“I think you protest too much, girlfriend.”
She blushes again, and I wonder just how fake this relationship with Cal really is.
“Anyway, I got to go. I’ll speak to you later.”
“Okay. Have a good evening. And, Mia?” he says softly.
“Yes, Luke?”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Okay, I’ll try not to,” I say and hang up.
I throw the phone onto the couch and let out a low yelp.
My friends all look at me.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Juniper looks up from applying mascara. “Mia?”
“I’m just annoyed he’s not going to be able to come the week early anymore and we have nothing fleshed out. Rafe is already suspicious. What’s going to happen when even more people ask us questions that we can’t answer?”
Juniper nods slightly. “You guys will figure it out. You always do. You’re Luke and Mia. I swear you can read each other’s minds.”
“I guess,” I say. “I mean, I guess we’re just going to have to see what happens.”
“Hey,” she says, giving me a look. “It’ll work out. I promise. It’s going to be the best fake summer romance you’ve ever had. And who knows? Maybe you’ll actually meet a really cool guy at the wedding, and then you’ll have a real romance come out of it.”
“I don’t really know how that’s going to work, but, yeah, maybe.” I feel slightly deflated, but I don’t want to let Luke and his change of plans affect me. “How about we all have shots of tequila before we go out dancing?”
“I am down,” Wendy says. “Trust me, I need a shot for the week I’ve had.”
“Great,” I say. “I’ve got a bottle of some top-shelf tequila in my closet that I was saving for a special occasion, and I think tonight is that special occasion.”
I head to my room to grab the tequila, and Juniper gets a bunch of shot glasses. I pour the tequila and fill each one up while Juniper cuts some lemons and grabs the salt.
“To tonight,” I say, holding up my shot glass. “To the wedding. To summer. To hot sex. To friendships. May we all be blessed with fun times and fun guys.”
“Cheers,” Juniper says, and we all down our shots.
As the warm liquid ripples down my throat, I start to feel myself perk up a little bit, but for some reason, I’m still a little deflated. I shouldn’t be. But all the years of Luke choosing his job and everything else above me come crashing into my head.
I’ve always been the faithful friend. I’ve always been there for him—supporting him through high school, college, grad school, when he got his job at that hedge fund. Even when he stayed in New York City summer after summer and Christmas after Christmas. I even downplay how hurt I am that I haven’t seen him in years. But now I can feel my anger threatening to bubble over. I know I can’t let it bother me though. Not until we get through the summer.
But once the summer romance is done and the wedding season is over, I am going to tell him how I really feel. He is my best friend, but I am fed up with him not treating me like his.
I feel like an option and not someone he is choosing. I feel like the friend who is always there that he takes for granted and not the friend that he is going above and beyond for.
chapter seven
Luke
Luke
My plane just landed. I will see you soon.
Mia
Okay.
