“Sorry,” the guy muttered, noteven glancing at her.
Devon knew she was on the shorterside, but she wished people would be more considerate. She pushed past him andgot off the train, struggling to bring air back into her lungs.
As the crowd headed for the exit,people jostled her on all sides. Relieved to be out of the fray, Devon luggedher bag with effort into the train station. It was white marble in everydirection with a high-arch glass ceiling, enormous pillar entranceways, andbenched seating. Standing there to admire it all, Devon thought it wasbeautiful.
She had only been to Chicago oncewith her parents during her junior year of high school. They’d had some kindof music appearance, and she had spent most of her time in the hotel room whileher younger sister had followed her parents around the event. The record labelher parents worked for had put them up in a suite, and in no particular order,Devon had alternated between the Jacuzzi tub, pool table, and minibar. She hadregretted not getting to see much more of the city.
She craned her neck, lookingaround the giant room for her friend. Hadley was supposed to be picking her up. Devon wasn’t about to try to traverse the subway or L all by herself.
She turned around and nearly ransmack dab into someone.
“Sorry,” she muttered, movingaround the stranger.
Then, she found Hadley standingthere. She was staring down at her cell phone, ignoring the masses swarmingaround her.
“Hadley!” Devon called. “HadleyBishop!”
Hadley turned around and rushedtoward Devon. “Hey,” she cried, throwing her arms around Devon. “So glad youmade it. I just couldn’t believe it when you called and said you were comingto the city!” Hadley released her and took a step back.
“I know. I’m so last minute,”Devon said.
“Oh, whatever,” Hadley saidshoving her phone into her front pocket. “You know you always have a placewith me.”
“Thanks,” Devon saidappreciatively.
“Need help with anything?” Hadleyasked, looking Devon up and down to see if she had other stuff with her.
“Nope. Just this.” Devonmotioned to her oversized purse and suitcase.
“Alrighty! This way then,”Hadley told her, motioning back toward the trains.
Devon followed with a smileplastered on her face. She had missed her friend more than life itself. Hadley had graduated from Wash U in December, leaving Devon without a roommatefor the spring semester. Hadley always did exactly what she wanted. Forinstance, she had graduated early, moved to Chicago, and accepted a job at ahigh-end marketing firm. It was just something Devon would have never thoughtto do. In fact, this whole trip was something that Hadley, not Devon, would do.
Thankfully, Hadley knew her wayaround the metro. They took a seat on the train, and Devon angled her body toface her friend. She had forgotten how much they looked alike.
Devon’s parents had always saidthat she looked like country music royalty. She didn’t know if it was becauseshe had a small, curvy body that looked great on camera or because her motherhad started bleaching her naturally light brown hair in middle school. Magnifying the country music image, her parents had dressed her in cowboy bootsand a hat, had her belt out every song on the radio, and paraded her around toevery music venue they could get her into. Since leaving for St. Louis, shehad resisted all of these things except for her blonde hair. She hadn’t beenable to get rid of the blonde.
Hadley was taller than Devon by acouple of inches. They had the same blonde hair. Though Devon had seen Hadleychange it to black, brown, red, and every color in between in the two and ahalf years they had lived together. They used to have similar styles, but nowHadley was moving toward business professional, and Devon was stuck in herjeans, even in the summer heat. It made Devon wish she had packed somedresses.
“So,” Hadley began, “are youhungry?” She crossed her right leg over her left, crinkling her grey pantsuit.
She looked positively radiant. Devon wasn’t sure she had ever seen Hadley quite like this.
“Yes, I am,” Devon said staringat her friend. “There’s something different about you. I can’t put my fingeron it.”
“I moved in with someone!” Hadleysqueaked, unable to hold in her excitement.
“Already?” Devon asked, her mouthfalling open. “You’ve only been here for six months!”
“I know! It’s so new and sofresh, and I probably shouldn’t, but I did. I just had to! Wait until youmeet him. You’ll see he’s perfect!” Hadley gushed.
Devon tried to keep her smile asnatural as possible. She had hoped that they would spend time together, justthe two of them, like old times. Not that she wasn’t happy for her friend. She was. It would just be different.
“Congrats. I’m so happy foryou,” Devon told her. “That must be why you’re practically glowing.”
“You have no idea, Dev. You’ll get to meet him tonight. Can’t wait!”
The L slowed down and Hadleystood, indicating that this was their stop. Devon stared down the stairs,cursing the person who had decided escalators weren’t needed in this town. Flying down the stairs in front of Devon, Hadley seemed to forget her earlieroffer of assistance. Devon grumbled under her breath as she hauled her bag tothe ground level.
“We’re going to go thisrestaurant that I love. It’s kind of a you-have-to-know-it type of place. Ithink you’ll like it. It’s right around the block, so let’s eat first, andthen we’ll take your stuff to my place,” Hadley said, walking into trafficwithout a backward glance.
She’s going to kill herself,Devon thought. She waited for traffic to stop before following Hadley.
“What is this place?” Devon askedwhen she finally caught up. As she rolled her suitcase behind her, it madeclicking sounds every time it hit a bump in the sidewalk.
“Just a restaurant. Nothingfancy, but my friend Brennan works there as a bartender. It’s the placeright now if you know what I mean,” she said.
Hadley turned down an alleywayand then immediately walked into a restaurant. Devon hadn’t even seen thedoor. She read the sign, Jenn’s Restaurant, over the door andwent inside.
Hadley was right about therestaurant. It wasn’t anything fancy, but the place was slammed. It was on thesmaller side, and all the tables and booths were full of young professionalsstill in their suits
