please tell me you have your passport, right?” Gretchen asks, leaning in.
“Yes, Mother.” I giggle. “I know this is last minute, but I’m not one-hundred percent unprepared. I always keep my passport up to date—you know—just in case. But the real question we need to be asking is, what the hell am I going to pack?”
“Oh-oh!” Gretchen taps her hand excitedly against the table.
“You have to take my red long-sleeved dress—the one you gushed about last Christmas! I’ll drop it off first thing tomorrow morning.
Trust me, you’ll look stunning in it. And who knows?
Maybe you’ll even catch the eye of a hot Frenchman while you’re at it.
” She suggestively wags her eyebrows at me.
“Maybe,” I say, my cheeks warming at the idea.
Gretchen tilts her head to the side. “See, sometimes the universe knows what it’s doing.
I know things were gloom and doom this morning, but heck, Jem, look at you now.
You’re going to Paris. You wouldn’t have taken this leap if you hadn’t been fired this morning.
You’d still be saying someday. But that someday is in three days. ”
I tuck a loose strand of my braid behind my ear. “I suppose you’re right. Sure, I still need to do some major job hunting while I’m away, but I should take this time to enjoy myself too. Right?”
“Exactly! I was expecting a sulking fest tonight, but look at us—we’re here to celebrate!” Gretchen smiles and slides out of the booth.
Suzy follows.
“Let’s make tonight unforgettable, shall we?” Gretchen lends me a hand and tugs me toward the dance floor.
“Let’s,” I respond, ready to embrace my new adventure—or should I say, Je suis prête à embrasser ma nouvelle aventure.