Ready or Not (2 page)

As a result, the gnawing in her stomach didn’t seem to be going anywhere, and she couldn’t shrug off the recently formed idea that played constantly in the back of her head any longer. Without giving it any more thought, for fear she might lose her nerve, Mallory flipped open her phone and dialed her friend Samantha’s number.

“Mal?” Sam said upon answering. “Hang on a sec. Just need to…pay for my coffee…so I can live. Thank you. Keep the change,” she heard Sam say distantly. “And I’m done. The coffee champion of the world. What’s up?” she said with an uptick in volume and energy. She’d called Samantha because Sam was the rock in their group of four friends. And it was her voice Mallory needed to hear first, to keep her courage up, to propel her into this giant leap. “Mal? Hey, you still there?”

Mallory gulped in a breath and tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind one ear. “I’m here. I need to call a Midnight Chocolate. For tonight.”

A pause. “Whoa. In the midst of exams? This must be important. Yeah?”

“It is. Will you call Brooklyn and Hunter? Let’s meet at my place.” In addition to Samantha, she knew their other two best friends would be there in a heartbeat. Midnight Chocolate was a practice the four of them had stumbled onto their sophomore year of college when they’d first bonded over a late-night dinner of chocolate waffles in the Village. It had pretty much cemented their four-way friendship forever. Late-night discussion and chocolate were a powerful combination, and the girls relied on the coupling to solve any and all of their major life crises. When someone needed to talk something out, Midnight Chocolate was the way to go. No questions asked.

“No worries. I’ll call them right now,” Sam said. A pause. “Hey, you okay?”

Mallory smiled as a series of butterflies flew circles in her stomach. “I definitely might be. And Sam? Come with an open mind tonight, okay?”

“Will do.”

As Mallory walked back to her apartment in the Village, darkness hung in full effect all around her. The night felt like it was bursting with possibilities, and she couldn’t help smiling at the proverbial list. She tucked the envelope containing the job offer into her Italian leather attaché, which her father had purchased solely for the interview, and ruminated on what he’d say if she pulled an about-face now. Regardless of what happened, his opinion mattered to her. She looked up to him and treasured their relationship. He was her mentor, friend, and parent all rolled into one. Would he understand if she set out to do something reckless that just might pay off in the end? She shook her head, unable to consider that right now. As she climbed the steps to her apartment, she evicted the recriminations from her mind.

Her parents had a lot of ideas about what exactly her future should entail. But it just so happened that Mallory had a few of her own.

*

At five minutes after midnight, Mallory sat with Samantha and Hunter on the floor of her small living room, surrounded by chocolate peanut-butter cookies, malted-milk balls, four pre-scooped bowls of vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge, and an array of awesome candy toppings. She’d opened a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white and had four glasses generously poured.

The three of them waited.

For Brooklyn.

Who they often waited for.

“I love this wine,” Sam said, examining the glass and turning it in a circle against the light. “I wish I knew more about it. I should become a wine connoisseur if I don’t make it my entire profession. I’m about to graduate with a degree in accounting and thereby probably missing my calling as a world-class sommelier.”

Mallory held up a hand. “Before you book a ticket to Paris, listen to what I have to say tonight. Well, listen as soon as Brooklyn gets here.”

And then, like a Tasmanian devil, a blur of wavy blond hair burst into the room and skidded to a stop in plaid pajama pants, a red cami, and hoodie. “Did I make it? Am I on time?” Brooklyn asked, clearly out of breath.

Sam shook her head. “Not even close, Brooks. But we’ve decided to love you anyway.”

Brooklyn grinned, ducked under Sam’s outstretched arm, and nestled into a cozy spot on the floor. Brooklyn was a handful, that was for sure, but it was actually part of her charm. Her blue eyes flashed excitement as she turned to Mallory. “So…what’s all this about? I don’t relish studying, by any means, but I’m fully aware that you do. So this must be a major MC you’ve called.” She settled her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. “Okay, Mal, dish.”

All eyes were on her, and Mallory knew this was an important moment in her life. She could feel it. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words she’d hoped for weren’t quite there. That’s when her heart rate sped up and her parents’ authoritative voices ping-ponged around in her head. Was this a mistake? Had she lost her firm and level head? Some sort of graduation crisis maybe? She swallowed hard and caught Samantha’s eye. Sam seemed to take in the distress signals.

“Maybe Mal wants to work up to it,” Sam offered the group.

Hunter passed Brooklyn a glass of wine. “I’ll stall.”

“Thanks,” Brooklyn said, accepting. “You were saying?”

“I’m meeting Elizabeth McMillan at the White Rabbit when we’re done here,” Hunter said. “I thought you’d all enjoy that. I know I do.”

Brooklyn’s eyes moved from side to side as she attempted to rationalize those words. “Elizabeth McMillan is straight. Doesn’t compute.”

Hunter simply grinned at her and looked skyward, all laid-back and gorgeous. Genetics really weren’t fair. With those looks and her undeniable charm, Hunter Blair picked up women practically everywhere she went. It was a gift. “Well, until she wasn’t last night.”

Samantha shook her head, her jaw falling open. “Only you, Hunter. Only you.”

“I’m a little jealous of you right now,” Brooklyn said in reverence. “Not gonna lie. Elizabeth McMillan is all buttoned up and conservative in my management class. It’s hot.” Brooklyn snagged a bowl of ice cream and dropped a handful of chocolate chips on top, her blue eyes luminous as they focused on Hunter. “Teach me, Obi-Wan.”

“That’s kind of why we’re here,” Mallory said, jumping in before her nerves could quell her any further. “We all have unique skills.”

“Like picking up hot girls we all thought were straight?” Brooklyn asked, hooking a thumb at Hunter.

“Kinda,” Mallory said and then frowned. “But no, not that at all. Hear me out. When the four of us came together for the first time two years ago on that film committee for the LGBT Center, we were unstoppable.”

“We were.” Sam echoed her, smiling at the memory. “Like it was ordained or something.”

Brooklyn nodded. “I didn’t know you guys at all, but I did know that we worked together like gangbusters. Like we’d been doing it our whole lives.” She glanced at each of them in appreciation. “I’d never had that kind of chemistry with any other group of people in my entire life.”

This was her chance. Mallory pushed up onto her knees as energy took hold. “Think about it, you guys. With Brooklyn’s big ideas, my project-management skills, Samantha’s money magic, and Hunter’s killer eye for graphics, we cover all the bases.”

Hunter inclined her head to the side. “All the bases for what? I don’t think the larger world needs a film committee.”

“Advertising.” Mallory sat back and let the word resonate. Her friends looked intrigued but definitely not sold.

“Explain,” Sam said.

“I think when we graduate, we should start our own firm in the city.” Eyes widened and the room fell uncharacteristically silent. Not exactly what she’d been hoping for. Brooklyn and Samantha exchanged a glance, but damn it, still no one said anything. “Well, not everyone at once,” Mallory said, gazing at the floor as her confidence fluttered.

Brooklyn spoke first and it was clear she was tentative. “You think we could do that? Honestly?”

Mallory didn’t hesitate. “I know we could do it. I was at Jennings and Sons today. They’re one of the top firms in New York. Huge in size and money galore, but they had nothing on us in terms of ingenuity. Give me you three and an empty room, and we could change the world of advertising. I know we could.”

“It’s fun to think about,” Sam said. “But starting a business in Manhattan is expensive. We’d need capital, and no bank is going to approve us for a loan without some kind of hard-core experience. I’m not saying it’s not a kick-ass idea or that I wouldn’t love to work with you guys—”

“When I graduate, my trust fund reverts to me,” Mallory said, putting it all out there.

Three pairs of eyes blinked back at her.

Hunter set down her wineglass and met Mallory’s gaze. “You’d be willing to lay your trust fund on the line for us?”

Mallory didn’t hesitate. “I would.”

Brooklyn raised her hand. “And there’s enough in there to—”

“Purchase a small country,” Mallory filled in.

Sam’s eyebrows shot up. “I knew your family was wealthy, but I guess I’ve never really heard you mention it before.”

Mallory shrugged. “It’s a small detail in the scheme of who I am. The important part is that money is about to fall into my hands and I want to do something that matters with it. Invest in a project I happen to believe in wholeheartedly.”

“And that’s us?” Brooklyn asked, her big blue eyes carrying such reverence for the concept.

“Then I’m in,” Hunter said.

Samantha’s head swiveled. “Whoa. Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Hunter said. “If Mal believes in us, so do I.”

Sam balked. “But there’s something to be said for thinking things through. What about our future plans? I have two job interviews lined up next week alone, at big-ten accounting firms no less. Yes, this idea is fun to think about. Hell, it’s the most exciting thing anyone has asked me in a while, but we need to examine it from all the angles first. We need a business plan, a—”

“I’m in too,” Brooklyn said. Mallory smiled at her as her heart soared. That was two of three.

“Thank you, Brooklyn. We’re going to need your ideas like never before.”

“Good, because I have a lot of ’em.” She and Brooklyn clinked glasses.

All eyes were now on Samantha, who blew out a breath. “What if we put all of our eggs in this basket and it turns out to be one great big failure?”

“Or,” Mallory said, leaning forward, her voice quiet. “What if it’s the best damn basket that ever happened to any of us?”

“Come on, Sammie Sam,” Brooklyn said, wrapping an arm around Samantha. “Let’s weave New York City baskets together. Try something amazing with us.”

Hunter tilted her head and regarded Sam. “The world needs cooler baskets.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have used the basket analogy,” Sam muttered, covering her eyes. “I just don’t know. A business?” But she was smiling and had that faraway look in her eyes. “We’d have to kill ourselves to get it off the ground. Hustle, schmooze, burn the midnight oil like we’ve never done before.”

“And we would,” Mallory answered in all seriousness, because if she was born to do one thing, it was succeed. And with the war she was about to incite when her parents caught wind of this plan, she had to be ready to prove them wrong. “You can think about it if you want,” Mallory offered.

But something in Sam’s demeanor seemed to shift. She sat a little taller and met Mallory’s gaze squarely. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let’s give it a go for a year. See where we’re at.”

“Yeah?” Mallory asked, the excitement gathering slowly in her chest.

“Hell, yeah,” Hunter said and jumped to her feet. And they were up and hugging before Mallory even knew what hit her. Relief. That’s the feeling that rushed over her in powerful waves as she pulled Samantha into a celebratory embrace. It had been an idea out of left field, but an idea she fiercely believed in, and within an hour of asking them, all three of her friends were on board as well.

Suddenly, it seemed like this thing was really going to happen, the four of them chasing their dreams together. And with a clean slate stretched luxuriously in front of them, the future could be anything they wanted it to be. The prospect was daunting and thrilling all at the same time.

As they settled back into their comfy spots, Mallory took in the faces of her three most treasured friends on the planet and knew there was no one else she’d take such a huge leap with. Feeling like she should say something, she raised a glass. “This is a big decision for us, and as we embark upon this venture together, I want to say that I have faith in our ability, and in each and every one of you. Let’s go places together. To us.”

And with that, four glasses met in the middle of the circle. Amidst the fluttering in her stomach, Mallory smiled, because this was a moment. They had a lot of work ahead of them, and it would be a little terrifying, but she was ready for that and whatever else the world had in store.

The future looked bright.

And she, for one, couldn’t wait.

Nine years later

Mallory brushed a triumphant strand of hair from her forehead as she crossed Sixty-eighth and Broadway, her own little victory song laying down a beat in her head. Moments before, she’d sealed the deal with an up-and-coming dog-food brand, a hard-to-land account. She’d done her research, nurtured the relationship, and had articulated her presentation exactly the way she’d rehearsed. It had taken weeks of long hours at the office in preparation, but her hard work and her team’s innovation had won them the account over one of the advertising giants in town.

Her favorite kind of victory.

Now it was time to celebrate. She texted the news back to the office, and her friends immediately flooded her screen, suggesting celebratory drinks at their favorite bar. Perfect. Because this kind of thing was worth celebrating, as it marked another amazing victory for Savvy.

As she walked, still on the amazing high, Mallory considered switching from the heels on her feet to the comfy sneakers she kept in her attaché for traversing the streets of Manhattan. But actually, no, the heels felt like part of her mojo in the present moment. She’d leave them on.

Strut a little.

Toss her hair when she felt like it, because that was the kind of awesome day it had been. Her feet would deal with the fallout later, as nothing on Earth could topple the feeling she got after landing an account. It could only be described as the best drug around. Euphoria. Pride. Excitement—all wrapped up into one. If another kind of experience that could fill her up this way existed, she’d yet to encounter it.