"What do you mean you've sworn off men?"
Olivia could only smile at Abby's horrified tone as they rolled up their yoga mats. It was Wednesday night and Liv was feeling relaxed and ready for their weekly pizza date. They walked out of the small yoga studio and across the street to the pizza place. The scent of freshly rolled dough blended with bubbling cheeses had Olivia's stomach instantly growling for her weekly vice.
"Abs, it's just that I don't have time for a relationship right now. I've been putting in extra hours at work, I'm researching everything I can for my interview, and any time left over is catching up with you and the girls. Plus, I don't have the patience for dating anymore. Everyone is either fake, full of anxiety or just sleazy. I'm over it. Can we talk about something else, please?"
"Fine," Abby shrugged. "If you've decided to sit the bench, that means they'll be more for me!"
Olivia chuckled at her best friend of sixteen years. In some ways they were so very alike; both fashion-forward, brutally honest, and always up for challenge. And, Abby certainly viewed men as a challenge. A game, in which the prize was a night of hot, sweaty fun; no strings, no expectations. Over the years, Olivia often envied Abby and her ability to separate her emotions from sex. The stories she'd share over wine and popcorn were proof that Abs may be Type A in her career, but she was a carefree, wild spirit in all other areas of her life. She was the yin to Liv's yang and Olivia knew she would never find a truer friend than Abby.
"So, did you book our flight to Boston?" Abby asked, after placing their usual order.
"Yep. We leave Thursday. Be ready by 8 am, with ONE bag, Abby. We're only going to be there for 2 days, you'll need just ONE bag. Do you hear me?"
"Yeah, yeah… Mom!" Abby replied, knowing full well she'd never be able to board the plane with less than 3 bags.
"We'll fly in, check in at the hotel. My interview is at 2pm. I'm all yours after that."
"Oh, Liv. How can I be so happy for you and so upset, all at once? You're going to nail this interview, get the job and move away. How could you do this to me? To us?" Abby flipped her arm to her forehead in the most melodramatic, mock faint Olivia had ever seen.
Olivia couldn't help but laugh, and wondered what she would do if she really did move away from her best friend. She'd been so preoccupied with getting the interview of a life time, she hadn't let the anxiety of moving to a new city, away from all her family and friends, cloud her mind. She couldn't, she'd worry about it when the time came. For now, she had an interview to prepare for. She had to make sure her suit was picked up from the cleaners and everything was packed for their flight.
"Abby, let's just take one day at a time. We'll enjoy the city, the change of weather and the time away. Whatever comes after, we'll deal with it then. Ok?"
Abby nodded her head, agreeing to shelf the topic, for now. And it was probably for the best, anytime she thought about Olivia moving to Boston, her stomach lurched into her chest. Aside from their two other girlfriends, Liv was the only family she had. All four had met in 9th grade geometry class and had been inseparable ever since; except for the 3 years Abby went off to law school.
They were living out the 'Sex & the City' movie until Susan met David, the love of her life. They married, and a baby girl soon followed. Then, Lauren met Portia; moved to Connecticut where they could marry, leaving Abby and Olivia as the lone survivors. Abby didn't believe in marriage and Olivia, well Olivia set the bar pretty high for men. Abby knew that was likely to keep her heart protected, insuring every man had some fatal flaw, which kept them safely removed, just out of Olivia's grasp.
Olivia had set the bar high for herself, as well. After completing her Master's degree in Interior Design, she started her internship at The Gettys Group, a design firm specialized in hotel and restaurant scheme in Miami. Now, almost a year later, the firm called Olivia for an interview in Boston, where they recently expanded and were looking for a new team to compete for the re-design of four hotels in the Boston Commons area. It was an amazing opportunity for Olivia and Abby couldn't be happier her dream was finally coming true. But, the thought of not having her best friend close by made her heart hurt.
"Abby? Abby, did you hear me?" Olivia asked, her doe brown eyes, filling with concern.
"What? I'm sorry. I'm so hungry, I lost focus for a second. What were you saying?"
"Do you want to hit up that seafood place in the city where we went last year? The one outdoors with the industrial lighting?"
"Oh. Yea. That sounds awesome, Liv. Then grab a drink after? See if Boston still grows their men just right?" Abby wiggled her eyebrows, regaling her own suggestion.
"Yes, Abby. Wouldn't want to waste the opportunity to dip our feet into foreign waters." Olivia answered, rollering her eyes at her friend's less-than-surprising idea.
"You know what I always say, Liv. Never miss an opportunity to get wet. "
"Oh, Abby. What am I going to do with you?" Olivia asked, shaking her head.
"Love me till the day I die."
"You know I will, Abs. You know I will."
/
Fitz made his way off I-64 to exit 40. The Loews Hotel was just 5 miles away, but it took 45 minutes to get there last time. He hoped arriving on Thursday morning, instead of Friday afternoon, would eliminate some of the traffic. He used the 2 hour drive from his home in Woodstock, Vermont to prepare him for the months ahead. His architecture firm was chosen for the design plan on re-construction of 4 major hotels in the Boston Commons area. He had traveled back and forth a couple of times for meetings that could not be telecomm, but now they'd moved on to the next phase of design. There would be more meetings, more need for him to be hands-on; it made better sense to stay in Boston until the second phase of construction was complete.
Fitz loved the city and had traveled to Boston many times over the years, but Vermont held his heart. He couldn't believe he would miss his favorite time of year there- the leaves changing to yellows, oranges and reds. Fitz had designed and built a 6,500 square foot home on 12 acres of land, off a dirt road in Woodstock. He loved being outdoors and the slower paced life. His career in architecture brought him to the hub of many cities, but it was the quiet of nature that kept him sane.
"Fitzgerald Grant? Fitz? Is that you?" Fitz turned from his place in line at the coffee shop next to his hotel, to see his old college roommate approaching.
"Harrison Wright! It's so great to see ya, man!" Fitz extended his hand for a firm shake and a half hug with the other.
"Wow, it's so great to see you Fitz. It's been, what, 6 or 7 years? How are you doing? How's Mellie?"
Fitz slightly grimaced. "Um, well, I'm not sure. We're…divorced. Well, annulled actually. It only lasted 8 months."
"Oh, shit. Man, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Nah, it's okay. Really. It was over 3 years ago and we've both moved on."
Fitz couldn't really say if that were true for Mellie, but it certainly was for him. He moved out of their apartment in California, packed all he could in a check-on bag and flew to Vermont. During his days at MIT, Fitz had taken a few weekend trips to Vermont and instantly fell in love. He needed a clean break and couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather start a new life. He quickly found a job at Westley & Holbrook and after 2 years, he was able to buy into the firm, and become a partner. Now, Westley, Holbrook & Grant Architecture & Consulting, Inc. was one of the countries most prestigious architecture firms allowing Fitz the ability to work mainly from home, telecommuting until the jobsite required his presence.
"You know, can I be honest? I never did like her, man. She was too...cold for you. So, are you living in Boston now?"
"No, I've got a place in Vermont. But, my firm is doing the re-construction on a few hotels here in Boston, so I'll be staying at the Loews Hotel for a least a couple of months."
"That is great, man! I live here in the city, anytime you want to grab a beer or watch a game, hit me up. In fact, what about tonight? You up for drinks downtown?" Harrison still had that devilish gleam in his eye, the same one he had in college, after they had devised a schedule for playing wingman; leaving both of them with very few lonely nights during college. After graduation, Fitz received an internship at a firm in California, while Harrison went to work at his Dad's engineering firm in D.C. The distance had caused them to gradually loose touch with one another, and Fitz couldn't be happier to find a familiar face on his first day back in the city.
"Sure. What time?"
"I'll meet you at Battery Park around 9pm," Harrison clapped Fitz on the shoulder, "Man, this is going to be great."
