him everything. He knows.”
Reena and Maggie were quiet.
“I’m OK, guys. I promise.”
“You don’t sound OK.”
“Well, we’re getting closer now. Adam figures we’ll be there by tomorrow night. It’s soon, you know?”
“Yeah.” Maggie looked at Reena and saw her own worry reflected back. “Listen, do you want us to fly out there?”
“No, really. Guys, it’s OK. I’m really fine with Adam. He’s… he’s great.”
“You sure?” Reena said.
“Totally.”
Reena sighed. “OK, then.”
“Thanks,” Katie said. “Thanks for being here.”
“Whenever you need us, Katie,” Maggie said. “Call us – I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night. You got it?”
“Got it.”
“OK, then. Take care. Call us later. You promise?”
“Yes.”
“Love you, sweetie,” Reena said.
“I love you guys too.”
Katie disconnected and looked out the window for a few minutes. Adam watched her, wondering what she was thinking.
“OK?” he said.
“Yeah. I’m just lucky to have friends like them in my life.”
“How did all of you meet? You guys and Mia?”
“Oh, it was about six years ago, I guess. We were all invited to the launch party for Denver Insider .”
“The entertainment magazine?”
“Yeah. Mia and I freelanced for them and Maggie and Reena had both been featured in the first issue.”
“Maggie paints, right? Reena sculpts?”
“Other way around,” Katie said.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Anyway, it was one of those huge bullshit networking parties, where everyone exchanges cards and phone numbers and promises to call and nobody ever does. But Mia was new in Denver – she’d just moved from Maine the month before – and she was looking for friends. So she called me. Invited me for coffee.” Katie shrugged. “And she’s awesome, you know? Like, sweet and smart and funny. We became friends.”
“Yeah. She’s easy to like.”
“I know, right? And I’m not, but she really gives everyone a chance. She just – she saw beyond the surface and past all my defenses. And about three months later, she had a dinner party and invited me and Reena and Maggie and we all just hit it off. I mean, we’re so different in so many ways, but we’re also all trying to make a living doing something creative, so we get that about each other.”
“That makes sense.”
“We’ve been close ever since, and whenever we get the chance to send work or contacts to each other or collaborate, we do. When I got the contract to do my photo book, I didn’t even hesitate to ask Mia to write the texts. I like working with her, you know?”
“I do.”
“Right. You work with Nick. How did you two meet?”
“We trained at the same gym about twelve years ago. I was already pro by then, but he was new to karate.” Adam looked at Katie. “You know about Shelley?”
“Yeah. Mia told me when I was staying with her.”
“Nick told me about her one night when we went for a beer. I was totally horrified, and kind of kept an eye on him, you know? I thought he’d just lose it completely one day and I wanted to be there when that happened.”
“And did he lose it?”
“No. He got it together in most ways.”
“Except for women,” Katie said.
“Yeah. But Mia’s different.”
“I know.”
They shared a smile, both happy for their friends.
“Anyway, my pro career ended about three years ago, just after I turned thirty. I’d had enough of being hit in the head all the time.”
“I just bet.”
“I had quite a bit of money saved up, and I wanted to start my own training centre. Nick was tired of tending bar full-time, wanted to get in to teaching. He had a bit of money of his own, and we just pooled our resources.” He shrugged. “We were lucky that it’s all worked out.”
“And you both still work at that bar, right? The Cave?”
“Yeah.”
“How come? If The Rock is successful, why still bounce and bartend?”
“Honestly? For Nick, it was an easy way to pick up women,
Reena and Maggie were quiet.
“I’m OK, guys. I promise.”
“You don’t sound OK.”
“Well, we’re getting closer now. Adam figures we’ll be there by tomorrow night. It’s soon, you know?”
“Yeah.” Maggie looked at Reena and saw her own worry reflected back. “Listen, do you want us to fly out there?”
“No, really. Guys, it’s OK. I’m really fine with Adam. He’s… he’s great.”
“You sure?” Reena said.
“Totally.”
Reena sighed. “OK, then.”
“Thanks,” Katie said. “Thanks for being here.”
“Whenever you need us, Katie,” Maggie said. “Call us – I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night. You got it?”
“Got it.”
“OK, then. Take care. Call us later. You promise?”
“Yes.”
“Love you, sweetie,” Reena said.
“I love you guys too.”
Katie disconnected and looked out the window for a few minutes. Adam watched her, wondering what she was thinking.
“OK?” he said.
“Yeah. I’m just lucky to have friends like them in my life.”
“How did all of you meet? You guys and Mia?”
“Oh, it was about six years ago, I guess. We were all invited to the launch party for Denver Insider .”
“The entertainment magazine?”
“Yeah. Mia and I freelanced for them and Maggie and Reena had both been featured in the first issue.”
“Maggie paints, right? Reena sculpts?”
“Other way around,” Katie said.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Anyway, it was one of those huge bullshit networking parties, where everyone exchanges cards and phone numbers and promises to call and nobody ever does. But Mia was new in Denver – she’d just moved from Maine the month before – and she was looking for friends. So she called me. Invited me for coffee.” Katie shrugged. “And she’s awesome, you know? Like, sweet and smart and funny. We became friends.”
“Yeah. She’s easy to like.”
“I know, right? And I’m not, but she really gives everyone a chance. She just – she saw beyond the surface and past all my defenses. And about three months later, she had a dinner party and invited me and Reena and Maggie and we all just hit it off. I mean, we’re so different in so many ways, but we’re also all trying to make a living doing something creative, so we get that about each other.”
“That makes sense.”
“We’ve been close ever since, and whenever we get the chance to send work or contacts to each other or collaborate, we do. When I got the contract to do my photo book, I didn’t even hesitate to ask Mia to write the texts. I like working with her, you know?”
“I do.”
“Right. You work with Nick. How did you two meet?”
“We trained at the same gym about twelve years ago. I was already pro by then, but he was new to karate.” Adam looked at Katie. “You know about Shelley?”
“Yeah. Mia told me when I was staying with her.”
“Nick told me about her one night when we went for a beer. I was totally horrified, and kind of kept an eye on him, you know? I thought he’d just lose it completely one day and I wanted to be there when that happened.”
“And did he lose it?”
“No. He got it together in most ways.”
“Except for women,” Katie said.
“Yeah. But Mia’s different.”
“I know.”
They shared a smile, both happy for their friends.
“Anyway, my pro career ended about three years ago, just after I turned thirty. I’d had enough of being hit in the head all the time.”
“I just bet.”
“I had quite a bit of money saved up, and I wanted to start my own training centre. Nick was tired of tending bar full-time, wanted to get in to teaching. He had a bit of money of his own, and we just pooled our resources.” He shrugged. “We were lucky that it’s all worked out.”
“And you both still work at that bar, right? The Cave?”
“Yeah.”
“How come? If The Rock is successful, why still bounce and bartend?”
“Honestly? For Nick, it was an easy way to pick up women,
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