My chest constricted. Did he forget about it?
He rocked from side to side, scanning the room as he played with one of the straps on my romper. The evasive maneuvers told me everything. He hadn’t put my name down. Zack must’ve taken pity on me, and let me in. Now, I was the quarterback’s charity case. Pathetic. Again.
The back of my eyes stung. I needed another drink ASAP. I slipped from under Theo’s arm and started to walk away, but he pulled me back.
“Hey, thank you for coming. I really appreciate it, baby.” The sincerity in his voice eased the ache in my chest.
“Wouldn’t have missed it,” I managed. No point in fighting at his gig. Stuff slipped his mind.
Islipped his mind. His own girlfriend.
He bit his lip, his eyes bright with excitement. “Do you think you can hype the crowd for me?”
“Sure.” I could dance, anyway.
We’d come up with a strategy at previous gigs to help get things, including me, moving. To support him. Of course I’d try to do it. I just needed a minute. My heart shook like one of those buzz-balls trapped in a box when I had to ask someone to hang out with me. I ordered a strong drink to steady my nerves and glanced at the bouncers, who were ribbing with each other at the entrance. Why did Zack let me in? Was it because of his cousin, Sparkly Shelby? Were we friends? Nothing? He didn’t know my name. I gulped down something fruity.Definitely nothing.
A group of girls in monochromatic dresses crowded the bar, swaying while they ordered more shots. I squeezed in next to them, got a shot, and winced when I slung it back. The alcohol burned away enough apprehension for me to say hi. I tapped on one of the girls’ shoulders. “My friends are late. Do you want to dance?”
“Hell yes,” she said. We corralled the group to stumble and shimmy in front of the deejay setup.
Theo pointed to us and winked. “These ladies know what’s up. Let’s dance into the new year, baby.”
Baby, baby, baby.Did it mean anything?
As the song went on, the girls edged me out of the dance circle. It was fine. My real friends were in the city, drinkingchampagne and eating strawberries at a hotel from what I saw on their socials. I had my treat in the bath the other day, so I probably wasn’t missing anything except some pretty ballroom and balcony selfies. And conversation, maybe. The bar here was too loud to talk to anybody.
I scanned the room in search of more girls who’d join us and make it less obvious I was dancing by myself. Plus, when enough girls were on the floor, guys would close in, and Theo would look like a good deejay who could get the party going.
It was all kind of a blur. Sparkly outfits, huddled bodies. A lone girl with a purple purse. My stomach rumbled. When was the last time I’d eaten anything?
Wait a minute.
Purple purse? Size thirteen Zeezy’s. Miss ‘Big Feet.’
She was sipping a drink, hanging in the shadows and watching the deejay as she stroked her tacky purse strap.
Did that big-footed bitch buy my boyfriend Zeezy’s? And worse, did heacceptthem?
Blood boiled under my veins. I gritted my teeth.
Well, I wasn’t going to let them walk all over me. Tonight, I was going to beseen. Zack–and my boyfriend–and this bimbo–were definitely going to remember me.
7
Presents and Presence
I marched up to the woman with the purple purse and bared my teeth in a grin, relishing the moment she saw me. She startled just like earlier today, but this time with a smidge more fear flashing across her face. She knew who I was. And I knew her.
“Hey. Zeezy’s, right?” I asked.
“Wh-what?” She glanced in Theo’s direction. Guilty as sin.
I sidestepped to block her view and closed in under the pretense of the bar being loud. I had to be up in her face and raise my voice for her to hear me. “Zeezy’s. You came in earlier today. I told you they were in the city.”
She gripped her purse tighter. “That wasn’t me.”
“Sure it was. Think I’d forget that plastic purse?” I edged closer, my jaw aching from clenching my teeth. Why would she lie if she wasn’t hiding something? “Did you end up going?”
