A tall, drunk man with a mustache sidles up next to me, leaning on the bar and standing too close. “Hey, angel. Want to go back to my place and fuck?” he slurs.
His clumsy pickup line appalls me enough to distract me from Sebastian’s question.
“Where are you?” my boss asks, sounding more forceful now. “Who is that? Talk to me.”
And that unsticks my tongue. All my good intentions about sounding unbothered fly out the door of the bar. “Oh, so you wantmeto talk toyou? And you want to know where I am? Well, where I am is none of your business. You certainly didn’t feel the need to updateme. You were supposed to be back, and you didn’t even tell me what was going on. You won’t even answer my messages. What the hell, Sebastian?”
He’s silent for a long minute. Then he sighs. “I didn’t know you wanted me to update you. I figured with you, you know,quitting… and doubling down… that you didn’t want to hear from me for a while.”
I snort. Which turns into a hiccup. Which turns into a giggle. “To hell with you. To hell with you and your Italian handkerchiefs and cashmere socks. And your girlfriend. And your ghosting trip to wherever you are.”
“What are you talking about? Are you drunk?”
“I don’t need to tell you anything, mister. Not ever again. At least not after”—I count the days on my fingers but lose track—“not after my notice runs out.”
“Hey, babe. Let’s get out of here already,” the drunk voice slurs next to my ear.
“Get your hand off my ass, jerk,” I cry, outraged, as the man brushes a beefy hand over my short skirt.
He winks before raising his hands in innocence and lumbering off, swaying into the crowd.
“Pig!” I call after him.
God, sober Emma has a foolproof resting bitch face and lightning-fast reflexes. Sober Emma would have kneed him in the dick.
Drunk Emma has a serious lack of skills. Maybe I need to take my next self-defense class drunk to be better prepared.
“Emma!”
My phone is yelling, I think in surprise.
Correction. It’s my boss yelling through the phone. Phones really are an incredible invention if you think about it.
I hold it back up to my ear. “Yep. That’s my name,” I say cheerfully.
“Who was that guy? What did he do to you? Where. Are. You?”
“Geez. You don’t have to yell. I’m at a club with Sadie. Or at least, Iwaswith her. Except now she’s dancing with this really hot dude. Like, dirty-type dancing. I hope she gets some of that. Except she’s staying at my apartment. So, I hope she doesn’t get some of that in the living room. That would be awkward.”
“She can’t bring a stranger to your apartment. Who knows what could happen? Get some water. Do not have another drink. I’m coming to get you both,” he orders.
Commanding Sebastian is hot. And annoying.
“Don’t tell me what my sister can’t do. You’re not the boss of her. Or of me. At least you won’t be very soon. And plus, you can’t come and get me because I didn’t tell you where I am,” I bluster. “So, ha!”
“Sebastian?”
“Sebastian!” I repeat.
But there’s no one on the line. He’s gone. Ghosted again.I hate being ghosted.
“Fine, don’t say goodbye,” I grumble. But for some stupid reason, I do as he ordered. Instead of going back to dancing or getting another shot, I slide into a seat, catch the bartender’s eye, and ask for an enormous glass of ice water. It tastes freaking delicious.
I may have stayed there, except ten minutes later, Sadie bounds up to me with her hot guy. And her hot guy has a friend. My sister hands me another shot, which I down. And I forget all about drunk dialing. Soon, we’re all dancing.
I close my eyes and let the music carry me to a place where I don’t have to think about bills or jobs or rent or irritating bosses who are too good-looking. In fact, I don’t have to think at all. I only have to move.
The man I’m dancing with seems to realize that my brain has gone offline. He pulls me into his arms. I think about protesting. But that’s a lot of work. I close my eyes tighter and pretend he’s someone else. Someone who’s taller. And broader. Someone with a razor-cut jaw. Someone who can make me madder than I’ve ever been and then turn around and make me melt.
