Chapter 2 #2
Georgia picked up her wine glass and took a sip, sighing when the peppery Zin touched her tongue. It had been a hard week, and she needed to unwind—and some girl time.
Tonight, they met at Purr and Pour, a wine bar that housed adoptable cats, and Georgia’s favorite after-work watering hole. Not only did the wine loosen her up, but the cats were therapeutic.
“It was so big, I thought it was a rat. Its body was the size of a peach pit, and it kept staring at me with all eight of those beady eyes,” she said, referring to the spider that cornered her in the bathroom for over an hour, making her late to girls’ night.
When her younger brother was born, Georgia’s entire world changed. She went from being an only child, spoiled with singular love, to a part-time caretaker for Connor. She grew up fast, robbed of the carefree and magical part of coming of age.
Not that she’d change even a moment of it.
But on days like today, hanging with two friends who had a childhood bond, she wondered what it would be like to have lifetime ride-or-dies.
But she’d been too busy taking care of her brother, not to mention her mom—who shut down when things became dire.
And with spina bifida dire was a daily occurrence.
She’d met her friends in college and for the first time her world had opened a little.
She had friends and a life of her own—no matter how small it was.
So when she met Jake she kept him a secret because she’d already felt so guilty for going to college while Conner had been sick.
She didn’t want to be judged. Looking back, she wished she’d confided in her friends so she’d have someone to go through the pain of the breakup.
“Question two: When it comes to Jake, was it this big or you’d need a forklift to assist?” Roxy asked and Georgia nearly spit wine out her nose.
“Can you keep your voice lower,” she hissed. “I don’t want the entire bar knowing about my sex life.”
“You have to be having sex to have a sex life,” Roxy pointed out.
That was true. Georgia couldn’t remember the last time she’d had an orgasm with someone else in the room. Her vibrators might decide to open a B.O.B union for being overworked.
“I’m working on it.” Not a lie. “I went out with an accountant last night.”
Jane snorted, sending the cat on her lap leaping in terror. “He works with you. And you were a last-minute plus-one to his sister’s wedding. That doesn’t count.”
“We kissed.” Again, a truth.
“On the lips?”
They had her there. “Fine, if you promise to let the Jake thing go, I promise to go out with Henry’s friend.” Her friends shared a look that had a bead of suspicion igniting in her gut. “What?”
“That friend would be Jake,” Jane said, her face pink with what Georgia assumed was guilt.
Still, Georgia’s belly fluttered at the thought of a date with her first love. Did little cartwheels at the reminder of just how close they’d come to sharing a kiss last week.
“So you were going to set me up on a date with a guy who broke my heart?”
An orange-and-white tabby named Pumpkin Spice jumped up on the bar and cautiously sniffed Georgia before coming closer. Georgia picked the fur-baby up as a shield and cuddled him closely. A low purr radiated through Georgia’s body.
“A lot has changed since then, and I saw how you looked at him at the wedding. The expression in your eyes said it wasn’t end of story.”
“Our story ended when my family became too much baggage. So, while I might forgive him because he was young and on the verge of being a world-class athlete, he could have told me himself. Told me he had concerns—before he sucked me in with promises of forever.”
“He’s not that guy anymore.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m not willing to hand over my heart to find out. The only reason I went to see him was to convince him to be our ambassador. He said no.”
“So you’re just done?”
“I wish,” Georgia said, and another silent conversation passed between her friends.
“You’re going to give it another shot?” Jane asked.
“I knew you weren’t a chicken.” Roxy punched out a fist looking for a bump. When Georgia didn’t bump back, Roxy put her hands under her armpits and started flapping them like wings. “Bock, bock, bock.”
“Not a chicken. A cat. I’m cautious and take my time to evaluate the situation.”
“You’ve had a week to evaluate. Six months if we count the wedding.”
“We are not counting the wedding,” Georgia snapped.
Jane’s brow hit a perfect curve of amusement. “Great. Then let’s talk about last week.”
“Nothing to talk about.”
“But now there is?” Roxy asked, taking a swig of her beer, which she brought from home. After a year of complaining that they didn’t serve beer, the owner agreed to a BYOB arrangement for Roxy. She can bring in her own six pack if she doesn’t chase off customers.
“Yup. My boss just told me that there’s a senior position opening up. I’d get to spend all my time actually granting wishes and not balancing budgets and paperwork.”
“Georgia, that’s amazing!” Jane said and pulled her in for a big hug.
Georgia didn’t know why, but she found herself holding on for dear life. That was the one thing she hated about going it alone. The lack of human contact.
Georgia forced herself to let go and pulled back. “And the first wish I’m going to fulfill is a little boy who has spina bifida.’
Jane placed a hand over Georgia’s. “Just like Connor.”
“Exactly like Connor. His name is Ben, and he doesn’t have long. His Christmas wish is to meet his idol.”
“Jake Evans,” Roxy said in understanding.
Georgia gave a quiet nod. “The one and only. Which is why I’m flying to Singapore this weekend. I need to get him to agree. At least to see Ben.”
“That’s a long way to go.”
“It’s that important to me. Sure, the raise would be amazing, but this wish hits close to home.”
Georgia had worked with kids who’d had everything from cerebral palsy to cancer, no condition left behind. But she had yet to be handed a wish from someone with her brother’s same condition. She often wondered if it was luck or a conscious decision on her boss’s part.
“You can always video chat him,” Jane suggested.
The last thing she wanted to do was see him again, but she knew it was the only way to get him on board. Jake needed to feel a part of the story and that was how she’d snag him. Because no one did “story” like Georgia.
“It won’t be the same. This is going to take some tough negotiations. I just know it. And I’m at my best in person.”
Maybe it came from being her brother’s advocate or convincing the insurance company to cover things they normally wouldn’t, but Georgia was an excellent negotiator.
There wasn’t much she couldn’t accomplish when it came down to it.
She’d only failed with Jake the first time because her axis had tilted more than expected by seeing him again.
Then there was his state of dress—or lack thereof—that had her tongue-tied.
“Do you need backup?” Jane asked. “I can go with you. Henry would be so surprised to see me at his race.”
Georgia wasn’t used to needing backup. In fact, admitting she needed help at all felt foreign to her. But she wondered what it would feel like to let someone help carry the load.
You did that once. And look where that landed you. Down the heartbreak highway.
Nope, it was easier to walk it alone than have someone fall through. Not that she thought Jane would ever do that, but she didn’t want to risk it. Didn’t want to risk their friendship.
“One of my coworkers is coming,” she lied. “But thank you. It means a lot.”
Jane rubbed her palms together. “What’s your plan?”
“Give him whatever he needs to say yes.”
Then she’d have to convince her boss that this was more than a one-off. If done right, this partnership could change the game for The Wish Project.