I thought I looked kinda good.
The knock on my door came at the same time as the text on my phone.
“One sec!”
Chase: Car pulling up in 5
I grabbed my coat and bag, and ran to the door, more excited than I expected to be.
“Shit,” Evie said as I threw it open. “You look fucking hot.”
She did as well. The jeans she wore hugged her perfect curves, and she had on these stiletto-type booties. Her suede jacket and scarf made her look as if she was right out ofCosmopolitan. Throw in the tiny shoulder bag and she could be in Paris for fashion week.
“So do you,” I told her. “I wish I had your style.”
I grabbed her arm and hurried her down the hall.
“I always tell you I want to take you shopping,” she said.
My dream would be to go shopping with her, but I was never willing to spend the money. I was a saver, always too afraid not to have enough for an emergency. Growing up, we never had enough. We lived paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes there wasn’t even one of those. My fears were instilled in me from opening the cupboards and them being completely bare most of my childhood.
It made me such a rule follower as an adult. I always needed to make sure I was in control. But the way I got to where I am now…wasn’t easy. Leaving home at seventeen and heading to New York City alone was scary. I almost didn’t make it.
But I did.
I tried to focus on that most of the time, instead of focusing on my path here. It was hard when the reminders were in front of me so often.
“Hey,” Evie said as we walked out the front door. “Did I lose you?”
Turning to my best friend, seeing her concerned look, I only smiled.
“I’m good.”
When we looked to the street, there was a driver waiting for us. It wasn’t exactly a limo, but it was a super fancy SUV, like a Navigator or something.
“Are you Maryellen and Evie?” the gentleman asked.
We shared a look, Evie and I, and giggled like schoolgirls as we climbed into the truck. The driver introduced himself as Ben before closing the door for us.
It was luxurious inside. There were even bottles of water and snacks in the backseat.
“Chase sent this for us?” Evie asked.
When Chase told me he was sending a car, I protested. My argument was that I traveled around the city, to and from work, every day. I could get myself to the karaoke bar. He insisted because he was making us meet at a place that was so far from mine. He won the fight when he pulled out the “I want you to be safe” argument.
“He did,” I said.
Evie grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it.
“I could get used to this. Hey, there’s seat warmers back here.” She started pressing all kinds of buttons. “And we can control the radio from here, too.”
That was the thing I wondered if I could get used to. This was a lifestyle so far beyond what I was accustomed to. It was quite enjoyable to sit back against warm leather seats and be takencare of. Before long, the truck pulled over and Ben was holding the door open for us.
“Thank you,” we both said.
He nodded. “I’ll be back later. Mr. Parker will alert me when you’re ready to go home.”
Evie and I giggled again as we walked through the bar’s front door. I’d been here before; Chase and I came a couple times last fall. He loved to sing up on stage but was upset he could never get me to do it with him.
