Episode 416: Anytime You Need A Friend

She turned with a warm smile. "I know my way around this store pretty well."

"Hey, it’s great to see you, Av, it’s been way too long," Bowie enthused, wrapping his arms around his old friend. "I’ve missed talking to you."

"I’ve missed you too," Ava said and nodded to the self-help books. "Clearly I need a friend." She gave a little laugh. "Don’t let me resort to this."

"Definitely not. I could use someone to talk to, too. Just give me a minute and I’ll take my break."

With their ice coffees from the bookstore, they settled on a bench in the park just down the street. "So what’s going on?" He asked.

"Well," she paused for a long sip of coffee. "My fiancé took off and not only do I need the assurance that he’s okay, I still have feelings for him. To fund the search for him, I’m pretending to date Sebastian so his father will pay me for doing nothing-which totally goes against my work ethic. And it turns out it’s not so hard to pretend to date my ex since I still have feelings for him, too. Oh, and he’s so in love with me that he’s risking alienating his sisters."

"I guess there’s something to be said for the guy who’s helping you look for the other guy," Bowie suggested, given that Sebastian was the lesser of the two evils. Though aware he wasn’t impartial, Bowie added, "But that’s something you have to decide. All I can really say is, be sure you’re sure whoever you choose. Maybe I can help you with the work ethic thing though; anytime you want to grab a shift here, you’re welcome to it. Or if you want the store back or to be partners, I-"

"That’s a little much for me right now, but yeah, maybe I’ll take a shift, I’ll think about," Ava replied. "So, what did you need to talk about?

"It’s Lila."

"Of course."

"I think she might be cheating again."

Episode 417: Luxurious