Page 82 of If We Meet Again

“I could do with the extra cash, actually. Will you tell them I’m available for the rest of the week if they need me?”

Madison went quiet. “Sure.”

“Time will you be home tonight?”

“I finish at eleven, sotwelve-ish.”

“Okay, I’ll waitup for you.”

“You don’t need to.”

“I want to. I’m sure there will be things to discuss.” Ashley was certainabout that.

“Okay. Have a nice time onyour date.”

Ashley laughed. “It’s not a date, it’s two friends catching up.That’s all.”

“Hmmm, ifyou say so.”

“Mads.” Ashley attempted to make her intentions crystal clear.

“I know, I know. It’s notlike that.”

“It’s not.”

“Okay.”

The conversation came to a natural close. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“You will.”

***

The mirror didn’t lie; Ashley observed her outfit choice and the mirror told her it was time to take a vacation somewhere hot, where she could regain her glowing tan that had disappeared throughout the winter season. If there was ever a time to go to California and visit her baby niece, now felt like the perfect time. The winter had worn her down; late night after late night working or chasing her next story. Her day began at three in the afternoon, even on her days off because of her nocturnal lifestyle. It was a lifestyle that had suited her for several years, but it had finally started to take its toll.

The days had grown long, warm and sunny once again, and the weather that evening was perfect. Ashley had opted for a pair of white trainers, tapered denim jeans, a white t-shirt accompanied by an oversized grey blazer—that she’d forgotten all about—and her newest purchase, a grey fedora hat. A recent trip to the hairdressers had been successful with a new hairstyle that allowed the blonde wavy locks to sit just above her shoulders. There was a two-week transition period where she hated it most days, but she’d grown to love it after successfully exploring different styles.

The palms of her hands felt clammy, despite telling herself numerous times that meeting Megan wasn’t a big deal. Deep down, she knew it was. Their contact had been minimal since Samantha’s baby shower. Megan showed little interest in maintaining a meaningful friendship, but in her defence, Ashley had been too preoccupied, which allowed her to push Megan to the back of her mind. Weeks would go by without a thought, but then reminders would provoke a rush of emotion strong enough to make Ashley questioneverything.

They had gone back and forth about where to go for a drink, agreeing finally on Upstairs—the penthouse rooftop bar at The Kimberley Hotel. Ashley hadn’t been since she first moved to New York. It was a costly venue for drinks if you planned to stay there all night, but the views—priceless. The generic ringtone sounding from her bedside table caught her attention.

“Hey, cancelling already?” Ashley teased.

“As if. I’m running a few minutes behind schedule.”

“By that, you mean you lost track of time and you’ve not even started gettingready yet?”

“Yes to the first part, but actually, I have started getting ready. I just misjudged the amount of time it would take to have a shower, iron my clothes and put a small amount ofmakeup on.”

“Oh, so just what you’ve been doing your whole life then? Somehow you forgot how long that took?” Ashley smirked in amusement.

Megan sighed. “You know what’shilarious?”

“What?”

“You don’t change at all. Your sarcasm is about as predictable as…” Megan paused, “…as…”

“Do you want some help with finishing that off?” Ashley’s nerves disappeared, and she felt oddly at ease.