Page 67 of Run
He rolls his eyes and leaves the room.
“Oh, he totally is.” Meg picks up her mug and clinks it with Soph’s then turns to me. “So, tell us everything.”
After filling the ladies in on my night with Ethan—and them absorbing all the details—I slowly and ungracefully make my way downstairs to get in some work hours. But it’s difficult because my mind is elsewhere.
I’m about two hours in when a text comes through from a number that’s not saved, and I realize it’s Lizzie.
Just making sure you survived your date
I save her number in my phone, then text out a reply.
Haha thanks. I survived. In fact, it ended up being a long-lost childhood friend that my new friend set me up with
Wow, that sounds really odd when I type it out.
I see three bubbles pop up before a response comes through.
Any chance you could meet for lunch today? I would love to chat some more with you. We were shocked by your visit yesterday, and now I have so much more I’d like to know about you
I can meet for a late lunch, maybe around 2 p.m.?
I’ll have to call an Uber to meet Lizzie in the city. No way in hell am I asking her to come pick me up. Maybe I could bring Sophie along.
Would it be alright if my bestie joins? That way I don’t have to get an Uber
The response is immediate.
Of course! I’ll have my BFF join as well. Wanna meet at my office, then we can just go someplace nearby?
I send the thumbs up emoji, and she sends her work address. Now I need to see if Sophie is even available.
“Soph!” I yell at the top of my lungs.
“What?” she hollers back down from upstairs, where I assume she’s watching TV.
“Wanna go to lunch today? I have to meet some people and I need emotional support!”
“You mean you need a ride!”
I wince. “Well, yes, that also.”
There’s a pause. “Is one of these people a single, tall, dark and handsome prospect who’s into full-figured women with an attitude problem?”
I smile. “Yes!”
“Liar,” I hear back. Then, “Fine.”
“Love you!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
***
Sophie pulls the car into a spot on the street that’s diagonal from the ROC Record. “Kinda cool Lizzie’s a newspaper reporter,” she says as we both unbuckle and get out of the car.
When we enter the lobby, I see Lizzie hunched over a reception desk talking to a blonde woman, and her face lights up when she sees me. “Ariel!” She starts to raise her arms like she’s going to hug me but seems to rethink it and instead just comes to stand next to us awkwardly.
“Hi, Lizzie.” Immediately I gesture to Sophie standing next to me. “This is Sophie, my ride or die.”
