Chapter 14
A Familiar Stranger
Hillary Beck
“Where the hell have you been?” Erica shouted at me as I ran around the small apartment. She was clutching her head, clearly hungover, but still managing to shout at me.
“We were so worried,” Christie groaned from the sofa.
“I was out of my mind with worry!” Julie snapped. “One minute, I was trying to look after Christie and Erica, and you were right next to me. The very next minute, I turned around, and you were gone! I searched the entire club for you! I looked everywhere! I was about to go to the police!”
I stopped, realizing that Julie really was upset at me. Today was supposed to be my first day at my new job, and as late as I was getting, I knew I needed to reassure my friends first.
“Julie, I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I realize how stressful this must have been for you. I promise you, if it was in my hands, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Where did you go?” Julie asked, looking away.
I really had caused her a lot of concern, disappearing like that. The stress wasn’t good for her or the baby, and I felt a pang of guilt.
I relayed the entire sequence of events and was rewarded with gasps and looks of amazement at appropriate points in my story. When I finished, there was a stunned silence, and then Erica said, “I don’t believe it. You threw up on his shoes and his car?”
“You slept with a random stranger you had just met?” the ever-responsible Julie asked.
“He gave you money? How much? Was he really rich? Why didn’t you ask him for a second date!” Christie exclaimed and then groaned as her own voice aggravated her headache.
“Yes, I threw up,” I replied. “I was drunk, Julie! So I made a move, and he didn’t stop me! And I don’t know, Christie. His house was so luxurious, I am sure he was very rich, but I didn’t ask him for a second date. In fact, I don’t think we will ever meet again.”
“But how was it?” Erica asked, winking suggestively.
“Erica!” Julie gasped out at the blunt question.
“Yeah,” Christie asked, “how was the rich man in the sack? I’ve heard that wealthy guys aren’t that good in bed. I think that makes sense. After all, one can’t have everything.”
My mind flashed back to the night we had spent together, and I blushed.
“Oh!” Erica said, noticing my reaction.
“So, he was good, after all?” Christie said with a wink.
“Well, yes,” I stammered, feeling awkward. “Money certainly didn’t affect his skills between the sheets.”
After extracting every detail of the night from me, the girls finally eased off.
“I still can’t believe you threw up on him! Especially after accusing him of ditching you and then throwing your drink on him,” Erica laughed.
My cheeks burned as I thought of those events. I felt embarrassed and humiliated, and I wondered why I always ended up in these awkward situations.
“Hillary?” Julie’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“Yeah?” I asked, still distracted.
“Weren’t you supposed to be at the office five minutes ago?” she asked.
“Oh, God!” I exclaimed, hurrying up. I was late. I was late on the very first day of my job. I ran through the apartment, picking up my pencil skirt and hopping on one foot as I squeezed in.
“Here’s your shirt!” Erica shouted, throwing it at me. Julie buttoned it up as I quickly tucked it in.
I felt someone’s hands on my hair, trying to pull it up into some semblance of a proper bun.
