My heart starts racing. Suddenly I don’t feel like eating.
“Did you not tell Jess your secret?” Lauren cackles.
I close my eyes, willing myself to calm down.I am not taking that hotel job. Just eat a taco.I stuff the cheesy tortilla into my mouth and chew. It tastes like sawdust.
“What is she saying? What secret?” Jess looks between us.
“Oh my god!” Lauren is such a shit-stirrer. “You didn’t even tell your best friend?”
Jess looks hurt. “Tell me what? Mandy? What’s she talking about?”
“Lauren, shut up.”
“She is totally in love with him. Like head-over-heels completely obsessed with him.” Lauren claps her hands.
“Him who?”
“Salinger, y’all’s boss!”
“No, she’s not!” Jess throws a pillow at Lauren.
Pepper yelps as it narrowly misses her.
“Mandy made us drive to the office just so she could creep on him.” Lauren feeds Pepper the rest of the chip to calm her down. “In all realness, he is insanely hot.”
“Mandy, for real?”
I want to tell Jess the truth—I really do. I want to share the burden with someone, but it is my burden to bear.
“I… Yeah, I guess so.” I cough out the lie.
“Why?” Jess is horrified. “You were sobbing in the bathroom today, like, literally sobbing, because of him and how he bullies you.”
“Kinky!” Lauren crows, and Jess throws a chip at her. “Ow!”
Jess gives me another margarita refill.
“I don’t know.” I fumble around to a plausible explanation. “I guess when you spend that much time with someone, you just…”
“Turn into an obsessed stalker.” Lauren giggles.
“See, this is why you need to get a new job.” Jess frowns. “Salinger is just the worst. He’s literally making you crazy. You’re not attracted to him—okay, maybe you are attracted to him. I can admit he is attractive when he keeps his mouth shut. But you’re not in love with him. You hate him! You’re going to get a new job and start dating, and life will be better. You need to raise your standards, girlfriend.”
But maybe the worst is what is best for me right now. Or maybe I need to grow a backbone. Stop letting men walk all over me.
I sip my margarita. Who am I kidding? It isn’t like I’m going to go confront Jaxon. The thought is terrifying. I grab the bottle of tequila and slosh some extra into my margarita, stirring it around.
“You want to have some nachos to soak up all that—oh, okay.” Jess raises an eyebrow as I chug my alcohol slushie.
“You have any more of that?” I wave my empty glass at her.
My phone rings as I’m chugging my third margarita.
Jess glances at the name on the screen. “You’re not going to answer that are you? It’s girls’ night.”
I ignore the phone. Then the text messages come in.
Salinger:Mandy, come to the office.
