Jack & Lucy

Lucy

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.