“With some random guy?”
“I had to start somewhere, didn’t I?”
He sighs, scratching his perfectly shaved jaw—something he does when uncomfortable. I wish I could cater to his hurt feelings more, but I have too much work for that. And in all truth, I want out of this weird atmosphere. I don’t know how to handle it, and right now, I don’t have the mental capacity to figure it out.
“Eddie, I’m sorry, but I have a mountain of things to handle today.”
He lets out a small, mirthless chuckle. “Some things never change, do they?”
“We can talk about this another time if you want. Just not today.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll go back to my things, and you’ll do yours.”
When he turns around, I notice a collective movement outside. The people in the open space weren’t working, but spying on us, aware that we broke up and that I’m moving on.
I dismiss how awkward it makes me feel and walk Eddie to the door. Just as he’s about to leave, he turns back to me. “Oh, uh, can you wish Hana a happy birthday for me on Saturday?” he asks.
“Yes, of course. You still have her number too, right?”
“Hasn’t she blocked me yet?”
I grimace, aware that it’s a possibility. Hana was never a big fan of Eddie, so she might have blocked his number as soon as the breakup was official.
“I’ll tell her for you, don’t worry,” I diplomatically offer.
He thanks me with a smile and a nod before walking away. I don’t linger there, giving the space a long scan to ensure people are done with the show and back to work.
The fact that it’s still morning is preposterous because when I sit back in my chair, I’m ready to go home and forget this day ever happened. What absolute carnage. Actually, not all of it. The first hour was pretty spectacular.
I can’t help but fetch my phone from the drawer. The only good thing today was Jake, and I need more of him to cope.
Me
For real, next time, we stay in bed all day.
Ladder Guy
With pleasure, red.
Yes. Definitely a lot of pleasure. On both our parts.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gen
Hana’s birthday is out of this world. I didn’t think I’d be having such a blast, but here I am, dancing and singing my heart out. Everything is so loud and dark that no one can clearly see or hear me. It’s liberating.
It wasn’t so much fun at first. Not when I realized that all the friends Hana invited are either married, engaged, or having a kid with the love of their life.
But all that stopped being a problem maybe five tequilas ago. Or is it seven? Shoot, I lost count. It is an odd number, at least I’m sure of that.
The club Hana picked is fantastic, with music from when we were younger but remixed into even more danceable tunes. We have a whole VIP booth to ourselves, and the waitstaff has been instructed to keep the champagne coming. And it seems they are very good at following instructions because we’ve drunk at least one bottle each by now.
We’re both vibing to a catchy version of Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary”, facing each other with our sick moves. The others have all migrated back to the VIP lounge, and it’s just the two of us left now. My thighs burn every time I lower, I can feel sweat running down my back, and my feet have been killing me for the past hour. But all of this is a sacrifice I’m happy to make.
Although we haven’t done this together in a while, Hana and I are still great at it. My hands are above my head, like the song demands, and my hips are swaying along with the beat, my whole body undulating with it. I’m mirroring Hana, or she’s mirroring me—I can’t remember.
Everything is delayed and altered by the booze, which is why I won’t have another glass tonight. I’ve gone far enough. Needless to say, Hana’s objective to get hammered is beyond accomplished. The only thing that could make this moment even more perfect is Jake.
