“All right, see you later. Be careful.”
I watch her cross the lobby and push through the revolving glass door before glancing back at me. Something’s definitely up. What’s she all nervous about? Either she’s cheating on my best friend or ... suddenly it hits me. She’s seeing Jade.
I take off running. The street is crowded with people hopping in and out of cars and taxis, toting luggage, swiping at their phones. Did Lenni already get in a taxi? Then I see her half a block up.
“Lenni!” I call out and run toward her. She turns around, guilt written all over her face. She’s caught. “Jade’s here this weekend, isn’t she? For that interview?”
She presses her lips together, which is all the answer I need.
“I can’t believe this. Same weekend? That’s wild. That’s almost like ... fate, don’t you think?”
She shrugs. “Not really.”
“I want to come with you.”
“No. No way, Reeve. Her interview is in less than an hour, and this is too big of a deal for her. I’m not going to be responsible for that.”
“I need to talk to her. She’s here, I’m here, that has to mean something. I know it does.”
“That’s ridiculous. You live five minutes from her back home.”
“Please, Lenni. Tell me where she is.”
“She’ll kill me if you screw this up for her.”
“I’m not going to screw anything up. I just need to see her. Please. I need to see her while I have the fucking balls to tell her what I need her to hear.”
Lenni stamps her foot. “Come on, please don’t put me in the middle of this. You can’t wait until we’re back home? Or call her tonight?”
I sink to my knees and take her hand between mine. “Please, Lenni. Give me the address. I’m begging you.”
People walking by turn and stare while Lenni’s cheeks take on a neon shade of red and she hides her face behind one hand. “Oh my god. Get the hell up,” she hisses. She smacks my shoulder with her purse and resumes covering her face.
“Tell me you’ll help me. Please, Lenni. I love her.”
Lenni lowers her hand, her eyes gone soft as she looks at me. She sighs. “Fine, I’ll help you. Please just get up.”
I stand and brush off my jeans as Lenni turns her back to the people watching us and taps furiously at her phone. “There now,” I say when I receive her text with an address on it. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“I don’t know how she puts up with you.”
“She doesn’t, remember?”
She grabs my arm and leans close. “You need to promise me one thing.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell her I got the address from you.”
“No, you need to promise me you won’t go fucking up her life.”
“I’m just going to talk to her.”
“Then wait until the interview is over.”
I pause. “You actually think Spain is a good idea?”
“No, but it’s what she wants, so I don’t mess with it. Let her figure out it’s a total mistake.”
“That’s some faith you’ve got in your best friend’s dreams,” I say sarcastically.
