𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊 - 𝑪𝑨𝑹𝑴𝑬𝑵 𝑩𝑬𝑹𝒁𝑨𝑻𝑻𝑶

2.

TWO DAYS LATER

After two days straight of back and forth thinking, considering ever risk, everything that could go very wrong about this, she felt insane when she reached her final decision.

"But, hey, you only live once right?" Britt's voice pinged through her head, bringing her comfort.

Veronica walked up to the restaurant, it was nice seeing it in the daylight, and she got a better look at it without all the people.

She took a deep breath, considered backing out, but then walked inside. Coincidentally enough, Nat and Carmy, along with Richie and who she assumed was Sydney, were standing around a table. They all turned around and stared at her as she walked inside.

Totally not super intimidating.

She took another breath and smiled, looking at Nat, nodding, "I'm in." she announced.

"Yes!" Nat smiled and cheered to herself, rushing over to give Veronica a huge hug.

"What?" Carmy asked, opposite of Nat's reaction.

"I'm sorry... who is this?" Sydney asked then too.

"Table 4." Richie said, "She's table 4, I remember."

Carmy cut Veronica off before she could introduce herself, "Why? Why do you wanna waste your life at this shit-hole?" he asked her.

"Because I've clearly lost my mind." She replied, "I'm Veronica, by the way." She walked forward to Sydney and shook her hand, "Hi, it's so nice to meet you."

Sydney smiled awkwardly and a tad bit nervously as she had no idea who's hand she was shaking still, "It's nice to meet you too, Veronica." She said, "But what exactly are you in on?"

"Oh!" Richie then exclaimed loudly and extremely delayed, "I remember you, you're the New York girl Carmy dated in college." He pointed in realization, like had just guessed a trivia question.

Veronica embraced the uncomfortableness of this situation and nodded, "That's me."

"Veronica is our new, very own... Journalist... Advertiser... Franchiser?" Nat said, there wasn't a title she could find that quite fit so she gave up, "She's gonna help us out." she shrugged and put her hands together over her stomach.

"Oh cool." Sydney said, "And she's- you're voluntarily working here?" She turned to Veronica and asked.

"I guess so." Veronica chuckled nervously.

"She's insane, just like us, I love her already." Sydney joked, Veronica smiled, feeling very relieved. She hadn't expected to meet Sydney today but she knew when she did she wanted to make a good impression.

"Are you seriously gonna do this?" Carmy asked her.

"Yeah." She replied, "As long as you're okay with it."

He shook his head, "No, yeah, I am, it's just... what about New York?"

"It's just a few thousand miles away." She replied, "It was time for a change, honestly, and, hey, you know what they say? You take the girl out of the city, not the city out the girl." She said proudly, I totally just made that up, she thought.

"Oh, I like her already." Richie chuckled, "Richie Jeremovich, welcome to the team." He shook her hand.

"We've met before, Richie." She reminded him, a little concerned.

"Oh, yeah... that's right." He replied.

"Is that- is that a portfolio?" Sydney asked about the folder Veronica had been holding under her arm this whole time.