AllFreeNovel
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In borrowed grey sweats and a lavender tank, she leans back in her chair, red hair spikier than ever from sleeping, she blows on a mug that reads Get ‘er done, “Why do you think I stayed over?”
I drop my hand, blow on my cup, too. “To spend time with me.”
“Yeah, but there’s more than that. Why?”
I shrug, coffee not yet taking hold.
Gem tilts her head, blue eyes narrowing. “I slept over because you’re going to keep on this winning streak of yours.”
“Winning streak? Is that how you’re putting it?”
“Willow, here’s the thing. Why did I tell you to be more spontaneous in the first place? What happens when you follow your good instincts?” She takes a sip, makes an appreciative face. “Mmm. When something is a yes and you go for it, things unfold you couldn’t have expected. You get into The Flow. You’re saying yes rather than a Universe-blocking no.”
“Sometimes you should say no.”
“I’m not talking about that!” Leaning forward in earnestness, she insists, “I’m talking about, do I have the money for a retreat? Yes. Do I like this guy? Yes. Do I want to walk with him, talk about life until the sun comes up? Yes. Do I want to have sex with him under the stars now that I know he really is divorce-bound and feels the same way about me that I do about him? YES. Do I want to take photos for a living when I clearly have a gift and a love for it? YES. Do I want my friend to stay over and have coffee with her in the morning? Yes. Do I want to pet this cute dog who’s begging for attention? Yes.” Gemma stops to pet Thor. “Who’s a good boy? You are! Yes, you are!” She sits back in her chair. “This is a winning streak because everything you’ve done has been met with more YES.”
“And what if that stops?”
“Oh, there will be bumps, don’t get me wrong! There are always bumps in the road. Those are the challenges. You’ve had some already! However, my friend, by not taking chances you live the life you were living…kinda blah.”
“Come on. It wasn’t…” I sip my coffee and she does, too, as I think about it. My days were the same ol’ same ol’ which would have been fine if I’d loved my job and had someone to hold at night. Most of my nights I’d watch TV, walk the dog, go to work again, see Gemma on the weekend. Brady, once in a while for some dinner and catch-up. I kept wanting to take a class and their nature varied but I never went through with it. There are so many classes to take — yoga, dance, cooking, a new language — countless, in fact. But I kept putting it off and kept my ritual the same. “Yeah, I guess it was kinda blah.”
“That’s why I said you need to take more chances, before.” Gemma inhales. “But living in rural Georgia? Big change, Will.”
“Not so rural when you think about it, though, because the retreat is there. People from all over the world come to it.”
“You think you could work there?”
“I wouldn’t do it to get paid, but I could help out…”
“Why wouldn’t they pay you?”
“What could I offer?”
“Advertising!”
I blink at Gemma. “Oh. But I work more in the administration side, and…I don’t like it.”
“Yeah, but you know so much about advertising. You could help at a place you feel strongly about. It’s not selling toothpaste. It’s selling rest and restoration. Or…” She drops her coffee, claps her hands with a fresh idea. “You could teach photography!”
“I’m just learning!"
“Long term, Will. Think long term!”
My heart beats faster at the prospect. “It could maybe be an add-on, if people wanted it. This is years later.”
“When you have your own babies!”
“Gemma!” I laugh, rising up. “I have to get ready. Stop. Just stop.”
“Stop, she says to the Universe. No.”
“I’m saying stop to you, not the Universe. You work far more fast.” My phone rings in the bedroom, and I hurry to answer, finding Ben’s name lighting the screen. “Hi!”
“Good morning. Did I wake you?”
“No, I was just having coffee with Gem. About to leave for work soon. How’s your morning?”
