Page 2 of See You at the Sunset

Gen

Oh, okay, that wasn’t too bad. Jia liked Gen. She was nice for the most part. A last-minute meeting with HR would normally send most people into a panic. But Jia couldn’t think of one thing that would be a cause for concern. And if there was something, Gen would say so in the email, right? Jia did her job as requested. And she made it her daily mission to do whatever she could to make it easier for everyone else. The people at her work were stressed and stretched thin enough; it showed all over their faces. In fact, she’d recently caught a costly error on an expense report and fixed it on her own without bothering anyone else. Jia was pretty sure a pat on the back was waiting for her.

She accepted the calendar invite and replied with a thank-you note back to Gen.

Now that that was taken care of, Jia had the whole evening ahead of her. Sunday nights were for self-care. An everything shower, full skincare routine, and her weekly hair mask.

Jia let out a deep breath. Life was finally starting to fall into place. She was starting to find her footing at her job. She lived with her best friend in her favorite city. Her parents weren’t nagging her every single day. And all of this, she’d done on her own.

She felt pretty darn good about herself.

In fact, too good to be staying in.

Jia immediately knocked on Lizzy’s bedroom door.

“What are you doing tonight?” she asked her.

“Uh, you know Sundays are for everything showers,” Lizzy replied.

“Well, we’re going out. We’re celebrating.” It was impulsive and possibly not the best idea. But it seemed like the right call in Jia’s mind.

“We are? What are we celebrating? Wait, let me guess. The cute Irish bartender at McCoy’s finally asked you out?”

“Nope.”

“The boots you were eyeing online finally showed up at T.J. Maxx?”

“Wrong again.”

“Your parents agreed to get off your back about moving to Florida?”

“Stop guessing, you’re making me depressed. No, I think I’m getting some good news tomorrow at work,” Jia said.

Lizzy jumped up from her bed.

“A raise? A promotion?”

“I don’t know yet. I just have a meeting on the calendar and a very good feeling. So I’m claiming good news now, and we’recelebrating before it happens.” It was a trick Jia had used before. Claim the win and will it into existence.

“Well, okay then. I’m in. How about Willow?” Lizzy suggested.

Willow was Lizzy’s favorite bar. Jia had only been a couple times. It was trendy and swank, not cramming a crowd in like animals. But more expensive than Jia’s shoestring budget allowed. It was also three train stops away. Lizzy, with the stable job and a career with a future, loved it. But Friday was payday, and they were celebrating. She would be newly scrubbed and softened and smell divine. “Willow sounds perfect.”

“Yay! I can’t wait to precelebrate your pending good news.” Lizzy truly was the best kind of friend.

6:00 p.m.

Henry didn’t go out much. Sunday nights were usually reserved for planning out the week, not only reviewing his calendar and all the meetings he needed to be in but also what information he needed to have to give himself the advantage over anyone he’d be talking to. Always one step ahead, no surprises, being prepared for anything and everything.

It was the way Henry had survived, and eventually thrived, on his own his whole life.

But he’d felt on the precipice of something big all day. Yes, the acknowledgment by the executives of his company. Yes, the big responsibility they’d placed on him to handle business the following morning. But it was something else. He couldn’t put his finger on it yet. He just knew something important was about to happen in his life. Henry always trusted his gut.

And it made him have the sudden and surprising urge to celebrate.

The bar on the ground floor of his building was the type of place where one could go alone and sit chest up for a glass of wine or a really good scotch. And Sunday nights were pretty chill.

A celebratory drink or two wouldn’t hurt.