The Missing Gem

47 | Happiness Doesn't Need Planning

Nicole

"So, how do we fix this now?"

"Nic, this happens. It just happens, especially to first time writers. You're still finding your ground in the writer's world." Diane gently ran her hand down my back, soothingly. "Do me a favor and don't stress about it. Please."

I wrapped my fingers around the red lipstick I found and brought it close to my face, inspecting it, as if that was what was really on my mind.

"It's kinda hard not to." I spoke my honest confession out loud.

My book did so well in the first two months after its release. The book tour went really well, I feel like I got the book to be talked about outside the US, which was really good and my editor was happy about it as well. However, we're a week away from Christmas now and the sales have been going downhill.

I don't know how this happened. And right on the week before the holidays! This is the time of the year when people buy more gifts, and books are usually a popular gift choice.

However this happened, this was taking a toll on me.

That also might be related to the fact that I'm nearing the end of the first trimester of pregnancy and the emotional rollercoaster is taking over me.

"Nicole?" Diane's palm was swinging up and down in front of my face. I zoned out of my thoughts and turned my head towards her.

"What?"

"You were daydreaming. And give me that." She took the lipstick from my hand and looked at the color code on the edge of the tube. "This is too bright. Let's go find another one."

She grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of the store, only to walk inside another beauty and make-up store.

Gotta love a good old girls day.

"Now we're talking!" She said after wandering around the lipsticks display and showing me the lipstick of the perfect shade of red she was looking for. "You wanna get one for you too?"

"Yes, please. I'm not gonna spend Christmas without red lipstick on."

This year was going to be different. This would be the very first year that Lucas and I were going to spend the holidays together and we were hosting Christmas dinner at our brand new house as well.

We had signed the contract for the new house and we had finished moving in last weekend. It might seem like it was a little rushed but we wanted to be done with moving before I got too big and wasn't up for anything related to moving in.

It was a little hard saying goodbye to my old apartment, where I had become an adult and started living like one. However, this new house was like a breath of fresh hair for both me and Lucas. It was a new start, it was the symbol of a new beginning for us and our relationship. And also for Sparkles - she was getting bigger, looking like a real adult dalmatian, and she loved running around the backyard and having more space inside the house.

"Speaking of, what time should we be at your place?"

I shrugged my shoulders in indifference as I spied with my little eye a woman standing in the corner of the store, talking to a girl that was a part of the store staff, apparently about an eye shadow that I couldn't decipher which color it was.

"Nicole, what's wrong with you?"

"Shhh!" I immediately said, taking my index finger to my lips.

Diane traced her sight to where my eyes were looking and turned back to me, whispering in my ear. "Who's that?"

"A bitch."