Jenni glanced at her watch as she climbed out of the cab. Fifteen minutes after the time she’d agreed to meet her old friend from their modeling days. A successful attorney, now, Matilda was always just a little late, and nothing made Jenni crazier than sitting alone waiting for someone, so she made sure it didn’t happen. Ever.
Entering the restaurant, she spotted Matilda sitting at a table toward the back and made her way toward her. The place was packed with hipsters brunching. So pretentious. There’d been a day when they would have been putting on just as much of a show, but not anymore. Now, they were free to be themselves. But she wouldn’t trade the days they’d spent together when they first came to the city for a billion dollars.
“Hey, beautiful.” Matilda rose and flashed one of her gorgeous smiles. No wonder the cameras loved her so.
“Hey, yourself, gorgeous.” Jenni gave her a big squeeze and slid into the seat across from her. “Been waiting long?”
“Not so much. Just got here.” She folded her hands on the table and grinned again. “It’s good to see you.”
They lived across the country from each other now. No more late night movie and cheap wine parties in pajamas with all the other girls. Getting together a few times a year for a meal was precious. Jenni worked from home, but from time to time had to visit clients in various cities for meetings or she’d never leave the house. She picked up the menu as a waitress appeared at tableside.
“You’re here. Excellent. Mimosa?”
“Ummm, sure.”
Matilda nodded, and the waitress disappeared into the crowd like her shoes were on fire.
“She’s in a hurry.” Jenni shook her head. “What are you having, or have you not had time to look yet?”
“As if you don’t know.” Matilda winked.
Jenni refilled her friend’s cup from the carafe in the middle of the table and then filled her own before moving the vase with a single plastic exotic flower and all the other things from the middle of the table so they could look at each other while we talked. Matilda smirked, but Jenni knew she understood.
“Eggs Benedict for you and pancakes for me.” She set the menu aside and took a fortifying sip of coffee. At least these hipster places did that right, strong and smooth. “So, tell me all that’s new in your world.”
“Aside from work—nothing.” Matilda shrugged.
“No men?”
“No, but I’m about to change that. I have an appointment with Gerri, a matchmaker, this afternoon. I’m done being lonely.” She was so glad to hear that. They both tended to be workaholics. After the years of long hours modeling, they’d switched to long hours in other fields. At some point, a person needed to live.
“I always figured you would end up with Daniel or Evan, honestly.” Two amazing men to choose from and she needed help finding someone? Of course she’d never been one to settle. Unlike Jenni.
“How about you? Any prospects on the horizon?” Matilda changing the focus of the conversation. Okay.
“Just Harold. He’s proposed. I got picked up by another agency, so I’ve been really busy.” Jenni started to tell her all about work…but she knew better than to think she could sail that news past her. The Harold news. Not the work news.
“I hope you said no.” Just flat. Like that.
“Matilda, you know Harold is perfectly nice. And it’s not like I have guys lining up to marry me.”
“If you ever left the house you might meet someone.” It was an old argument between them. When they lived in the model house, she’d dragged Jenni out to parties and all kinds of social activities. But now that she was three thousand miles away from her influence, she’d managed to slip back into solitude. Harold lived in the next apartment over. Jenni had met him in the laundry room.
“Are you going to ruin our short time together? I’m not like you. It’s not easy for me to meet new people.”
“Not inside your apartment.”
Jenni spoke through gritted teeth. “I get out. I like to get into nature and take pictures. I go to the beach and do that all the time.”
She shook her head slowly. “The beach is a block from your place.”
“It’s still outside.”
“You should use the Gerri’s dating service.” Matilda’s voice held the confidence of her convictions, as it always had when she was trying to change Jenni’s life. But they weren’t kids anymore. She had a life.
“I’m fine as is.” Although, her old friend’s enthusiasm, as always, got her mind working. Was she settling? Was that a bad thing?
As she was about to ask her for more details, the waitress returned and shoved their drinks in front of them. “Here. What you having?” If she smiled, she’d be pretty, but right now, she looked like she’d been sucking extra-sour lemons.
After she scribbled down their orders and stomped off, they continued their conversation, trying not to let her ruin their day. She brought the food and left, even crankier if possible. As Jenni was pouring even more real maple syrup on her last half a pancake, Matilda gave her a nod and got up. Standing to follow, she saw why their poor waitress, Sarah, was having such a bad day. A whole table full of young guys who looked like they were still on an all-night bender were giving her grief. One bastard actually called her chubby. They’d been there. Being full-figured models helped with their self-image, but it never let them forget the sting.
And they never sat back and let it happen to someone else. They’d take them down a notch and enjoy doing it.
“So, Sarah, I know you aren’t interested in modeling right now, but here are our cards in case you change your mind.” Jenni winked, and they both handed her their old modeling and current business cards. They had this routine down. And Sarah had the looks their old agency would go for.
“And our friend Gina is about to do another movie casting if that is your preference,” Matilda added. , living in bliss with her two husbands in Hollywood had the perfect life. Visiting them was another way Jenni actually left the house. She’d have to mention that the next time she was accused of being a homebody. She never took Harold over, though. Not after the first time. He didn’t understand their relationship and didn’t mind saying so.
Matilda elbowed her, and she peeked at the hungover jerks who were tapping away on their phones. Probably checking out Gina and, since Jenni had managed to drop a pair of their old cards, and one of Gina’s on the table, them, too. Yeah, boys. Keep looking. You only dream of finding women like us. These encounters for some reason raised her confidence by a thousand percent. Made her want to wear a cape and save the world from asswipes like them. She’d have to text Gina in case they emailed her at the address on the card so her assistant could handle them. Or in case their new friend Sarah did.
“We’ll be at our seat if you have questions.” She linked her arm through Matilda’s and headed back to their seats.
“I freaking love throwing our modeling in the face of asshats. Does that make me a bad person?” Matilda whispered across the table.
“Naw, that makes you human and in this case made her very happy. She may call us.” She shoveled a forkful of pancakes in her mouth before winking over her shoulder at the jerks.
“If she does, we can hook her up. She’s adorable and those eyes.” Matilda fluttered her eyelashes. Sarah did have beautiful blue eyes. “If not, maybe we gave her some more confidence.” She sipped her mimosa and focused that determined stare on Jenni. The one that said trying to deter her would result in frustration and ultimate failure on the part of the deterrer. “Jenni—I have made an executive decision. I’m setting you up with an appointment with Gerri Wilder, the matchmaker. And don’t argue, because I always win.”
Before we got to talk about it any further, a very grateful Sarah came over with a tray of all the brunchy desserts they had to offer and sat to share it with them. By the time they left, they had her all set up to change her life.
Now, Jenni had to try to keep her friend from changing hers. It wasn’t so bad. Really it wasn’t.