Chapter 67

CHAPTER 67

RYLEE

K aren and I were in the bathroom, reapplying our lip gloss. The tasting had been fun so far, but I couldn't help noticing how quiet Karen had been all night. She wasn't her usual self, and it worried me.

I turned to her, watching her in the mirror. "Hey, what's wrong? You've been really quiet today."

"Nothing." She shrugged. "Why?"

"Karen, come on," I prodded. "What's going on?"

At first, Karen tried to brush it off. She just stared at her reflection in the mirror, applying her lip gloss with meticulous precision. But then, as if a dam had broken, the words started pouring out of her.

"I'm overwhelmed, Rylee," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "My life feels so stagnant. My career is flat and boring. It doesn't challenge me anymore. And I'm single—painfully, desperately, woefully single. I have no prospects. All my friends are moving on, getting married, and will soon be having kids. I'm going to blink and be the spinster best friend with a dozen cats. All my clothes will be knit and smell like litter and mulled wine candles."

I scrunched up my nose at the vivid imagery. "What a colorful description."

"I'm serious," Karen pressed, turning to face me. "When is it going to be my turn, Rylee? You guys are all finding perfect men and I'm kicking around doing nothing."

I took her hands in mine, squeezing them reassuringly. "Karen, everything you want will come your way. You just have to be patient. Look at me and Simon. We haven't known each other very long, and he walked into my life when I least expected it—and honestly, I didn't even want him at first. Now I'm in love and so grateful for everything that has happened. You will have your moment."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't act like you don't know exactly how I feel."

I cracked a smile. "I do know how you feel."

"Then you understand what this is like." She sighed. "Except when you were in my shoes, I was in them with you. You had me. I have no one."

"You still have me," I said. "You will always have me. And you still have Jenny, Lauren, and Mary Ellen."

"Be honest," she said. "You and I both know what it means to fall in love and move out and get married. You will all have lives of your own. Look at how often we saw Jenny and Lauren once they moved out. And Mary Ellen, she's so busy with Archer and the library, we never see her. You're going to be moving in with Simon."

"We have not talked about that," I said.

She gave me a look. "It's a matter of time."

She wasn't wrong. It was what I wanted. I liked sleeping in his bed. I liked waking up beside him.

"You just have to wait," I said gently. "You're going to find the one for you. He's out there. He's going to fall into your life when you're least expecting it. I certainly never thought I would be the woman to fall in love with a guy like Simon Locke. He's going to come to you."

Karen sighed, glancing back at her reflection. "Or I have to shake my life up," she said to the mirror.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She looked over at me, a determined glint in her eye. "I think I'm going to do it. I'm going to go to Kentucky."

"You are?"

She nodded. "I am. I need it. You went to Europe and found yourself. I think I need a change of pace."

"Trust me, I get it." I smiled. "If Kentucky is the right move for you, I'm absolutely behind you. Whatever you need."

"That's what I need to hear right now." Karen's eyes welled with tears, and she gave me a tremulous smile. "Thank you, Rylee."

I hugged her tightly, feeling the tension in her shoulders. "It's going to be okay, Karen. Just remember that everything happens for a reason."

"I know," she said, sniffling and then pulling away. She refreshed her lip gloss and then tugged at the hem of her blouse to straighten it. "Alright, enough emotional drama in the bathroom. Let's go back to the party."

"Wait," I said. "I want you to know we're not abandoning you. You're always a part of the group. I know how awkward it might feel, but you know us. You are one of us."

"I appreciate you saying that, but it's impossible not to feel like a third wheel or, in this case, the ninth wheel."

I laughed. "That's enough for a bus."

"I'm fine," she said. "Thank you for noticing. I'm really not trying to be the Debbie Downer. I am having a good time. I just think I could have a better time if I had someone looking at me like I was the only woman in the world."

As we exited the bathroom, I really hoped she felt better. I didn't want her to feel bad. None of us did. As we approached the table, I could see Simon speaking animatedly with Jameson and Ward while Mary Ellen and Lauren watched on with amused smiles.

Karen and I moved toward them, but halfway there, Simon caught sight of me. His eyes brightened noticeably, causing a warmth to spread in my chest. He excused himself from the table and quickly made his way toward us, his gaze never leaving my face. "There you are," he said, pulling me into his arms and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

Karen cast a wistful glance at Simon and me, then gave a small shrug. She offered a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. For her sake, I hoped she found someone soon who would look at her the way Simon looked at me.

Simon led me back to the table. Karen sat down and picked up her glass of wine.

"What were you guys talking about?" I asked as I took my seat. "You looked pretty into it."

"Nothing," Mary Ellen blurted out. "Apps. We were talking about the apps."

"Did you guys decide on something?" I asked.

Simon wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close. "She'll be okay," he murmured into my ear.

"I hope so," I replied softly.

I caught Mary Ellen giving me a sparkly-eyed, joyful look.

"What?" I asked, smiling at her.

Mary Ellen giggled, shaking her head. "Nothing."

But I knew what that look meant. Mary Ellen was thrilled for me, ecstatic that I had found a good man. She was happy that I had found my Archer in Simon.

As we all settled back into our seats, the conversation resumed. I looked at Karen. She did seem a little more relaxed. I knew she would find her way, just as I had found mine.

"Apps?" I asked again. "What did you guys decide?"

"Cheddar and jalape?o stuffed mushrooms, roasted beet and goat cheese salad, and a classic shrimp cocktail," Jameson said, pointing to each plate on the table. "Oh, and the good old nachos with guacamole."

Karen chuckled at his description. "Well, as long as we have the ‘good old nachos' I think we'll survive," she quipped, sipping her wine. "We don't want to get too fancy."

Simon squeezed my hand under the table. "I think I might ask if we can order some of those stuffed mushrooms to go. Those are good."

"And what wine?" I asked. "Or are you going to do all of them?"

"All of them?" Jameson laughed. "That might be a little overwhelming and we would end up with a lot of half-full bottles at the end of the night."

"The red Cabernet," Simon mused, reading the wine list quickly. "And maybe the Pinot for those who prefer white."

"Excellent choices." I nodded.

After all the apps, we were all hungry and decided to order dinner.

The waiter came over to take our orders and replenish our wine glasses. Everyone ordered their preferred dishes and then fell back into light conversation. Karen seemed to be holding up well, even joking around with Simon.

As the night wore on, I realized that change was inevitable. We might not see each other as often as we used to, but we had built a bond that would last. And Karen would find her place in the world soon enough. She had the strength of character and the courage to venture out in search of her happiness.

Our meals were served a short time later.

As we dove into our plates, the conversation flowed naturally, touching on everything from the latest news headlines to favorite childhood cartoons. Karen seemed to have perked up, engaging in the banter and even leading a heated debate between Jameson and Ward over whether Batman or Superman was superior.

I had a feeling her loosening up and the guys getting into their love of superheroes had a little to do with the amount of wine flowing.

Simon was discreetly attentive throughout dinner, his fingers occasionally brushing mine under the table, his smile very natural. He was getting along with the guys, something I had been a little concerned about.

As the dishes were cleared away, Mary Ellen suggested ordering dessert to share. Simon and I exchanged a glance. I felt the heat between us. I knew exactly what was on his mind, but there would be plenty of time for us to do that later. I wanted to enjoy one of the rare occasions all of us were together.

"Make it two of everything," Simon said.

"I can't," Lauren said. "I have to fit into a wedding dress."

"You can hit the treadmill a little harder," I told her. "Come on. You'll diet starting tomorrow."

"We're all here to feast tonight," Jenny said. "With the amount of wine we've had, I think you've already blown your diet."

Lauren laughed, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "Alright, fine," she capitulated. "But if I can't zip up my dress, I'm blaming you all. And the wedding is off."

"Woah, woah, woah," Jameson said. "Let's not get too crazy."

Jenny, a little tipsy lifted her glass. "To eating our body weight in dessert and not being able to fit into our dresses."

The toast was met with another round of laughter and clinking of glasses. The dessert cart was wheeled out, with delectable sweets spread across the table. Chocolate lava cake alongside delicate crème Brulé, vanilla bean cheesecake, and a fluffy tiramisu all looked amazing, but the chocolate mousse had my attention. We all dove in with gusto.

Karen snagged a piece of the cake, her eyes lighting up as the molten center oozed out. "Oh, this is heaven," she murmured, savoring the rich taste. For a moment, her earlier melancholy seemed to have been forgotten, replaced by the simple pleasure of indulging in good food.

Simon and I shared bites of everything, laughing and teasing each other as we made our way through the sweets. We linked fingers under the table. He turned his hand over so that our palms were flush together.

"Okay, this is so worth letting out a few seams," Lauren said around a mouthful.

I nodded, licking the chocolate mousse from my spoon.

As the night went on, the jokes grew rowdier and the laughter louder. Even I was feeling the buzz. Karen was definitely in a better mood. She laughed freely and seemed to have forgotten the fact she was alone.

"Alright, who's ready for another round?" Mary Ellen asked with her glass in the air.

Everyone looked around the table. "I think I'll pass," Simon said.

"Me too, sorry," I said. "I'm wiped out. You guys got me drunk."

"I think we should head home, too," Archer said, putting his arm around Mary Ellen.

We all agreed and said our goodbyes, promising to see each other soon.