Page 1 of Stolen By Dragons

1

ARIA

Irolled my eyes so hard I thought they might pop out of my skull. "Dana, I swear to God, if I have to hear one more lecture about finding a 'good man' to 'help me succeed,' I'm going to lose it."

Dana's laughter crackled through my phone. "Your dad's still on that kick, huh?"

"When is he not?" I huffed, kicking a pebble as I walked down the sidewalk. The stone skittered across the concrete, narrowly missing a pigeon that gave me an indignant look before fluttering away. "It's like he thinks my psychology degree and counseling job are just cute hobbies until Prince Charming shows up to give my life meaning."

"Ugh, that's so?—"

"Outdated? Sexist? Infuriating?" I supplied, ticking off the adjectives on my fingers even though Dana couldn't see me.

"All of the above," Dana agreed. "You know you're killing it, right? New city, new job, totally reinventing yourself. That's badass, Aria."

I smiled, warmth blooming in my chest. This was why Dana was my best friend. She always knew exactly what to say to pull me out of my funk. "Thanks. I just wish Dad could see it that way. I mean, come on, it's the 21stcentury. You'd think he'd have gotten the memo that women can make it on their own."

"Maybe we should send him a strongly worded email. Or better yet, a PowerPoint presentation. 'Why Aria Doesn't Need a Man to Be Awesome.’”

I snorted, narrowly avoiding choking on my own spit. "God, can you imagine? He'd probably critique my slide transitions and tell me a husband could've designed it better."

"Okay, now you're just being ridiculous," Dana said, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

I sighed, my amusement fading as quickly as it had come. "I know, I know. It's just... frustrating, you know? I've worked so hard to get where I am. I moved to a new city, I'm starting a career I'm passionate about, I'm finally feeling like I'm getting my life together after the whole Jason fiasco. And all Dad can focus on is my lack of a ring on my finger."

The memory of Jason sent a familiar pang through my chest. Six months wasn't long enough to completely heal from having your heart ripped out and stomped on, but I was getting there. Slowly but surely. Why my father thought a man was everything I needed, I had no idea. Ever since mom had passed, he’d been even more worried about it, saying it was a vital part of life.

"Hey," Dana's voice softened. "You know your dad loves you, right? He's just... stuck in his ways. Give him time. He'll come around eventually."

"Yeah, maybe when I'm ninety and have fifty cats," I muttered.

"Fifty? Amateur. Go for a hundred or go home."

I laughed despite myself. "You're ridiculous."

"That's why you love me," Dana said cheerfully. "So, enough about your dad's outdated views. Tell me about the new job. How's it going? Any interesting clients? Ooh, any cute coworkers?"

I rolled my eyes again, but this time with fondness. "The job's good. Challenging, but in a good way, you know? Makes me feel like I'm actually making a difference. As for clients, you know I can't talk about that. Confidentiality and all that."

"Boo, you're no fun," Dana pouted. "What about the coworkers? Come on, throw me a bone here. I'm living vicariously through you, remember?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but my love life is still firmly in the non-existent category. And I'm okay with that," I added quickly before Dana could protest. "I'm focusing on myself right now. My career, my personal growth. Romance can wait."

"Fair enough," Dana conceded. "But if Mr. Right comes along?—"

"I'll be sure to run him by you for approval," I finished with a laugh. "Now, can we please talk about something else? Like, literally anything else?"

"Fine, fine. Oh! Did I tell you about Tom's latest backyard project? He's decided what we really need is a koi pond."

I couldn't help but smile. Dana's husband, Tom, was notorious for starting projects he never quite finished. After my breakup, I’d lived with them for a few months before I’d moved to this city with a new job, ready to start a new chapter in my life.

"A koi pond? Really? Does he even know how to take care of fish?"

"Oh, he's done about fifteen minutes of Google research, so naturally, he's an expert now," Dana replied with a laugh. "I swear, Aria, if I come home one day to find our yard flooded and koi flopping around in the grass, I'm calling you for backup."

"Hey, that's what best friends are for," I said. "Moral support and fish wrangling."

"Don't forget wine. Lots and lots of wine." Dana was always one to help ease my worries, and our friendship was something I adored. Ever since I’d picked myself up from the hole my breakup had left me in, Dana had been cheering me on the entire time. Now, here I was, a few months into a new job, in a brand new city, with a wonderful little apartment I loved.