“How would you know?”
“Because I’ve decided to live vicariously through you, and I refuse to accept thatourrelationship with the boss might end.”
I giggle at his shameless appreciation of my boyfriend. “Gimme your phone,” he demands, impatiently waving his hand. “Unlock it first.”
Confused, I comply and watch as he does whatever he has in mind. “Is that his address?” he asks, shoving the phone in my face. I nod, recognizing the Uber app display, and before I can ask what’s happening, he does a few more things on my phone and hands it back. “A car’s coming to get you in three minutes to take you there. Fix your shit, sis. I’m not going through another one of y’all’s breakups.”
“But, we’re having fun here, andI—”
“No,theyare having fun,” he corrects me, pointing at the girls still on the stage. “You have been drinking all night like a depressed housewife in her forties thinking she can solve her bad marriage with rum.”
I frown, unsure that’s actually true. “What about my Lagoon?”
“We’ll handle it. This place will close soon anyway. So, go get in that car, boo.”
I’m still unsure if any of that is a good idea, but I obey. I hate to make the driver wait, so I quickly put my coat back on and then stand up. Jesus fuck, everything spins so hard. I barely ate anything and drank a lot, which is a bad mix. As I reach the corner where the car is supposed to pick me up, I hear running footsteps coming my way. When I turn around, it’s Mason catching up with me.
“I’m coming with you,” he explains. “You can’t even walk straight, so you ain’t leaving alone in a stranger’s car.”
“You’re a good friend,” I say with a smile, resting my temple on his shoulder.
The drive to Lex’s place is silent because I’m focused on controlling my nausea. The spinning plus the driving isn’t a good combo. When we get to Lex’s building, I stare at the entrance, scared of what might happen if I go up there. I was supposed to go home after my night out, not here, so he isn’t expecting me.
“Come on, sis! Go talk to your man and win him back,” Mace insists, bumping his shoulder with mine. “Go get laid!”
I can do this. I’m Andrea fucking Walker, and I’m a badass in my own way. I have a massive pair of ovaries, and I won’t let adversity get in the way of my happiness. Twisting around, I hug Mason tightly. I trip as I get out because the ground moves under my feet.Shit, I’m so fucking drunk…
The concierge knows me by now, so I only need to show my face with a hand wave. Thank God because he’d notice how wasted I am if we talked. As usual, the elevator takes forever to arrive, and the way up seems even longer. But at least it allows me to strategize. I’ll get in there and ask Lex what’s going on. He has to tell me because he’s always honest. But what time is it? I check my phone, and my eyebrows rise in surprise. Almost one in the morning. He’ll be asleep, but the doorbell will wake him up.
That’s why I don’t expect him to open the door so fast after I ring it, still very much dressed. Why is he still up so late? “Andrea… Didn’t you have plans tonight?” he asks, his confusion evident.
“I did, but I was missing you, so I came here instead of home,” I explain as I pass by him to walk inside. I unwrap my scarf and hand it to him, my motions imprecise and weirdly uncooperative. “Baby, that place was so nice! It’s called Tiki Tiki Bang Bang, which is like, the bestname ever. You have to come with me one day so you can try the Eternal Lagoon. It had so many umbrellas, Lex! The colorful paper ones. Oh, and there’s a karaoke machine, but I didn’t sing because I’m not very good at it. And the ambiance was super cool.”
“I didn’t think you’d come,” he says after a tense moment.
He’s being weird. Why is he being weird? I look around and notice two empty wine glasses on the coffee table by the couch and the nearly empty bottle next to them. Fuck, what is this about? Who’s here with him?
A feminine voice comes to my left, and I spin around in time to see its owner returning from the bathroom. “I’m sorry, I think I drank a little too much,” she says, her voice soft and warm like chocolate.
She stops when she sees me, the elegant tapping of her heels on the floor ceasing. Her gorgeous face twists into surprise. Something churns in my stomach, and the air leaves my lungs when I recognize her. I can’t help but scrutinize her face, her perfect long eyelashes, her perfectly arched eyebrows, the thin bridge of her perfect nose, the plumpness of her perfect lips… She’s truly a gorgeous woman, with skin so perfect it looks airbrushed, perfect dark hair with perfect waves that flow down her perfect shoulders, and a blue dress that fits her perfect silhouette to perfection.
I knew she was devastatingly beautiful, but seeing her for real makes me see how stunning exactly. I glare at Lex, feeling like he stabbed me in the heart.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” I curse at him, filled with resentment.
I’m gone for one evening and he decides to spend it with her?!
The moment Eva showed up on my doorstep with a bottle of wine and a bag of the chips we used to love as kids, I knew it would bring nothing but trouble. But she is my oldest friend after Kevin, so I couldn’t throw her out. Had she called to suggest it, I would have politely refused. But this wasn’t negotiable.
So, I let her in, telling myself I’d handle the backlash with Andrea in the morning. I didn’t expect the latter to show up completely drunk. Had I known this would be the outcome, I would have apologized to my friend and turned down her offer to have a drink and catch up.
“You must be Andrea,” Evora says, reacting first. She walks up to her and extends a hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Andrea glares at the hand, then at Eva. “And you must be Evora… If I’m being perfectly candid, it isn’t a pleasure, and I’ve heard very little about you.”
Understandably, Eva blinks a few times, surprised by the terrible manners. I spent the past hours telling her how incredible Andrea is, and it’s all ruined within ten seconds of them meeting.
When it becomes clear that her hand won’t be shaken, Eva awkwardly retracts it. “I should go. I’m sorry I stayed so long,” she tells me with a small smile. “Time flew in a blink.”
