“Hey, guys. Sorry, I’m late.” I hand Gem her pumpkin spice latte, then give Jess her usual iced mocha.
“You’re actually five minutes early,” Gem points out. “But even if you were late, you’d still be forgiven because you brought caffeine. Thanks for the coffee. How much do I owe you?”
“Nah, you’re good. I got it covered.”
“Nonsense,” Jess interjects. “If you didn’t put it on the company card, then ask for reimbursement. You’re too damn nice, Nora.”
“Agreed. You’re making the rest of us look bad,” Gem adds before taking a sip of her drink.
Raising my hands in surrender, I sit at the cool granite conference table, then tap my fingers against the surface. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard this all before. I’ll put in the paperwork for the twenty dollars’ worth of coffee later today. Happy now?”
“Why, yes. Yes, we are,” Jess quips. “Now. Let’s get this meeting started, shall we? How are sales for the cruise going?”
My best friend opens the Macbook Pro in front of her. The clicking of her keyboard is the only response she gives before looking up and grinning. “They’re looking really good. My only real concern is the ratio between the men and the women.”
I grimace. “Yeah…that would be pretty sucky if Polished Magazine’s first-ever Written in The Stars Singles’ Cruise was flooded with women who purchased their tickets hoping they’d meet their soulmate while on the ship, only to find out there aren’t any men to meet. I’m pretty sure that would be a disaster.”
“Agreed,” Jess pipes in. “Which means we need to figure out a way for the cruise to appeal to more men.”
“I was actually thinking about that on the way in. Gem had mentioned the sales earlier this week, and we’ve been doing a little brainstorming,” I explain. “What if we do a few giveaways, or maybe even drop the price super low, but only advertise the reduced rate in our brother company, Volt.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Jess answers.
“I also think we should downplay the whole astrology piece in the ad so that we don’t scare away any potential customers who aren’t into it,” I add.
Gem huffs. “If they don’t think they’re into it––”
“Then they don’t know what they’re missing,” I finish for Gem. “I know. I know. They’ll have plenty of opportunities on the ship. We just need to get them there before we dazzle them with the stars.”
“And the solar eclipse,” Gem adds with a wink.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. And the eclipse.”
“I’m gonna make you a believer, Nora,” Gem gloats. “Mark my words; by the end of this event, you’ll meet your knight in shining armor.”
“Because the stars told you I would?”
“No, because it’s a Cancer eclipse. And you know what eclipses do, right?”
I’ve heard this a million times, but it’s Jess who answers for me. “She might know, but I don’t. What do eclipses do?”
“They open new doors while slamming others shut. Astrologists are saying this one is going to be particularly potent when it comes to love, and if you’re a Cancer, better buckle up, Buttercup. It’s gonna be a wild ride.”
“Is that what you wrote in your column, Gem? Buckle up, Buttercup, I mean Cancer signs!” I say in a syrupy, sweet yet commanding voice. Bertie must be rubbing off on me. “Get ready to meet your soulmate and fall in love forever on a cruise that’s sure to knock your socks off!”
“I should’ve,” she returns, just as snarkily. “If I knew there was a Gemini eclipse that promised meeting the love of my life, I’d be all over that shit.”
Laughing, I joke, “You’re going to be all over that shit, regardless.” Her brows furrow before I raise my hands in defense and add, “Hey, I’m not judging. If anything, I’m jealous that you can let your hair down so easily and just…enjoy the opposite sex. Pretty sure my brother and his failed relationship with the love of his life ruined me. If those two couldn’t make it, then what are the odds that I ever could?”
Striding around the table, Gem bends forward and wraps me in a quick hug. “Challenge accepted, my young Cancer. By the end of this cruise, I shall find you the love of your life, or at least some hands-on experience.”
“Alright, ladies. Enough of this chatting,” Jess interrupts, though she looks more amused than annoyed by our bantering. “Gem, I want you to contact someone from Volt and get an ad taken care of. Instead of doing a full giveaway, just give them a promo code for a discounted drink card or something, along with a killer rate. We need to get the male numbers up a bit. Keep me updated on sales, and if either of you needs anything else, let me know. This is going to be a hit.”
Then she clicks her manicured fingers along the table and leaves in pure Jess fashion.
“She’s such a Sagittarius sometimes,” Gem notes. “So, now that the boss is out of the room…. How are your brother and nephew?”
In true Cancer fashion, my eyes well with tears almost instantly.
“What’s wrong?” Gem pulls me into a hug. “Is Owen okay? What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” I try to laugh through the onslaught of emotions.
“Dude, you just burst into tears, which I know is one of your go-to moves, but still. What happened?”
Another pathetic laugh bubbles out of me before it turns into a whimper. “It’s stupid. Owen and Grady are totally fine. They’re moving back to my hometown in New Hampshire, but it’s a total bummer because I’m going to miss the crap out of them.”
Rubbing her hand against my back, she consoles, “Aww, honey, that’s a perfectly acceptable reason to be crying. You and your brother are super close. Hell, you’re practically Grady’s second mom.”
“Only mom,” I correct her. “Someone had to step in since his birth mom was such a b-word.”
“Bitch, Nora. She’s a bitch. Little ears aren’t around, so you’re allowed to say it.”
Giving her a
