When Girlfriends Chase Dreams by Savannah Page Page A

discussion, but Emily won’t let up. And I’m glad she doesn’t, because I want to know more details. Juicy details.
    “What’s he like?” Emily says. “And if you don’t dish, then we’ll just ask Sophie.”
    Lara is definitely blushing now. “He’s very sweet. Kind of shy, but only a little.”
    I glance at Sophie to see her nodding.
    “Very nice and interesting, though,” Lara says. “He wants to take his culinary skills further. Be a Sous-Chef at some point.”
    “Surrounded by bakers and cooks!” Emily says, shaking her head. “Goodness! Well, I’m happy he’s a nice guy.”
    “And hot?” Jackie blurts out.
    Lara rolls her eyes and tells Jackie that yes, he’s attractive.
    “When are we going to meet him?” Jackie prods. She’s already finished her freshly poured glass of wine.
    “Chill now,” Lara says. “Eventually. Maybe.”
    “When Lara’s ready and if things go farther,” Sophie helps Lara out. “Right?” She looks at Lara, who agrees.
    “Good for you!” Emily encourages, then she presses down for another paper cut, sending the table upwards, making a loud thud as it hits the floor.  
    “Claire?” Lara asks.
    “Yeah?”
    “I love you, honey, but can I call it a night on the cutouts?” Her pile is nearly twice the size of mine. Typical Lara. Going at anything with “work” labeled on it with sheer gusto.
    “Yeah,” Jackie whines. Her pile, however, is about a tenth the size of Lara’s. The girls are all doing me a huge favor, though, and girls’ night should be fun.
    I concede, and we leave the paper birds for another time. We retire to the living room for a rom-com that Robin brought with her.
    “So, girls,” Emily says in an announcing kind of way. She sets the last snack plate onto the coffee table as Robin pops in a DVD. Schnickerdoodle leaps onto the couch’s arm, then settles warmly onto my lap. “I’ve been meaning to share something with you lately.”
    I gasp, Sophie gasps, and Lara gets straight to business. “What is it, Em?” Lara asks. “You’re not running off to another country so soon, are you?” That’s the question we’re all thinking.
    “No,” Emily says, and the group heaves a collective sigh. She can’t go anywhere. Not yet.
    Emily pulls her knees into her chest tightly and is wearing a mischievous grin. “Remember when I asked if it was all right if I went out with that old co-worker of Jackie’s that she was trying to hook Lara up with?” She’s looking right at Lara, who looks very confused. “The waiter from the jazz bar?” Still confused, but not as much now. “Matt?”
    Lara nods her head vigorously and says, “Go on.”
    “Well…” Emily flashes a big smile. “We’re kinda, sorta seeing each other.”
    “Whoa!” Jackie exclaims. “Spill it. Spill it!”
    “Remember I asked if it was okay if I tried to snag him if you didn’t mind, Lara?” Emily asks. “Since you didn’t want to go out with him…”
    “Yeah, totally.” Lara flicks her wrist in an offhanded way.
      “Well, I did.” Emily claps her hands together. “I went to the place for lunch one afternoon, and I asked Matt out.”
    “So brave,” Robin says, impressed.
    “You just asked him out?” Lara says, bewildered. “Just like that?”
    “Yeah.” Emily says simply. “He’s unbelievably hot, and I got the sister-swear on it that it was okay by Lara if I pounced.” She raises her eyebrows and looks around at each of us. “And she said it was okay, so I asked him out.”
    In an effort to help Lara amidst her bitching about turning thirty in November and still being single, Jackie tried to set her up with this Matt character last year. Lara sort of dismissed him, even though she agreed he was extremely dishy. She said she still had a broken heart over the last douche bag (seriously, he was not so great), and she wasn’t interested in dating.
    I don’t think I can really blame her. Although, I don’t know what it’s like to be broken up