Two Lives, One Friendship, No Regrets - xiii. (Cont'd)
Two friends. A few things uncovered. The two have yet to meet.
The group of people he was spending his New Years Eve with weren't that bad, in fact he could see himself getting along with everyone if everything went according to plan. It turned out that a few of the new firms in Marsdale were owned by his classmates or had graduated a few years earlier than him. This meant that they were looking for some partners and Chief Architects to oversee new deals and even reel in new business deals.
Things seemed to be settling into place, he just hoped the personal side to his life would turn out to be just as easy to handle.
Ranger, who had been a classmate of his, had invited Phoenix on board as one of his Chiefs right when he caught wind that he was on the market for new surroundings and opportunities. It was official as of tonight. Everything happened so quickly, but this is it, Phoenix thought. This is the beginning of a new adventure. That's how Georgia put it, wasn't it?
Excited to let Ara know how smoothly everything fell into place, he decided to give her a ring.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Voicemail.
Huh? Where is this girl?
Ring.
Someone picked up and it was mighty loud in the background.
"Hello?" the voice answered, barely audible because of the loud music and cheering crowds.
"Ara?"
The person on the other line covered the phone and giggled and called out to Ara.
"Hey Nix! How's everything?"
"Where are you?" Phoenix furrowed his brows.
"What???" Ara could barely make out a word he said.
"WHERE. ARE. YOU?" he asked out loud.
"CAN'T HEAR YOU, NIX! I'll call you later ok?"
"Fine."
"SORRY, WHAT?"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR! LOVE YA!"
Silence. Call disconnected.
So much for that, he thought.
As the New Year rang in with the music blaring the never-tiring "Auld Lang Syne" and the crowd singing along with it Phoenix could only think of Georgia. He decided to contact her after he settled to surprise her, but he found himself writing a text message:
"Happy New Year Gi!
I miss you. Wishing all your dreams come true in this new year.
Thinking of you.
I'll be seeing you soon!
Love you.
-<-@
P"
He stared at his text, and a realization hit him. Why don't I just visit her instead? She lives in the area...
His problem was that he didn't quite know where to start looking. Instantly after downing a whiskey sour, a brilliant idea flashed in his head. Didn't she say she worked for an Architect? What were the odds that she worked for one of his classmates?
The crowd's jeers and cheers were dying now and the soft piano lounge music was more audible drowning out soft chatter that came from every corner of the restaurant/lounge.
"Hey buddy, what's up?" Ranger asked slapping a very entranced Phoenix on the shoulder.
"I was just wondering how to go about finding my friend who moved here. She mentioned something about her new job as an EA for an architect."
"Newly hired?"
"Yeah, I don't even think she's started yet."
"I haven't heard of a brand new one unless-"
Ranger turned around in his bar-stool and motioned a very pregnant Kelly over to where they stood.
"Hunny, did you already hire your replacement?"
Her eyes twinkled. "Yes! She's perfect for the job. We have a lot more to go over but the last time she came down to accept the offer I noted that she absorbed everything I taught her. She-" It seemed Kelly was ready to ramble on, but Phoenix had to know.
Hopeful he asked, "Is her name Georgia?"
"Yes! Do you know her?"
"She's the one I'm looking for!"
Her eyes formed slit as she inquired as politely as she could, "What do you need from her?"
"She's my closest friend, but she hasn't called. I was thinking of giving her a surprise visit."
"If she hasn't called, wouldn't that mean she doesn't want to see you?" Asked Kelly.
"No way. She's not like that. She made a picnic lunch for us the day she told me about this new job offer."
"How did you take the news?"
"Ok, I guess. It was a big surprise. She hasn't been away from home for quite some time."
"You ranted on her didn't you?" Kelly asked accusingly.
"No, I didn't," he defended himself.
She scoffed and said, "Well I know where she lives but I can't go publicizing it to anyone who claims to be her friend."
He sighed, "I appreciate that."
"So you took the job with Ranger?"
"Yup."
"Then shouldn't you be over the moon?! You'll be working with your friend."
He gave a shaky, "Yeah.."
"She doesn't know does she?"
He shook his head.
"Let's hope you're in her good books."
"You make me feel so unsure of myself, Kel!" Phoenix declared.
"That's what I'm here for," she smirked.
"Be gone, preggo lady. You're complicating my life."
She patted his arm in a motherly fashion and replied, "Sweetie, your life was already complicated. I'm just helping take off the blinders, so you don't trip over the things that are right in front of you."
Things seemed to be settling into place, he just hoped the personal side to his life would turn out to be just as easy to handle.
Ranger, who had been a classmate of his, had invited Phoenix on board as one of his Chiefs right when he caught wind that he was on the market for new surroundings and opportunities. It was official as of tonight. Everything happened so quickly, but this is it, Phoenix thought. This is the beginning of a new adventure. That's how Georgia put it, wasn't it?
Excited to let Ara know how smoothly everything fell into place, he decided to give her a ring.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Voicemail.
Huh? Where is this girl?
Ring.
Someone picked up and it was mighty loud in the background.
"Hello?" the voice answered, barely audible because of the loud music and cheering crowds.
"Ara?"
The person on the other line covered the phone and giggled and called out to Ara.
"Hey Nix! How's everything?"
"Where are you?" Phoenix furrowed his brows.
"What???" Ara could barely make out a word he said.
"WHERE. ARE. YOU?" he asked out loud.
"CAN'T HEAR YOU, NIX! I'll call you later ok?"
"Fine."
"SORRY, WHAT?"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR! LOVE YA!"
Silence. Call disconnected.
So much for that, he thought.
As the New Year rang in with the music blaring the never-tiring "Auld Lang Syne" and the crowd singing along with it Phoenix could only think of Georgia. He decided to contact her after he settled to surprise her, but he found himself writing a text message:
"Happy New Year Gi!
I miss you. Wishing all your dreams come true in this new year.
Thinking of you.
I'll be seeing you soon!
Love you.
-<-@
P"
He stared at his text, and a realization hit him. Why don't I just visit her instead? She lives in the area...
His problem was that he didn't quite know where to start looking. Instantly after downing a whiskey sour, a brilliant idea flashed in his head. Didn't she say she worked for an Architect? What were the odds that she worked for one of his classmates?
The crowd's jeers and cheers were dying now and the soft piano lounge music was more audible drowning out soft chatter that came from every corner of the restaurant/lounge.
"Hey buddy, what's up?" Ranger asked slapping a very entranced Phoenix on the shoulder.
"I was just wondering how to go about finding my friend who moved here. She mentioned something about her new job as an EA for an architect."
"Newly hired?"
"Yeah, I don't even think she's started yet."
"I haven't heard of a brand new one unless-"
Ranger turned around in his bar-stool and motioned a very pregnant Kelly over to where they stood.
"Hunny, did you already hire your replacement?"
Her eyes twinkled. "Yes! She's perfect for the job. We have a lot more to go over but the last time she came down to accept the offer I noted that she absorbed everything I taught her. She-" It seemed Kelly was ready to ramble on, but Phoenix had to know.
Hopeful he asked, "Is her name Georgia?"
"Yes! Do you know her?"
"She's the one I'm looking for!"
Her eyes formed slit as she inquired as politely as she could, "What do you need from her?"
"She's my closest friend, but she hasn't called. I was thinking of giving her a surprise visit."
"If she hasn't called, wouldn't that mean she doesn't want to see you?" Asked Kelly.
"No way. She's not like that. She made a picnic lunch for us the day she told me about this new job offer."
"How did you take the news?"
"Ok, I guess. It was a big surprise. She hasn't been away from home for quite some time."
"You ranted on her didn't you?" Kelly asked accusingly.
"No, I didn't," he defended himself.
She scoffed and said, "Well I know where she lives but I can't go publicizing it to anyone who claims to be her friend."
He sighed, "I appreciate that."
"So you took the job with Ranger?"
"Yup."
"Then shouldn't you be over the moon?! You'll be working with your friend."
He gave a shaky, "Yeah.."
"She doesn't know does she?"
He shook his head.
"Let's hope you're in her good books."
"You make me feel so unsure of myself, Kel!" Phoenix declared.
"That's what I'm here for," she smirked.
"Be gone, preggo lady. You're complicating my life."
She patted his arm in a motherly fashion and replied, "Sweetie, your life was already complicated. I'm just helping take off the blinders, so you don't trip over the things that are right in front of you."
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