I think it’s entirely unfair,” Micah said to me as we drove into downtown Birmingham, “that you can look so cute in a pair of polyester pants.”

“Nobody looks cute in this outfit.” I was sitting in the passenger seat, wearing the same cater waiter uniform as Micah. My hair had grown long enough to wear up in a ponytail. I reached back and pulled on the ends to tighten the holder.

“You do,” Micah argued.

It probably helped that I’d made a few adjustments. I’d tailored the white button-down shirt so it wasn’t some shapeless form, and I’d added cute silver rings to the belt loops on the pants.

“I wonder if you’ll still think I look cute after I do horribly at this event,” I said, feeling my stomach twist. “What was I thinking, trying out waitressing for the very first time at a fancy benefit?”

Micah kept her eyes on the road. “You’ll do fine. There’s nothing to it.”

My nerves were on edge and I was trying to pretend it only had to do with the fact that I’d be carrying large trays of food around to rich people. That it had nothing to do with seeing Andrew again tonight after three weeks of silence from both of us. I’d kissed him. What had I been thinking? I obviously hadn’t been thinking at all. It had been a weird day. I blamed it on that.

I looked out the window at the city passing by. “There’s one of my benches,” I said. It wasn’t often my mom let me go into Birmingham, but when I did, one of my favorite things to do was sit on a bench in the heart of downtown, people watching.

“The most boring bench in the world,” Micah said. I had dragged her there a few too many times, apparently.

“I think you mean the most interesting bench. Can’t you just feel the energy?” I grabbed her shoulder and shook it.

“I can feel that there are too many cars around me right now and it’s making me claustrophobic. Is that the energy you’re talking about?”

I rolled down the window and car horns and sirens and scents drifted in with the wind. I smiled. “Nope. This energy.”

“You’re weird,” she said.

“You made me this way.”

She laughed. “Did you forget what you said to me at that kindergarten family night when we were five?”

“You make sure I never do.”

“ ‘My name is Sophie and I don’t really want to talk to you but my dad said I had to.’ ”

I laughed. “I don’t think I sounded like that.”

“You did.”

“I’ve always been kind of difficult, haven’t I?”

“Yes.” Micah leaned forward and looked up at the high-rise in front of us. “I think it’s this building. Do you see the parking garage entrance?”

“To the right,” I said.

She drove up the ramp and into the garage. We followed the directions her dad had given us and saw the catering van, its back doors open and Lance unloading.

Micah powered down her window. “Where do I park?” she called out.

Lance pointed to an open spot down the aisle.

We got out of the car and headed to the catering van. Lance was still there, holding a large plastic bin.

“We get the flower girl today?” he asked, handing me the bin. “Do we have a bet going yet on how many broken dishes there will be?”

Micah scrunched her nose at him. “Stop. She’s already nervous.”

“This is quite the event to learn at,” he said.

I swallowed.

“Lance,” Micah said.

Lance pushed a box into Micah’s hands and grinned at me. “You’ll do fine, newb. Top floor, ladies.” He gestured toward the door.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” I said as we headed inside. “Your dad actually wants a referral from this event. I can just go wander in the park or check out the food trucks.”

Micah used her elbow to hit the button for the elevator. “Trying to get out of it already? My dad wouldn’t have let you do this if he didn’t know you were fully capable.” She gave me a steady look. “We went over this. Just follow my lead all night. You’ll be fine. You act like you haven’t carried huge boxes full of centerpieces. You have muscles, girl.”

“I’ll be fine,” I repeated.

The elevator arrived. The doors opened and there was Andrew. He took a step forward before he saw us.

“Andrew!” Micah said. “Lookin’ good.”

He wore another one of his dark suits with a small-print floral tie. He stepped to the side and used one hand to make sure the elevator doors didn’t shut on us. Micah and I tried to step into the elevator together, which resulted in me knocking into Andrew.

“Sorry,” I said at the same time he said, “Excuse me.”

We both laughed a little, and he said, “I’m completely in your way.”

I turned sideways and so did he and we shuffled past each other. Once Micah and I were inside, Andrew let go of the elevator door and it slid shut. I shifted the bin onto my hip and pushed the button for the top floor.

The elevator whirred into motion, letting off a ding as it passed each floor. One ding, two, three.

“What was that?” Micah asked.

“That was floor number four,” I said, watching the red digital numbers over the door change.

“You know very well what I’m talking about. The politeness. The blushing.”

“What? I didn’t blush.”

“You blushed. It’s like you two finally released some tension or something.”

My eyes went to the bin in my arms and before I could defend myself Micah gasped.

“You did? When?” she asked.

“It was nothing.”

“Define nothing.”

“We kissed. Once. It was a mistake.”

“You kissed!” Micah’s mouth dropped open. “Sophie! When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was after John’s funeral.” I bit my lip. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

Micah shook her head. “The fact that you didn’t say anything makes me think it was more than you’re letting on.”

“It wasn’t,” I said quickly. Too quickly.

“What were you thinking?” Micah asked. The elevator reached the top floor and the doors slid open.

I swallowed hard and stepped out into the hall. “I wasn’t.”

“Sophie, he’s leaving in four months. You remember that, right?” she said, following me.

“I know! I told you, it was nothing. We both acknowledged that.”

“Good,” she said. But she sighed, as if she wasn’t willing to drop it quite yet. “I thought you didn’t even like him.”

To our left was a set of white swinging doors that led to the kitchen. I could hear the clinking of dishes inside. I stopped and took a deep breath. “I don’t like him. He’s infuriating and arrogant and entitled and opinionated.”

“And yet?”

“Nothing. That was the end of my speech. He has zero redeeming qualities.”

Her shoulders dropped. “Crap. You’re lying. If not to me, then definitely to yourself. If you can’t think of one good thing about Andrew Hart, then you’re trying awfully hard not to.”

I shook my head firmly. “It doesn’t matter. That’s what I’m trying to say. Like you said, he’s leaving in four months and that’s how I feel about him. Plus, I know the feeling is mutual.”

Micah raised her eyebrows. “How do you know that?”

“I have instincts.”

“Your instincts—”

“Are spot-on. Remember Kyle? Remember how I sensed there was something off there and I forced myself to push it? Well I was right. He let me know exactly how right I was.”

“How?” she asked.

“I caught him kissing Jodi.”

“Sophie! When? Why didn’t you tell me this? Am I not your best friend anymore?” The hurt in her eyes let me know I’d made a mistake in not talking to her, in not telling her all of this when it had happened.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to forget about it. I still do. But I promise I’ll fill you in on everything later, okay?” I held her gaze but she glanced away. “Thinking about it now is only going to stress me out more.” I held up the box I was holding. “Plus, this is heavy.”

“Fine … Yes, let’s talk about this later.” She pushed through the doors to the kitchen. “Or not at all if that’s how you want it to be.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. Micah was mad, and she had every right to be. But for now, I needed to think about work.