“Yes. We moved about a month ago. My boyfriend has been dealing with some stuff back home, so it seemed like the right time for a move. A fresh start and allthat.”
“Dealing with stuff?” I ask.
She nods, eyes fluttering as she brushes a stray lock of platinum out of her eyes. “His crazy ex can’t let go.”
Iam thestuffhe’s been dealing with. I had a hunch, and now Jesika has confirmed it.
“I just signed the lease on my new apartment here so it seemed like the perfect time to move in together.” She smiles sweetly, and venom thickens in my veins.
“Are you married?” she asks politely.
“No—never.” I nearly choke on the lie. “My ex was a hot mess, I’m still recovering.”
She laughs. “Oh my God, aren’t they all? Can’t live with them but can you imagine a world without them? It’s not a world I’d want to live in.” She chuckles.
Our drinks come at the same time, and I lift mine to my lips to cover the frown on my face. I hate her already. Maybe I always have, but now the hate is hardening like cement in my bloodstream.
“Join me?” Jesika gestures to a nearby table. “I don’t know a single soul in this city anymore. All my friends had babies and moved to the ’burbs. It would be nice to have a friend downtown to sip expensive lattes with.”
She’s so nice.
I’m trying to hold on to my hate, but she’s getting to me. Getting under my skin with her genuine smile, and I can’t have that. I’ve got a plan, and becoming friends with Jesika Layman isn’t on my to-do list.
“I have a meeting with an advertiser in an hour, but sure,” I lie.
We sit at the table, settling in like old friends, before she asks, “An advertiser? What do you do?”
“It’s not as important as it sounds. I…” I didn’t plan for this littletête-à-tête, so I struggle to couch my answer in dishonesty. “I have a blog. A company wants to send me some products to try, that’s all. It’s nothing fancy.”
“Oh! You’re an influencer?” Her eyes brighten.
“I guess they call it that.” I sip. The hot liquid burns my throat. It grounds me, snaps me out of my haze. I’m playing with fire here; even I know that. If Jesika finds out who I really am, she’ll run right back to Dean, and he’ll lose it.Again.I can’t afford a single misstep.
“What kind of products do you advertise?”
I’m struggling to lie on the fly again. If I reveal too much, she’ll go home and tell Dean about her new influencer friend, and he’ll know immediately that it’s me. “Fashion…for dogs.”
“Oh, you have a dog? I’ve always wanted a dog, but Dean, my fiancé, is allergic.”
And there it is. She’s used his name for the first time, and I hope she doesn’t catch the visceral reaction that crosses my face when she says it.
“That’s too bad. I don’t know where I would be without my fur baby. My husband cheated on me, just up and left with his new girlfriend a few months ago. Mitzi has gotten me through the cold, lonely nights. I know it’s cliché, but I don’t have a lot of friends either, and the few I did have hated my husband—they could see through him better than I could, I guess. Always listen to your friends, especially if they don’t like your spouse. There’s a reason for it, that’s the lesson I’ve learned.”
“I’m sorry.” A look of pity muddies her otherwise perfect features.
She’s not as pretty as the photos, I think finally. There’s a reason we picked her, but if we’d met her in person, I don’t think I would have. She’s not Mia Starr. Not like I made her out to be in my mind anyway.
“So, are you from Chicago?” She sips and purrs.
I shake my head, uncomfortable with this question. “Vegas—I was living in Vegas for a while before I came here.”
“Oh, fun city. I haven’t been there in a few years. It must be a trip to actually live there.”
“Yeah, it sure is. Well, I need to do some research on the company I’m meeting with. I should get going.” Seeing my Mia sitting across from me is starting to make my skin crawl. An odd mix of disappointment and rage floods my system the longer we sit across from each other.
“Oh.” She looks genuinely disappointed. “Maybe we could exchange phone numbers and meet up for a drink sometime?”
“Oh, I don’t know…” I didn’t expect the scent of desperation that’s wafting off her. Don’t girls like this one collect friends wherever they go? That’s the impression I get scrolling my newsfeed anyway. “I’m sure I’ll see you here again. I come about the same time every morning.”
