“I’m hanging up.”

“No, nooo. I was just kidding. So, how did your first night go? What did you guys do?”

“Skinny mocha vanilla latte for Nikki,” a barista shouts.

I shove the phone back into my coat pocket and grab the coffee, gladly wrapping my hands around the warm paper cup, before returning to the freezing temperatures of a New York morning in December.

“We opened a bottle of wine and chatted, you know, to cover the basics: family, education, career…”

“And how was it?”

“Pretty cozy; he’s an easy guy to talk to. I mean, for someone that looks so, mmm…”

Blair supplies the definition for me, “Freaking hot?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not getting too cozy, are you? He’s there only because you’re paying him.”

“I’m aware, thank you. I was just saying that I expected a narcissistic showoff, and instead, he’s rather easy going, funny, even… But don’t worry, he’s not my type at all.”

“Yeah, about that… I was wondering why you picked someone so… not you. Isn’t your family going to get suspicious?”

I stop a few steps away from my building’s main entrance. “You want the ugly truth? The one I could tell only my best friend without being judged?”

“Yeah-ah…”

“He’s Julia’s type,” I confess. “For once, I want her to be jealous of me, even if it’s just for a second and it’s all fake. Am I too pathetic?”

“No, you’re not, and I don’t have any siblings to compete with, so I’m really not an expert on the subject of sisterly envy. I can’t even begin to think what I’d do if my imaginary sister was marrying Richard, so…”

“Thank you,” I say, relieved she’s in my corner no matter what crazy ideas get into my head. “Listen, I’m at the office, I gotta go.”

“Yeah, I’m almost there, too. Okay, I’ll talk to you soon, and please send regular texts to let me know you’re alive.”

I roll my eyes but smile. “I will.”

***

I haven’t been seated at my desk five minutes before my cell phone goes off again. It’s Julia. Ugh, majorly not in the mood for another wedding planning rant. I let the call go unanswered. Three seconds later, my internal line rings, signaling Melanie is calling me.

“Yeah?” I say.

“I have your sister on line two.”

I could tell Melanie to make an excuse for me—that I’m in a meeting, or not at the office—but I know Julia. If she’s decided we have to talk now, she’ll just pester me until I surrender and answer. Compared to my sister, my mom is a restrained serial caller.

I sigh. “All right, put the call through.” Melanie hangs up. I wait for the external line’s button to flash and push it. “Hello?”

“Mom says I can’t have your room.”

“Good morning to you, too,” I reply. “And, yes, Mom would be correct.”

“But Nikki, I’m bringing my fiancé home for the holidays. We can’t stay in my room. Yours is bigger.”