I finally finish fixing all of the cookies the caterer accidentally squashed and make my way out of the back of the gallery. Making the large batch in Stella's kitchen brought my desire to bake out in full force. I shot a quick TikTok of me dusting the cookies in gold foil and I was eager to start shooting frosting videos again. I think Stella added four dozen custom sugar cookies as a snack last minute because she knew it would inspire me to start baking cookies again.  

I swipe a champagne flute off a passing tray and down the cheap bubbly for some liquid courage. Stella was also in charge of my appearance tonight and I feel grown-up and chic. I'm realizing she is very supportive of every aspect of my life since I got back, and she was never this insistent or encouraging with Blake. I should have noticed her lack of enthusiasm earlier and realized the difference in her attitude when she does support me.

My face was tastefully done by her sister who is a make-up artist and I made her limit the amount of liquid and powder she slathered onto my face. Stella let me borrow a gorgeous plum-colored fit and flare dress that sits mid-thigh and squeezed my chest up just enough to make it look like I actually have cleavage. She let me slide into a pair of her strappy Louboutin heels and DryBar made my dark hair beach wavy and fabulous. I look like I belong at an art gallery in Scottsdale. I am chic, but not trying too hard.

I spot Stella mingling with a group of older women in the center of Jameson's space but I haven't spotted Jack yet. I pluck another champagne flute off a tray to try and calm my nerves and the waitress gives me a side-eye since it was the same one I stole from less than ten minutes ago.

Tonight could be the night that Jack finally sees me as more than Goose from work. I might be finally able to find the nerve to tell him- in the words of Taylor Swift, "I don't want him like a best friend. And I only bought this dress so he could take it off." Okay, maybe not take it that far, but let him know that it's a possibility down the road.

I went from loathing him back to loving him with that tiny bit of hope he may have displayed last night. I do know that if it was one of my girlfriends who said the things Jack said to me two months ago, I would have not been so quick to forgive and forget. It's just his stupid teal eyes and dimples that have me standing here, wanting to be desired and throwing the past behind me.

I guzzle the bubbly again and take a deep breath. I scan the crowded space and find Ariana giggling with a brunette girl in the corner. She's the only familiar face I see, so I stride over to her. She smiles widely when she sees me and immediately pulls me into a hug. I'm not much of a hugger but I allow her arms to stay wrapped around me.

"Lucy! I can't believe you're back!" She says as she rocks me side to side. She finally takes a step back from me and brushes her long blonde hair behind her bare shoulders.

"Yeah, it's been...odd." I tell her and she gives me a dramatic frown, "I'm so sorry about your fiancè. I ran into Ashleigh last week and she told me you're back at Mag's." I nod and am wondering what else they gossiped about.

"Yeah, for now. Just while I figure a few things out." I finish my champagne and wonder if I am going to be constantly explaining what happened to every familiar face I run into. Maybe I should just post a statement on Facebook to let everyone know I ran off with a cheater because his apartment had a doorman in New York and now I am back to wallow in Phoenix.

"Do you still wanna do the bakery thing?" She asks and I realize she never introduced her friend. I nod and answer, "That's the goal." She then acknowledges the brunette by saying, "Lucy does these kick-ass sugar cookies. Like, the cutest designs and has a cooking channel thing."

"Oh, you're Jack's friend then right?" Brunette asks me and I nod. For a split second, I am worried she's going to ask about him in a flirtatious way and I am going to have to give her a roundhouse kick, but she quickly adds, "I think Jack brought a bunch of your cookies to my mom's boutique opening. They were those cute rainbow cactuses and cool neon suns." I lean my head back as it dawns on me who she is.

"You're Fischer's sister?" I ask and I now see the resemblance. Flawless caramel-colored skin and almond-shaped brown eyes. They both have thick dark hair and her gold bangles glow against her skin. She's just as sexy as her brother is but far edgier. She's into girls and has no problem hitting on the same girls as her older brother. She oozes sex appeal. 

"Yeah, I'm Maeve," she clarifies and I nod in understanding.

"You live in L.A right?" I ask but Ariana answers for her, "She's in town for spring break. I told her she should come to Maggie's thing on Saturday."

"Will Fischer let you wander downtown?" I hear Jack's voice say behind me and I take a step to the right to let him into our pod. Maeve grins and pops her head to the side as she replies, "Fischer isn't my keeper. And won't he be going if you'll be there?"

Jack shakes his head, "I don't know if I can make that one."

"Jacky, you have to come Saturday, I am going." Ariana pleads while pouting with her bottom lip out.

"Uh oh, that might be another reason to avoid it then," Jack jokes back and she flirtatiously swats at him. I notice he's cleaned up tonight, freshly shaved, and donning a nice shirt. He smiles at me and his teal eyes are bright against his tanned skin. It's those eyes that make my insides squirm. 

"Goose, I told you I'd find you," he tells me with a grin that almost makes my knees buckle. "Can I steal you for a minute?" I glance at Ariana and I think she's stunned that Jack didn't come over to flirt with her. I mean, I know he doesn't like her but she doesn't.

"Yeah," I say before looking to Maeve and I give her a short wave, "Nice to meet you. Maybe I'll see you Saturday?" Ariana nods eagerly and Maeve waves back. We step away from them and I feel Jack's hand lingering on the small of my back. I feel every finger burning through my dress.

"You're going on Saturday?" Jack asks me in shock, but I look at him with hell no written across my face. "I was going to be surprised."

"It's a Maggie and Missy party. It's going to get out of control like it always does," I tell him as we wander to the other end of the gallery. I drop my empty flute onto a tray and immediately snag another one, this time making sure it's a different waitress. I am walking next to Jack, who is looking drop-dead gorgeous, and he snagged me to walk around with him. My anxiety is sitting in my throat and I don't know how to go about this. It's normally a casual hang with him. Jetski mornings or beers on his couch after work. This feels like there is something behind it.

"That's why I don't have any desire to go. That and I close on Saturday. I'm not going to want to do a damn thing after," he mutters as he continues to lead me across the space. Jameson's side is fuller than the artist sharing the space next to him which is causing the temperature of the room to warm up. Or maybe it's the three glasses of champagne I've had.

"I know. I love Maggie but...I think I'll be a no-show." I then realize he was supposed to close tonight and ask, "I saw you on the schedule for tonight. How the hell did you get out of closing?"

"I filled in for your shift. I heard you had a meeting at school?"

I nod, "Yeah. I had to hire a tutor for calculus. Online classes are a bitch." Jack snaps his gaze over to me and says, "What? Why are you throwing money away on a tutor? I can help you. You know I am good at math right?"

"I know you are sarcastic and can have the attention span of a gnat. I didn't know if together we'd be good at calc homework." 

"I can be serious. I'd have helped you. You just had to ask."

I let out a sigh before replying, "Yeah, well I didn't know if you were willing to help. We haven't been on like, the best of terms lately." I finally find the courage to look at him and we are near the front door. The sun has set, so the twinkling lights strung up around main street are giving it a welcoming glow. This is my favorite time of year when it's still cool enough to enjoy being outside and the sun starts setting later. 

He darts his eyes toward the floor as he sticks his hands in his pockets. The hum of voices in the gallery sounds louder and I can tell the alcohol is making me flushed. He tilts his head toward the open door and I nod in agreement.

When we make it outside, we walk in step as he says, "I've wanted to apologize to you. So many times since you left. I should have stayed out of it." I then tug on his forearm to stop him and he turns to face me as I say, "I appreciate that Jack but...everything you said that night. It was true and that's what made me so mad."

"It wasn't all true though Lucy, I said some shit things. I shouldn't have brought up your parents or Julliard. None of that was-"

I quickly cut him off, "It was though Jack. I think subconsciously I was trying to get back to New York because that's where I thought I belonged. I thought I'd finally be happy if I could live out my dream of opening a bakery in New York and stay connected to dance and the life I had growing up. But after I got there, all of my old Julliard and dance friends were so different and still only breathed ballet and Blake's friends thought I was some hack with a Youtube channel. He was embarrassed how I spent my time and you tried to tell me that, you tried to warn me." I'm feeling all these emotions that I crammed down inside of me bubble up and my make-up is too flawless to ruin it with angry tears. I realize I want more wine and spot a wine tasting across the street. Before he is able to say anything else, I ask, "If we are gonna do this, do you wanna get some wine?"