But when Evie was one and a half years old, and I finally realized the way he talked over me, dismissed me, made me feel small, even in my own home, I began thinking I couldn’t let my daughter grow up thinking that was love. The final straw was discovering he’d tampered with my birth control, and lied about it when I confronted him about it.
So, I packed a bag, I took Evie in my arms, and I walked out of that relationship, even though I was terrified.
It was the hardest thing I’d ever done.
Sentimental music like that belonged here, in this shiny bar, where people wanted to forget about reality for a little bit and pretend things like true love existed.
I was better off spending this time with Evie.
I’d reluctantly agreed to Sasha’s plans, hoping to just have a peaceful drink at a pretty bar with a view of the city. But Sasha’s goals for me were admittedly loftier.
She had hoped I’d meet someone.
Ha!
“Another drink, miss?” the bartender asked, approaching me.
I stared at the empty glass in my hand. I’d ordered a fancy craft cocktail called The Clover Club, but I wished I could have something silly I used to drink in the past, like Sex on the Beach, but I was afraid this bar was too fancy to order it.
“Could I get the same, please?” I said sheepishly, handing the glass over.
The bartender returned with my drink, and I stared at it in distaste. I didn’t feel like drinking it, and I certainly didn’t feel like staying here any longer.
I was pretty sure a woman at a table across the room was Madison Vanderbilt-Smythe, the daughter of an oil tycoon.
The man who was guffawing heartily on the plush sofa with his woman looked like a popular international soccer player, who played for Real Madrid, but I couldn’t recall his name at the moment.
Still no sign of theotherhandsome man from moments ago. His custom suit had a sheen to it that I didn’t see on regular suits. I wondered if I ought to recognize him if this was the kind of place he visited.
I wished I could look him up, but since I couldn’t, I reached for my phone and decided to do a little online shopping while I had the time.
Who could resist the charm of new clothes, especially considering that I was starting my new job on Monday?
So, I scrolled through the app, and I didn’t know what it said about me that in five seconds, I got distracted by the lingerie section, but then I thankfully got a text message from Sasha.
SASHA
Evie is doing amazing. We painted unicorns together, and she’s yawning already, so we’re off to brush her teeth before bedtime. Have fun, Lexi, and don’t worry about her. By the way, the lasagna was lovely. You didn’t have to.
I’d baked her a lasagna to thank her for taking care of Evie. Ididhave to. It was the first time in months that I’d be getting a night out, and I felt impossibly guilty both for leaving Evie and for having Sasha babysit her when she could have used a night out too. So, I’d put together a lasagna and placed it in the oven before I headed out.
SASHA
Promise me you’ll have fun tonight. I’m just about ready to throw those coding books of yours out the window after tripping on them three times, but Evie insisted that Mommy loves those books, so I’m just going to put them on the table instead of leaving them on the floor.
I laughed at that. Evie, at four and a half years old, had no idea what coding was, but she caught me reading those books so often that she assumed Mommy loved those books almost as much as Mommy loved her.
When I wasn’t around, she used those books to make steps for her dolls to sit on, which explained why they were on the floor. Sasha was a clean freak, and why she continued to live with me and my toddler I still didn’t know.
LEXI
I promise I’ll stay out till midnight.
SASHA
Also, you should go all out on your night out, if possible. And, no, online shopping for sexy lingerie doesn’t count.
I was well dressed today, thanks to her intervention. She’d insisted I ditch my usual shirt and yoga pants for a short white dress and black heels, even going so far as to pick out nude lace underwear.
