Arizona Sunsets - Sam Hubbard

V

"I'm so sorry, I know I'm late" Liz gasped as she squeezed into the booth next to her friend Ava and pulled her into a side hug.

"Finally. I was beginning to think you all stood me up. Nothing to do with him today" sighing, Ava nodded at James, who was staring totally absentmindedly at the screen above them, which was currently showing his Arizona Diamondbacks' baseball game.

"Mia and Ben aren't here yet either?" Liz asked in surprise as she set her bag down next to her, trying without success to get James' attention. Ava scoffed. "Of course they aren't. You know those two. Getting ready to be on time and then something does come up. Worse than rabbits those two, especially since they're married" she shook her head.

Liz had to grin. Of course Ava didn't understand, being happily married at her age? Surely that wasn't possible. Ever since she had come out as bisexual in her freshman year of college, she had been in her experimental phase, no committed relationship, now and then longer physical relations, but committing now for good? Unimaginable, even four years after her outing.

Mia and Ben were the complete opposite. Liz couldn't even remember a time when they hadn't been a couple. All five of them had grown up together here in Scottsdale, yet somehow Mia and Ben had been together since they had entered middle school.

That this relationship had lasted through puberty, graduation, and even all of college still made Liz believe in true love and soul mates after all of her failed relationships. Everyone who met Mia and Ben wanted a relationship like them, because even after more than twelve years, the two were still in love like teenagers.

That they got married the summer after the whole group got their college degrees, no one was really surprised. It was a beautiful little wedding, right here in Scottsdale. Liz and Ava had been bridesmaids, of course!

Then there was James. Even though James was one of her closest friends, he was also one of the biggest jerks she knew. His mom and her mom were best friends, so it was kind of inevitable that the two of them would become friends, even if their moms were disappointed that it was just friends and nothing more.

She would never start anything with James, she had sworn to herself. Of course she had had a crush on him for a while, but that was a long time ago. She was young and boys were just becoming interesting for the first time and since Ben was already theoretically no longer available, there was just James.

He was actually a kind-hearted person, Liz knew he was there for her at all times, would drop everything to help anyone in her friend group, but outside of that friend group, unfortunately all his sports teams were more important than anyone.

In college, when he missed his then-girlfriend Crystal's birthday just because his Arizona Cardinals were playing at the time and yet he couldn't miss a game, Liz and the others would have loved to kill him.

Crystal had been such a lovely person. No one had really understood how James had managed to end up with her in the first place, but somehow she had put up with him for a few months, well, until her birthday.

Since the group of friends had been inseparable their whole lives, it probably hadn't surprised anyone that after they had all gone to college together, they had moved back to Scottsdale together.

It was their home and in Scottsdale there were only two ways you could live your life. You find the love of your life in college and move away from that city to start over somewhere new, but come back a few years later, or you come back right after college and find love in a person you've actually known your whole life.

Liz was sure that the second could certainly not apply to her. She knew the people her age from this town quite well and to put it nicely, the choices just weren't....her type.

"I can't understand how you can be so focused on something so boring. The other sports, football, hockey, basketball, they're exciting at least, but baseball?" Ava shook her head uncomprehendingly, while James just raised his fist in the air triumphantly. "Boom, take that. Let's go!" he called out laughing.

Liz just smirked before leaning back. "if you could marry a sports team, I'm sure we'd have our next wedding soon" she shrugged. "Sure? I don't think he could decide which team he would marry" Ava rolled her eyes before taking a sip of her drink.

"so, what's new with you?" she asked afterwards, eyeing Liz who shrugged her shoulders as she briefly considered telling Ava about Sam. But what was there to tell? That they saw each other every day and she finally knew his name?

"The usual. Simon is stressing out again and just being exhausting" she said instead. Sam wasn't exciting enough to tell her friend already, not yet. Quickly Liz shook the thought out of her head as she heard Ava sighing loudly.

"I don't understand how you still get along with him anyway. Why do you let him treat you like that, Liz? You do the work and he gets the credit for it, not to mention the money! They should give you his job and his salary, without him it would be just the same, after all you are doing his work too" she shook her head.

"You know that's not true" Liz sighed "Do I know that? From what I gather, you're throwing the whole museum while he puts his feet up nicely and lets you slave away. Really, Liz, you can't do that. You should quit or at least complain" Ava clarified.

"Complain? To who? We're employed by the city and in case you forgot, the mayor is his brother-in-law. There's nothing to be done about it and I need the money, Ava. Working full time at the coffee wouldn't cut it" Liz sighed.

"In case you forgot, Liz, you're a talented artist whose talent is just being wasted in a museum telling people how people made paintings a few hundred years ago that aren't half as good as yours" Ava put a hand on her shoulder.

"Those paintings have important historical background" Liz objected. "And so what, Liz, you're wasting your time. Of course it's important for people to hear about history, but they can be told that by someone who has no talent, like Simon" Ava looked at her worriedly. "You should trust your own abilities and chase your dream of painting."

"I'm already trying" Liz mumbled. "But until there's at least a little success to be seen, I guess I'll have to keep working as Simon's minion" she shrugged. "you know all you have to do is let me know and I'll give this guy a piece of my mind, right?" Ava grinned at her, which made Liz grin as well.

"I'm more worried that you'll do it without my consent" Liz screwed up her face. "Maybe" Ava shrugged. "He deserved it"

The two's conversation was interrupted when a squeaky "hey" rang out. Immediately they both turned to Mia and Ben, who just joined them in the booth. "We're so sorry. Something else came up" Mia sighed and gave her puppy dog eyes as she pulled Ava and Liz into a hug.

"Wrong wording, Mia. Nothing came up. You both came, that's why you're late" Ava smirked while Mia's blush immediately rose to her face and Ben nodded slightly, grinning proudly.

"The most important thing though is that you're finally here" Liz clarified, looking at Ben before nodding at James. "Will you get him out of his trance?" she asked. Ben nodded and stood in front of James. With his height, he was just tall enough to cover the screen for James.

"Bro, we're all here. At least pretend you're happy to see us" he patted James on the head with a grin, who made a few grumbling noises and turned away from the screen.

Surprised, he met the gaze of Liz, who grinned at him. "Lizzy, when did you get here?" he smirked at her. Liz laughed out loud. "Don't worry Jim, just got here" she grinned even more as the others beside her giggled.

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