Page 139 of Let's Kiss and Tell

“Is everything okay?” Lucy asks.

I take my attention away from my screen, and when I look up, I realize Lucy’s the only thing I want to be looking at tonight.

“Yeah,” I say and adjust my glasses. “Just need to quickly respond to Nadia.”

Marsh:

Hey, I’m sorry but I’m away from my laptop. I won’t be able to turn this around.

I hit send and then immediately regret it. What have I done? Of course I can turn it around. I know Lucy would understand.

I start typing a follow-up message, redacting my text, and Nadia beats me to it.

Nadia:

No worries. I have Ben on it. Have a good evening.

My heart rate immediately slows down. That’s it? Part of me wonders if Nadia is banking this decline somewhere in her brain to use it against me later, but then I realize I’veneversaid no to a story. I also know how fast things turn around in news and how Nadia is probably already on to the next fire.

Maybe I don’t have to always go above and beyond to be respected. Maybe there isn’t such a thing as being perfect.

Maybe my job isn’t everything.

I put my phone away and bring my attention back to Lucy. “Sorry about that.”

“All good,” she says, smiling. “So, I was thinking, want to come to my boxing class tomorrow night?”

“If I’m welcome.”

“Really?” she says like she wasn’t expecting that answer.

“Yeah.” I take a sip of my beer. “Let’s do it.”

“Yay!” She beams. “I’m excited!”

There’s an earnest look of joy on Lucy’s face. I would do anything and everything to keep her that happy. I was so focused on giving everything to my job and being appreciated at work, I didn’t realize there were other parts of myself left to give. Parts of myself that Iwantto give.

There’s a moment that lingers between us. Among the hum of glasses and cutlery clinking, chatter, and the jazz music in the background, it’s comfortable silence.

“Thank you for telling me all that stuff earlier, Luce,” I say. “I know it’s not easy to share any of that.”

Her face becomes somber, and she gently rubs her foot against my leg. “Thank you for letting me tell you. I know it was a little heavy and you didn’t ask—”

“I did ask,” I remind her. “I want to know about you and what’s important to you. Even if it’s heavy.”

She avoids my eyes and plays with the base of her wineglass. “I haven’t told anyone any of that before. I didn’t want them to look at my parents and see them any differently.”

“I understand,” I say.

“I know you do,” she says. “And I know I said it before but thank you for telling me about Julia.”

“Oh,” I say. “I mean, I figured that was a prerequisite given everything.”

“No, not what she did.” Lucy pauses. “Clementine,” she says softly.

Hearing Lucy say the name in such a gentle way pulls at a string in my heart. There’s a protectiveness to it, and I know that part of my life is safe with her.

For the rest of the dinner, we stuff ourselves with deliciousItalian food. We laugh, we flirt, we talk about work, our families, and our friends. The bubble that we’re in has expanded and it no longer feels like we’re in a bubble—instead, this is our world.