pretty girl.

Nadia’s eyes lifted up from the paper to find Samuel’s girlfriend standing in front of her and there was a part of her that wanted to poof away if that had even been an option she probably would have paid someone money to get her out of this situation but here she was and here was the other woman. She didn’t have any bitter feelings towards the woman whatsoever, in fact, she knew the woman in front of her made Sam happy and that was all she wanted and she seemed sweet. A smile came along her lips, one she honestly couldn’t help. “It is,” she held out the paper towards her. “I’ve had the same job for so long… I don’t really know if anyone else would hire me on.”

She didn’t have a single clue who this woman was -- and why would she? Wilmington wasn’t a very small town, and it didn’t take Veronica being close with someone to stick her nose into their business -- especially when asked. “Oh my god, that’s so exciting! Please, with a smile and style like you’ve got, employers are gonna be practically falling at your feet.” She tossed a bit of blonde hair behind her shoulder and took the piece of paper from the woman’s hand. “Well, Nadia, this is a beautiful resume...” she trailed off, skimming each line before her eyes set on a particular workplace. “Wait -- you worked for Dryden Corp? No way!” Vee beamed glancing up at her once more. “My boyfriend’s family owns that company, what a coincidence! Did you ever know a Samuel Dryden when you worked here? Oh, I bet I could get him to write you a stellar letter of rec.”

Channing nodded at the mention of Penelope. She didn’t know her personally, but she did know of her and she wasn’t that surprised to hear she’d set up her cousin with someone. “Yeah, I know the one. How nice of her. I always thought they would end up together, but clearly she has no interest,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand before taking a sip of her wine. She wasn’t even trying to be mean, she really did think at one point they would get married and have kids and the whole nine yards, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen if Penelope was setting Sam up on dates with other girls. “I guess not. That or they’re too polite to kick you out,” she said cheerfully, making it clear she wasn’t serious. She was exactly the type of girl the Drydens loved. “That’s disgustingly adorable. Emphasis on disgusting.” Small children scared her more often than not, so hearing about them didn’t suddenly make her maternal instinct flare up. “Brooklyn. My mother does Broadway, so I spent a lot of time there growing up and then went to school there. I do sculptures.”

Her eyelid twitched slightly at Channing’s wording, not so much out of jealousy but the mere consideration of the fact. She was never concerned with how much time Samuel and Penelope spent together, having seen how close they were firsthand and knowing that she never would have set the two of them up if she had feelings for him or vice versa. But hearing the sentiment from his cousin? Well, it wasn’t the best feeling, but she rallied on as if it didn’t bother her. “Nope, totally platonic. Plus, he’s not her type -- she’s much more into guys that are a bit more...rough around the edges.” She shrugged, sipping her wine once more before a laugh escaped her lips. “Well, there’s certainly still time for that to happen, right? I’m sure Sam’s had a number of wonderful girlfriends that I’m being compared to at this very moment,” she rolled her eyes, not at all serious despite the fact that the thought had crossed her mind. “Not a fan of children?” Vee raised a dark brow, curious though she would have guessed it from Channing’s whole...aura. She definitely fit the whole ‘moody artist’ troupe like a charm. “Aw, Brooklyn is, like so cute! I used to love going to some of the little coffee shops there with my friends during med school -- so chic.” The woman pursed her lips, beaming. “That’s adorable, I’d love to see your work some times. I may not be an art aficionado, but I do love pretty things.”

It wasn’t so much that Penelope wasn’t thrilled to see Veronica, but she was definitely certain that when it came to this particular blonde absence did indeed make the heart grow fonder. And Penelope’s case – far more tolerable. She adored the bones off Vee, but my god had she always been so…high pitched? As Penelope stooped to grab glasses from the lower cupboard, she found herself pulling a face with Veronica’s ex con comment, thankful that the blonde couldn’t see the grimace or the way her eyes rolled at the glasses in front of her. “No Vee, I’m not being held captive” the redhead deadpanned, straightening up from the cupboard with glasses in hand. “We can’t all look like we’re about to board a yacht” she added petulantly as she looked down at her own clothes. “Anyway what’s wrong with this? It’s a dress, and I’m in my own apartment, I don’t have to dress up, certainly not for you”. And then, as she placed the wine glasses on the counter top, she added with a forced smile: “-and it’s lovely to see you too by the way”

Veronica gave her friend a suspicious look, as if she was actually pondering the response to her question before a grin spread across her cheeks, having missed Penelope’s wry wit and her disinterest in anything that smelled of bullshit. “If you say so,” the blonde sang, lifting her hands up innocently as she watched the redhead fiddle with glasses. “No, maybe not, but we can certainly try to.” She pointed out, as if it was obvious. How Veronica and Penelope managed to maintain a friendship despite their incredibly opposite personalities, she wasn’t sure either of them knew, but at the end of the day she loved the woman like she was her own sister. There didn’t need to be any explanation of that. “Nothing’s wrong with it, it’s just giving me...rainy day vibes,” whatever that meant, “and, um rude. I dressed up for you.” She pointed out, looking down at her own carefully picked-out summer romper before a large grin spread across her face. “Oh, stop, you know I missed you!” Vee exclaimed, moving to wrap her arms around the other (whether she liked it or not). “Men can be so exhausting after a while. I’ve definitely been in need of some wine-and-girl time.” She gave her one more light squeeze before pulling away. “So, how’s work been?”

Beth’s face split into a grin as Veronica walked into the room. Although she was excited for the appointment and to get that confirmation that everything was going well so far, there was also the excitement of sharing the news with one of her friends, the only other person that knew apart from her and Beau. “Six years later, here we are again. I was going to text you and let you know what was going on but I didn’t know if you’d be with Sam and he’d see and he doesn’t know yet, so, surprise!” The blonde nodded, her light curls bouncing around her face as she lay back on the examination couch. “I’m good, the morning sickness is in full force and honestly it’s something you conveniently forget as soon as it stops, but I’m good.” Her hands instantly fluttered down to her stomach, gently resting on it as she glanced back over to Veronica. “He had to work and I got one of your cancellation appointments so it was too last minute, but when you find the little bean, I’ll try and video call him.” 

There was always an element of nerves with this kind of thing, she had told Beau already even though there was always a risk of a false result on the test, but with her symptoms, there was no denying that she was pregnant. “I’m usually better at these things alone anyway, believe me, you’ve got enough nervous energy in here from just the one of us.”

Perhaps she was a bit overconfident in thinking that Beth would be okay with the fact that her friend-slash-obstetrician was dating her older brother, but either way she was thrilled to see that it was the case. Upon seeing the name on her list of patients for the day as well as what the appointment was for, Veronica had instantly gotten butterflies, doing her best to skirt around any mention or hint of the fact itself around Sam until she was sure he knew. After all, just because they were dating didn’t mean that doctor and patient confidentiality wasn’t a factor.  “Smart lady -- well,  you don’t need to worry about this gal spilling any secrets. My lips are sealed,” she made a zipping motion with her fingers over her lips. “That being said though, I’m so happy for you and Beau! I’m sure we’ll get ‘em in here next time.”

A small snort escaped Veronica’s lips as she got the ultrasound device ready, shaking her head. “Girl, you don’t have to tell me twice. When I was pregnant I constantly made Brody leave the room during these appointments,” she shook her head, standing at Beth’s bedside next to the monitor with a warm grin. “Are you ready too see the little guy or gal that’s going to be your baby?”

They hadn’t been spending much time with one another recently, mostly because they’d both had been settling into their respective blooming relationships and spending time with their significant others -- which, Veronica would have been more pleased about had the redhead not been shaking up with a certain ex of hers. In the doctor’s opinion, Penelope could do a lot better than a deli owner with a chip on his shoulder and a bad attitude, but alas nothing was going to change and, at this point, Vee was just happy that her friend was happy. “Okay, so, like, I know that your boyfriend is into the whole ‘ex con’ look,” she began after setting her purse down on the kitchen counter, followed by a bottle of white wine, “but that doesn’t mean that his ‘fashion choices’ have to extend to you. Is this a cry for help? If you’re being held captive, just, like, blink twice or something.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes playfully, a small grin on her face as she listened to her friend. She couldn’t deny that there was certainly a strong logic behind trying to sell the book. As much as the story was important to her and she needed to get it right, it was pointless if nobody actually bought the damned thing. “Well hey, if I don’t describe him properly at all, every reader can imagine him differently. Every person can picture their own their dream man and then I can prompt arguments in book clubs all over the country as to what exactly he looks like.” She chuckled, having not given too much thought to the appearance of her male lead. She supposed she’d always imagined the face of somebody that she knew, but it seemed to shift the more she wrote and developed their story. “Oh please I think it’s going to take more than a movie to reunite Brad and Angelina. And besides, who knows what they’re going to be doing. It might take me ten years to get this thing finished and we’ll have a whole fresh pool of hotties for you to choose. As long as you find a nice single one for me to have my way with, I don’t mind.” She was (mostly) joking, but she appreciated Vee’s enthusiasm. “Now distract me from me my unsuccessful writing and give me the highlights from Ferro News, please?”

Veronica pursed her lips, contemplating the theory with a short shrug. “That is true. Kind of like how in all of those young adult novels -- which, I love, by the way -- the protagonist is, like, super bland so that you can imagine yourself in that position. It’s super fascinating -- I like where you’re going with this,” she smirked, taking another long sip of her cappuccino. Maybe it was odd for a thirtysomething year old to still be so invested in books meant for women much younger than her, but in Veronica’s opinion, it was a harmless guilty pleasure; one that she, actually, felt no guilt over at all. Anyone who knew the doctor was aware that she was unapologetically herself, and it was no different when it came to her reading material. “You never know! I refuse to believe that the love between two people can just be gone after so many years and so many children. You do raise a good point, though, seeing as my taste does change with the wind.” She tapped her chin with her pointer finger, as if she was actually contemplating her words. “Ferro News? I must say, I do like the sound of that,” Vee winked, letting out a laugh. “Since Fourth of July? A whole lotta nothing other than drinking martinis on Sam’s boat. Oh, and getting ready for school with Elise -- can you believe she’s finally going to Kindergarten?” It was crazy how fast time flew by, especially with a child. “How about you, though? I mean, besides, like, writing the next New York Times bestseller.”

CLOSED START FOR: @veeferro LOCATION: the riverwalk, downtown; evening

On any given Sunday Sammy kept to a rigid schedule. Doubles at the club, or, if polo was in season, you’d know exactly where to find him. Which, in the summertime, was doing exactly that. Every other afternoon he’d meet his mother at Good Shepherd’s to volunteer, and typically would meet at the family home afterwards for dinner, but it was an off week, and therefore he’d chosen to make the very wise choice of asking Veronica out for drinks.

As they strolled hand and hand along the boardwalk, Sam would shoot a sideways glance at the woman who walked at his side, giving her hand a tug until they were bumping into one another, at which point his arm would slink around her waist. “I think that was one too many Long Island iced teas for me,” Sammy mumbled, the red in his cheeks insinuating he’d certainly had his fair share to drink. “You’re a poorer influence with every passing day, you know?”

Veronica had never had any trouble getting childcare, having a trusty list of contacts that she could call at a moment’s notice if the nanny was off and she needed to step out -- but now? Well, now she had the Drydens at her disposal, who jumped at the chance to watch the little girl so that their son could have a nice outing. Perhaps they were cut from the same cloth as her own parents were, but what differed was the warm nature of the pair. While the Ferros loved their daughter -- loved their granddaughter -- their own lives came first, and Vee had made peace with that fact long ago. 

A small chuckle escaped her lips, leaning into his tall frame as an arm snaked around her waist, a hand moving to caress his clothed back. “You obviously didn’t spend much time at sorority houses back in college. It’s an acquired skill, Sammy,” the blonde teased, gazing up at him. “Mmh, you keep telling yourself that. I think you just used to be allergic to fun, and I provided, like, the antidote or whatever.” She glanced over at the setting sun with a grin, tugging Sam along to the boardwalk railing. “Okay so, like, the lighting is too good for us not to get a pic.” Veronica parted from the male for a moment, pulling her phone out of her pocket and opening the camera app. “And please, no sticking out your tongue. It’ll ruin the aesthetic I’m going for.”

So far, Veronica seemed to be handling herself just fine, but it was still early and Channing had always find these family events to be kind of dreadful. This was more entertaining than listening to her aunts and uncles speculate on who would be the next to bring a little Dryden into the fold after Beth gave birth. Most definitely not her. “Is that so? Would I know them?” She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side slightly. She didn’t doubt her answer, but making her think she did seemed like a lot more fun than just moving along. “A doctor, huh? Impressive. I’m sure his parents approve. And I’m sure Ellie is loving the fact that you have a kid her age. You guys are, like, perfect for each other. I went to art school in New York and I’m trying to live off my art.”

Eyebrows arched as the other woman spoke, she took another quick sip of wine before responding. Of course she wanted the Dryden girl to like her -- she was Sam family after all, but at the same time she wasn’t one to bow down and play dead less the occasion arose. Which, it more often then not didn’t. “Penny Bradley? Pretty little red head. Her and Sammy are super close, so it’s a wonder she hadn’t introduced us sooner.” There was no need for her to be jealous on that front. For one, Penelope was with Owen (barf), and secondly, they would have gotten together by this point if there was any semblance of romance between them. “Thank you. I mean, I wouldn’t, like, be here if they didn’t, would I?” she smirked. “I know, Elise is over the moon that she has a new friend. They call each other the ‘Elle’s’, isn’t that, like, super cute?” Vee pursed her lips slightly. “Oh? Where in New York? I lived there for a number of years.” With my ex husband, she almost added, but decided against it. “What kind of art do you do? Like, sculptures or paintings?”

Channing had never actually met Veronica before, but she’d heard of her from Sam. She seemed harmless enough, but also someone who would probably be easy to mess with. “Yeah, it’s decent. I prefer French wines,” she said with an innocent smile before taking another sip from her glass. San would probably kill her for giving his girlfriend attitude, but she had to entertain herself somehow. “So, fill me in. How did you and Sam meet? What’s your deal?”

Maybe she wasn’t prepared for the whirlwind that was Channing Dryden, but in a sense she’d been doing so her whole life. This woman wasn’t the first -- for lack of a better word -- snob that Veronica had to deal with over the years. She’d been one herself, too, for a period of time before leaving the sheltered and boxed-in comforts of her hometown in Alabama, discovering the wide world around her and, subsequently, opening herself up to it. So, at Channing’s tone, Vee simply smiled. “Nothing beats a good Bordeaux, I’d have to agree,” she tilted her head to the side slightly, taking a short sip from her glass. “We were introduced by a mutual friend,” the lie was effortless, and not completely false seeing as Penelope had a hand on getting them to meet in the first place after initially matching on Tinder. “My deal? Well, I wouldn’t say I have just one.” Vee arched her brows. “I’m a doctor, I have a small daughter about Ellie’s age. What about you? What’s your...deal, hon?”

BESPOKE COFFEE & DRY GOODS - OPEN @wilmingtonstarters​

Nadia sat at the table, her eyes resting on the piece of paper in front of her. Basically, the woman spent her whole life working for Dryden Co and now she was looking at starting over at the age of thirty-three. It was surreal, there were a few retail jobs in there but she didn’t know how she could go from office work to something like that. She exhaled as she glanced over her shoulder, noticing someone heading in her direction. “Hey –” she made a face slightly at herself. “Would you mind lookin’ this over and seeing if there is something I need to change?”

She’d just gotten off of work, thankful now more than ever that her hours were much more normal since switching over to work in private practice, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t dying for her usual cinnamon soy latte that managed to keep her afloat. Tapping away on her phone, Veronica had been waiting for the barista and turned to find somewhere to situate herself when her attention was suddenly taken by an unfamiliar face. “Of course! What is it?” she cocked her head to the side, helping herself to  the seat across from the woman. “Is it a resume? I’m like super good at polishing those up -- I had a friend apply for a position at the United Nations with the cover letter she let me edit, and she was, like, practically hired on the spot!”

Aly grinned, thankful that it was Veronica she’d pulled to one side, knowing that she could count on her to at least give her honest thoughts on her questions. “Hot guy? Is that really all you’re bothered about in the first 100 words? This is going to be the next amazing American novel and your first instinct is about the attractiveness of the guy?” She teased back, her eyes rolling and a small laugh falling from her lips. “I hope it is. It’s about a guy on a journey to discover the family he didn’t know he had. It’s a journey of self discovery on the way, learning where he truly came from and what happened to get him exactly where he is now…” She trailed off, her shoulders rising in a shrug, knowing that she could talk for hours about the plans she had for it, but the lack of words on the screen in front of her was hardly inspiring.  “Something like that at least. But I tell you what, when it finally gets made into a movie, you can have final approval over casting to make sure the lead is as hot as you imagine.” 

Veronica wrinkled her nose slightly, shoulders lifting in her version of an innocent shrug. “I mean…you want to keep people interested don’t you? What’s more interesting than a guy who looked like he just stepped off the runway and into the arms of your titillated reader?” The woman was teasing, of course, having much more of a brain than she usually allowed to show in social situations, but that was her personality. She was bold, affectionate, friendly with a boiling point so high that it was almost impossible to reach. “Besides, wasn’t, like, Jay Gatsby supposed to be super hot? And that was out of a great American novel.” Vee arched her brows knowingly. “Well, I for one better get a signed copy when it's done -- which I know for a fact will happen. It sounds like you know what you’re talking about.” Maybe she wasn’t the creative type like Alyssa, but she sure knew how daunting starting a new task could be. “Really? Oh god you’re going to regret making that promise, especially when I have Brad Pitt cast in every role. Ooh! Maybe we could reunite him and Angelina?”

“God, how much time do you have? There are so many to choose from. Um, best purchase was definitely the house in Forrest Hills. I mean, that was really Brody’s doing but at the time we shared finances so I’m going to call that a win for Veronica! Worst purchase would probably be the half a million dollar wedding we had because, well...look where we are now.”

“That feeling when you find some super steep designer discounts at TJ Maxx or Burlington Coat Factory. Just because I have expensive taste doesn’t mean I don’t love a good bargain.”

“Not at all. If anything, I’m super happy that they’re, like, able to open up to me to that capacity and allow me into their lives.”

“First of all, I hate, hate, hate this question -- like, how rude to make my pick? I would have to say that I’d save Annabel, because lord knows that Sam and Penelope would not be able to handle only one of them dying. I mean, love them both obvi but am I wrong?”

ft. @annabelweldon @samuel-dryden @penelxpebradley