Stephanie was unfairly pretty. She had long, dark hair that was always glossy and perfectly styled, big brown eyes with natural long lashes that were the envy of everyone who saw them, and a figure that never failed to turn heads. Needless to say, she was never one to hurt for attention, and if there was ever a shortage of men somewhere, it was never in her zip code.
Men were always trailing after her every step, but she never let it go to her head. She was the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful person I’ve ever met, so I wasn’t surprised that she was worried about me. Hoping to ease her mind, I smiled and said, “I’m fine, Steph.Really.”
“But you’re not,” she replied, pointing her perfectly manicured finger at me. “You’ve been spacing out all day, and that dye job you did on Mrs. Davenport was not it.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“It was atrocious, girl, and you never mess up a dye job. So, spill it.”
I opened my mouth but immediately closed it.
I almost messed up.
I was about to tell her everything. It was sitting right there on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t. There was a chance it would put her in danger, and I refused to bring anyone else into my mess.
So, I did the only thing I could. I made up a big, fat lie and told her, “It’s Danny.”
“Danny?” Her brows furrowed. “That guy you’ve been talking to?”
“Yeah, that’s him.” I shrugged. “He ghosted me.”
“Oh.” Relief washed over her. “Thank God.”
“That’s not the response I was expecting.”
“Please. The guy was a total douchebag.” She waved her hand. “Trust me. He did you a favor. Men like him are emotional support potholes.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You are too much.”
“Just honest, sweetie.” She gave me a wink. “We should go out. Have a few drinks. Go dancing. Find you a new guy or two. Maybe three. I know at least six who would volunteer as tribute.”
“Of course, you do.”
“What can I say? It’s a gift.”
“I appreciate the offer. I really do, but no.” I lowered my head. “I just want to go home and faceplant in bed and not speak to another human until tomorrow.”
“Oh, you’re no fun.” She studied me for a second, then added, “Danny dropped the ball, girlfriend. You’re smoking hot, and it’s only a matter of time before the right guy comes along and snatches you up.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“You sure you don’t want to go for just one drink?”
“Not tonight.”
“Okay, fine.” A smirk slipped across her lips as she leaned in and whispered, “But if you wake up tomorrow and decide you want a hot stranger to help you forget what’s-his-face, I have options.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You better, because they’re good options. Hot options.” She looped her arm through mine as we headed back out. “Get some sleep, babe. Tomorrow is a new day.”
Oh, how I wish that was true.
I nodded, then grabbed my things and slipped out the door before anyone else had a chance to stop me. I grabbed a cab, and twenty minutes later, we were pulling up to my house. I hadn’t even got out when I spotted Lila Kate standing at my front door.
She looked like an absolute mess.
Great. My day just keeps getting better.
