𝑻𝐇𝐄 𝑵𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒━━ 𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘯𝘢𝘱

20

it took two days for us get all the details hammered out, but, between the three of us, we managed to get it all done. i had barely talked to julian. instead, i threw myself into my work. i was at the venue- a beautiful chateau like place surrounded by hundreds of acres of land- helping decorate the day before the gala. karl had come in the day before and joined me at the venue to oversee everything. he had a good eye for aesthetics and gave good suggestions. plus, he took me out to lunch.

the day of the gala, i was perfectly calm. nick, karl, and i got ready together. i wished peyton could have come, but she had to go back to texas indefinitely. we had been texting on and off, but i missed my platonic wife so much.

i was sitting at my vanity letting karl paint my nails and helping nick decide on an outfit when my phone started ringing. "nick, can you answer that please?"

he did so without hesitation, grabbing my phone off the bed and answering it quickly. "thalia monroe's phone. how may i help you?"

karl and i giggled at that. nick had been going overboard lately to make me laugh, and it nearly always worked. i wasn't by nature a serious person.

nick listened as the person on the phone said something before saying, "i'll let her know." he set my phone back on the bed and stood in front of my mirror to attempt tying his tie.

"well?" i demanded. karl finished painting my nails and i gently blew on them while trying to look at nick.

"oh, mark said he has our invitations with him, and that the venue looks fantastic," nick replied. he messed up the tie and yanked on it hard to undo it.

"nick, give my nails like two minutes to dry and i'll help you with that," i told him. nick mumbled something and i went back to bowling on my nails. once they were fully dried, i went over to nick and swiftly tied his tie.

"remind me again how you can tie a tie so expertly," karl said from my bed. he was typing something into his phone, but he had been watching me help nick.

"i had to help my dad with his ties. plus it's, like, a neat little party trick. no one expects me to know how," i said with a smile. "now that nick is ready, i need help picking a dress." i pulled two deep green dresses from my closet and held them up. one was shimmery and long with a slit up to my thigh, and the other was just a jade cocktail dress.

"the sparkly one," karl said.

"agreed," nick threw in.

i disappeared into the bathroom and changed. once i made sure my hair and makeup were done, i walked back into my room and posed.

"you look great, tally," nick said, grinning at me.

"i thought we were past that nickname," i complained.

"what's wrong with it?" karl questioned. "it's adorable."

"it's what he called me when we were like twelve," i said. "i'm twenty one now."

"and yet you're still the same tally," nick teased.

"fine, nicodemus, i'll continue to come up with ridiculous nicknames for you," i shot back. he just rolled his eyes and i grabbed my purse off the bed before putting on my heels. "alright, let's go."

-------

one hundred and seventeen guests came to the gala. it was a fundraiser to provide veterans with healthcare and basic needs. my father had served in the air force, so i started the gala as a way to honor his memory and help people who had served like him.

nick and karl stayed with me the whole night. i had to take a lot of pictures with important people, and a lot of people wanted to talk to me.

"ms. monroe!" one reporter yelled. i turned to her and nodded to encourage her to continue. "what's it like being the youngest female ceo in florida?"

"it's a bit of work, but i've got an amazing team to work with. i honestly couldn't do it without them," i said honestly.

"in what ways do you think being a woman has changed the way your company is run?" asked another reporter.

"well, there was more misogyny within the company for awhile. a sure way to figure out which men are scared of women in power is by putting a woman in power. luckily, all the employees have been able to work together to create a harmonious work environment that doesn't dwell on things like ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc," i answered confidently.

i answered a few more questions before escaping to talk to a few of the employees. after my big speech, i was starving. i stopped by to get a plate of food, not really thinking about the fact that this was my first time seeing julian since i had heard about my mom. it had been nearly two weeks.

when i did see him, my stomach did a slow flip. not the good kind either. i felt sick to my stomach and my throat was tight.

"hey!" julian said, coming to give me a hug. i took a half step back and he froze. confusion covered his face, but i couldn't do it. i felt like i couldn't breathe.

"julian, i'm sorry- i just can't," i struggled to say. i had come to a conclusion the day before, and it hurt me but i knew it was the best thing.

he seemed to understand what i was getting at. "what did i do?"

"you didn't do anything," i said gently. i grabbed his arm and pulled him off to the side. "i know this seems so sudden and it is and i'm sorry. i just- when i was grieving for my mom, i was thinking about all my friends and how i didn't want to lose them like this, and then it just hit me that i hadn't really considered losing you as anything more than a friend. you're so amazing and i love being around you, but i just don't think i love you romantically."

i hesitantly looked up at julian and he smiled softly at me. "thalia, it's okay. i understand. and this is actually coming at a good time because i was going to have to tell you tonight that i have to go back home for awhile because sarah decided orlando isn't right to raise a baby."

"well if baby teagan ever happens to be in orlando with you, stop by, okay?"

"i will," he promised.

"and don't be a stranger," i warned him. "i value you too much to lose you."

"don't worry, thalia. you're not going to lose me."

word count: 1143