“No way.”
“Yes way.”
“I was a child,” Zane says through gritted teeth.
“You said teal was sophisticated,” I remind him.
“I hate both of you.”
“That’s fair,” Gwen says cheerfully.“But this is very valuable information.”
The party is being held in one of those old industrial spaces that got renovated just enough to be expensive. There are big windows, black-framed doors, warm string lights outside, and a line of cars already crowding the curb.
I can hear music from here.
Too loud.
Very promising.
“Here goes nothing,” I sigh as we all get out of the car.
“You’re here!” a blonde woman yells from a distance.
“You look so good in purple,” she tells Gwen, and I definitely agree.
“Tess, this is Lisa. Lisa, this is Tess,” Gwen introduces us, and I pull Tess in for a hug. She seems as surprised as Gwen was when I do.
“Prepare for me to cling to you two for the rest of the night,” I half-joke.
“It would be my honor,” Gwen smiles.
“Are you girls ready to go in?” a guy next to Tess asks.
“Nope,” I say before I introduce myself.
“Not at all,” Tess replies.
“Maybe?” Gwen adds, and we all laugh.
The guy next to Tess is Leo. I immediately recognize him from Zane’s breakfast stories. He has the face of a man who is always one second away from causing mischief.
“Hi,” I say, offering my hand, though he looks like a hugger too.“Lisa.”
“Leo,” he says, smiling.“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“That feels threatening.”
“It should,” Tess says dryly, and I like her even more.
She’s gorgeous in an effortless kind of way, all confidence and calm, and yet there’s something warm about her too. She looks like the sort of woman who could comfort you and also ruin a man’s life in the same afternoon. I love her instantly.
There are people everywhere. The entire room is glowing with this faded red light. There are ice buckets filled with champagne. On the left, I see literal bathtubs filled with ice and beer.
“Is this a Grizzlies party or a frat party?” Gwen asks while she takes in the room.
“You thought there would be a difference?” I laugh.
“I don’t go to these parties much anymore,” Zane says, and I can tell he is really trying to impress Gwen.
