Pretend to be mine

Lucia hills walked into the Lacoste hotel in Berkeley that Wednesday night wearing her favorite red heels, feeling jittery from coffee, and carrying a bottle of champagne in her purse. She took out her phone to text her sister, Susan, upstairs in one of the guest rooms. It was always good to give Susan a little more advance warning than most people. It didn’t matter that Susan had just made partner at her New York law firm; some things didn’t change. Oh no, was just about to get in the shower. Lucia got Susan’s text just as she stepped into the elevator. She laughed out loud as she pushed the number of her sister’s floor, the laughter calming her nerves. Lucia couldn’t wait to celebrate with her older sister, despite . . . no, maybe because their relationship was still tricky after all these years. The elevator glided in the air, in that smooth, noiseless way elevators in expensive hotels do, while lucia checked her purse for the second time to make sure she’d tossed the fanc

Lucia stepped off the elevator and onto the bustling floors of city halls. She took a deep breath, feeling the familiar hum of the office energize her. It was good to be back at work. As she made her way to her office, Lucia couldn't help but think about the previous night's dinner celebration. Her sister Susan made partner at a firm. She had just been promoted to senior partner, and they had decided to celebrate in style. They had dined at one of Berkeley top restaurants, indulging in champagne and fine wine. Lucia chuckled to herself as she remembered the two of them stumbling out of the restaurant, giggling and holding onto each other for support. They had definitely had a bit too much to drink. As she settled into her office, Lucia’s phone buzzed with an incoming text from her colleague and friend Diana. "Hey, want to grab coffee and catch up?" Diana asked. Diana smiled, happy to take a break from her usual routine. "Definitely," she replied. "Meet you at the coffee shop down

Avon checked his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. He had arrived at the restaurant 15 minutes early, eager to make a good impression on lucia. But as the minutes ticked by, he began to feel a growing sense of unease. Where was she? Avon had tried calling her, but it had gone straight to voicemail. He had also sent her a text, but she hadn't responded. Maybe she's not coming, Avon thought, feeling a pang of disappointment. He had been looking forward to this date all week, and the thought of being stood up was not pleasant. Avon took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. Maybe there was a good reason why Lucia was late. Maybe she was stuck in traffic or had an emergency.He’d questioned the lack of exclamation points in both texts—women, in his experience, tended to use a lot of exclamation points. Did that mean she was feeling like she should have backed out?He was certainly feeling like he should have backed out. Not from the date with Lucia —no, that was

Lucia and Avon laughed, standing up to hug the couple. “Thanks for having us” Lucia said. Josh grinned, wrapping his arm around Anna’s waist. “Thanks for coming to celebrate with us." He said As they said their goodbyes, Avon turned to Lucia . "Would you like to walk out with me?" he asked, offering her his arm. Lucia smiled, taking his arm. "I'd love to," she said. As they strolled out of the restaurant, Avon couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. He had been drawn to Lucia from the moment he met her, and he found himself wanting to spend more time with her. "Hey, Lucia ?" Avon said, turning to her as they reached the sidewalk. "Yeah?" Lucia replied, looking up at him curiously. "I was wondering if you'd like to come to my hotel room and hang out tomorrow?" Avon asked, trying to sound casual. Lucia’s eyes widened slightly, and Avon could tell she was surprised by the invitation. But then, a slow smile spread across her face. "I'd like that," Lucia said, her

Just as it seemed like the evening was going to be a bust, Avon’s phone rang. He answered it, and his face lit up with a smile. "Hey, Josh," Avon said, chatting with his friend for a few minutes. "Yeah, we'd love to come out and meet up with you guys again." As Avon hung up the phone, he turned to Lucia and Drew. "Josh and Anna want to grab drinks with us tonight," he said. "They're meeting up with some friends downtown. Drew suddenly perked up. "Sounds like a party," he said. "Mind if I tag along?" Avon raised an eyebrow, but Lucia just laughed. "The more the merrier," she said. ****As they walked into the bar, Drew could see Josh and Anna chatting with a group of friends. They waved him over, and Avon led the way, with Lucia and Drew close behind. Now, as they laughed and chatted with their friends, Avon couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this was going to be a night to remember. “Ladies and gentlemen!” someone said over the microphone. “The lat