Lisa was still admiring her surroundings when her mother told her to have fun and drove away without another word. Lisa was surprised. She knew her mother trusted her, but at the very least, she had expected a brief lecture about propriety. She wondered why her mother was so preoccupied and decided it had to be due to the divorce. There was no other explanation. Time was running out, and she still hadn’t talked to her father.
“Shall we go inside?” said Josh.
With an effort, Lisa decided to forget about everything that was going wrong with her family and enjoy Josh’s company. They took the elevator up to the ballroom and found themselves in a place of lavish beauty. The floor was shiny, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. A balcony wrapped around the perimeter of the room, providing an unobstructed view of the river, which glittered like molten gold in the fading light.
Lisa thought she had never seen a more romantic place before. She followed Josh out onto the balcony. In the ballroom behind them, the pleasant sounds of conversation and music mingled together. Stars began to appear, twinkling through the mist. Lisa barely noticed the clouds gathering in the western sky.
“Thank you,” she said, looking up at Josh.
“For what?” he said.
“Everything,” said Lisa. “I don’t even know where to start. You’ve done so much for me. Because of you, I feel happy when I think about the future. I used to be afraid to look too far ahead, but now that you’re here, my life makes perfect sense. You’re not just a person, Josh. You’re a place I go when I need to feel safe.”
Josh didn’t reply right away.
“You know how it is when something happens and there’s someone you immediately want to tell because you know they’ll understand?” he said at last. “You’re that someone for me.”
Lisa closed her eyes.
“Nothing can ever change the way we feel,” she said. “The whole world could come crashing down around us right now, and we would still be standing here together. No matter where we go or what we do, we’ll always have this moment. We really are the two halves of a single person. I can’t imagine living my life without you, Josh. I don’t think I could survive.”
“I feel the same way about you,” said Josh. “It’s terrifying to realize how lost I would be if it weren’t for you. You make everything better. I don’t know how you do it. You’re incredible, Lisa. I should be thanking you, not the other way around. You have no idea how lonely I was when we first met.”
“Well, you’ll never have to worry about that again,” said Lisa. “It’ll be complicated, but we’ll figure it out. I believe in us from the bottom of my heart. When all is said and done, Josh, we’re going to be incredibly happy.”
“Even more than we are now?” said Josh.
“Yes,” said Lisa. “It’s written in the stars. Everything is going to fall into place. We won’t have to worry anymore. It will be just us, Josh, with nothing getting in our way.” She studied his face, and he returned her gaze without any hesitation.
“I believe you,” he said.
“So that means we’re a real couple?” said Lisa.
“I think so,” said Josh. “To tell you the truth, Lisa, I’m not entirely sure we’re doing things in the right order, but I don’t really care. The rules don’t apply to us anyway.” He extended his hand. “Do you want to dance?”
“Yes,” said Lisa. Her heart swelled with joy. Josh was finally hers. She took his hand, and they returned to the ballroom together.
∞∞∞
Lisa felt like she was dreaming. Her conversation with Josh had transformed the dull world into a place of swirling color and exquisite beauty. As they danced, she forgot about everything else. She would have been content to remain forever with her arms around his neck and his hands around her waist, but dinner was eventually served, and they sat down to eat. Lisa expected Shannon to reappear, but she was nowhere to be seen.
“Do you think she left?” said Lisa.
“It’s possible, but I don’t know where she would go,” said Josh. “She couldn’t really sneak out without being noticed. I’m sure she’ll turn up eventually.”
Despite his apparent lack of concern, Lisa noticed him glancing around. She knew he wouldn’t be able to relax while Shannon’s whereabouts remained a mystery, and since she felt partially responsible, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
“Josh, maybe she’s in the bathroom,” she said. “I’ll go and check.”
Sure enough, one of the stalls in the bathroom was occupied, and Shannon’s purse was perched on the cabinet near the sink. Lisa pulled out the flask. It was empty. She heard Shannon being sick.
“Shannon, are you okay?” she said.
Shannon stumbled out of the stall without looking at Lisa, turned on the faucet, and splashed water on her face. Lisa couldn’t tell if she was more intoxicated or distraught.
“How much did you drink?” she said.
“Who cares?” said Shannon.
“I do,” said Lisa.
“Oh, please,” said Shannon. “How many times do I have to repeat myself? We’re not friends, Lisa. The only reason I put up with you is because I don’t have a choice. Josh won’t dump you until my mom dies. You’re her precious angel—the daughter she always wanted. How can I compete with that?”
The despair in her voice confirmed what Lisa already knew: Shannon didn’t hate her because she was dating Josh. She hated her because Lisa had damaged her relationship with her mother—or at least that was how Shannon perceived the situation.
“Maybe we don’t have to compete,” she said.
Shannon’s eyes filled with tears.
“Look at yourself, Lisa,” she said. “There’s no comparison between us. Do you know
