Page 73 of See You at the Sunset

Apparently only a man who fired her and she was now suing would do. Pesky details.

But, as odd as it sounded, Jia could laugh at it. So what if she didn’t have a normal life like everyone else? She couldn’t keep a job? She didn’t want a normal job. She couldn’t keep an overpriced, too-small apartment? She was pretty sure she didn’t want to live in New York anymore anyways. Jia had to stop comparing her worth based on others. She needed to start looking within and giving herself credit for what she had done.

She thought about calling Henry after she’d left the Bakerson’s Group offices. She could invite him here right now for a drink. But she’d seen him getting pulled aside by his boss as she was leaving. She really hoped that that meant good things for Henry. Despite being on the other side of things, she was incredibly impressed with him today. And proud.

And call her inappropriate, but she found him incredibly sexy in his lawyer mode.

Jia’s phone buzzed in her purse. She’d been so hoping it was Henry, she didn’t look before answering it. “Hello?”

“Jia.” It was her father.

Jia covered the mouthpiece and got up. “Excuse me, guys, I’ll be right back. I have to take this.” She made her way through the restaurant and out the door. “Hi, Dad.”

“Apparently being involved in a lawsuit with your former employer is cause for celebration by the sound of it.”

“How did you know about the—”

“Jia, lawsuits are public record from the moment you file,” her dad explained.

“Okay, but unless you have my name on some kind of Google Alert, how could you have even known... Oh god, Dad. You guys don’t have a Google Alert on me, do you?”

“Don’t turn this into something you disapprove of.”

“It’s weird, and intrusive, and—”

“If you didn’t consistently give us reason to worry, maybe we wouldn’t have to track you this way,” he said. No apology in his voice.

“It’s crossing the line,” Jia said.

“Listen to me. You don’t understand what you’ve done. You’ve basically ruined your chances of a future. What company will hire you, knowing you’ve filed a lawsuit against your former employer? Jia, we have given you enough chances to do this on your own. Now, you will do what your mother and I tell you. Check your email—there should be a confirmation message for your flight to Florida. We’ll handle moving your stuff down to our home from there. Do not go back to Mimi’s, understood? We want you in Florida tomorrow morning. You’ve caused enough distress and hardship on the family.”

“Yes, I know, Dad. You and Mom have told me enough times what a burden I’ve been on you both my entire life. Mom never lets me forget how hard I even made her pregnancy. God, I get it, okay? Telling me again, after what I’ve just gone through, isn’t gonna make me any more willing to leave my life behind and go live the one you want for me.” Jia buzzed with the anger and frustration and sadness of the conversation. Herparents couldn’t accept her for who she was or the choices and mistakes she made. They would only be okay if she conformed to who they wanted her to be.

“I have to go now. I’m out with my friends celebrating a really big deal in my life.” It wasn’t technically a win on paper. But even taking the steps to fight for herself, despite it not working out completely the way she’d hoped, was worth something.

“Jia—”

She hung up on her father.

Jia woke up to a sore back and a stiff neck and a general feeling of regret and dread. She’d crashed at Lizzy and Darcy’s place on their couch, tossing and turning with the fear of having truly pissed off her parents.

She and Lizzy had plans for coffee before Jia’s evening flight back to Palm Springs. She had ignored the confirmation email about a flight to Florida. She knew her parents would be furious at her for disobeying them, but they were being unreasonable. She’d deal with the fallout later.

They grabbed their coffees from the café on the corner and walked a couple blocks to Central Park. Lizzy’s new apartment was fifteen blocks farther south from the one they had shared just a few weeks ago. So much had changed in that short time for both of them.

This part of the park was new to Jia. Morning joggers filled the paths alongside people walking their dogs. Jia and Lizzy found a bench and took in the sights and sounds of the city waking up.

“So what’s the plan?” Lizzy asked. “And how can I help?”

“I still don’t know. I mean, I didn’t expect this lawsuit, nomatter what happened either way, to change my life. I just needed to close that chapter. Now? Well, it’s been a month, and I still don’t have any job prospects. I’ve also pissed off my parents and don’t know if they’ll ever forgive me. I could go back to crashing at Mimi’s—maybe find a job serving tables or selling souvenirs.” Jia shrugged at the lack of possibilities.

“There’s got to be something,” Lizzy said. Ever the optimist.

“How does it feel?” Jia asked, nudging her best friend with her elbow.

“How does what feel?”

“Being a fully grown adult. Having your shit together?” Jia smiled. She meant it as a compliment, not an accusation. She truly wanted to know how it felt not having the weight of failures and disappointments on your back.