Erica shoved open the door and stood there with her hands on her hips. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were glazed over. “Cab’s here, Jo Mama.”
Definitely drunk.
I nodded and straightened my shirt, then grabbed some cash and my ID. “I’m ready.”
She didn’t move. Instead, she smiled and waved her hand up and down. “You look nice.”
I looked plain and forgettable, how I preferred it, but I reared back and looked at her. Erica didn’t dress up, not for anything, but she had a dress on.
“Damn, Erica. Is Wanker still alive?” I pretended to rub my eyes.
“What?”
I gestured to her, doing a Vanna White flourish with my wrist. “Do I need to call the ambulance? Did the sight of you stop his heart?”
“Shut up.”
I fought against my grin. “You’re hot, woman. You’re wearing a dress.”
And it was one that hugged her form. She was close to five feet four and usually dressed in shirts with sarcastic quotes over tattered jeans. All of that was gone, and Erica was transformed. Her boobs showed. She had an ass. Her stomach was flat, and she even had hips.
“Oh, this?” Her nose wrinkled, and she smoothed her hand down the front, picking at some lint on the bottom. “Ugh. Whatever. I’m sinking to Susan’s level. Don’t hate me. She’s going to be dressed to the nines, so I have to, too. So, yeah.” She waved a hand at herself. “Sexiness ensued for the night. I already can’t wait till we get back, and I can put my pajamas on. Looking good sucks major balls.”
She flounced from my room and called over her shoulder as I followed her, “We’re going, Wanker.” She grabbed her purse on the way out.
He stood from the couch, and his hand checked his zipper when he chugged the rest of his wine. His entire face and neck were beet-red. That meant one thing. Sexiness ensued had indeed ensued him.
I felt a flicker of pride for my roommate, but then Wanker was out the door, and they were halfway down the hallway, so I didn’t have time to savor the proud moment. I hurried to catch up, and the cab took off the second I shut the car door behind me.
When we got to Sids, I asked Erica, “You sure you want to go in there?” The line to get in was around the corner.
Erica shoved up her glasses. “I did an article for them. Time to call in a favor.”
Wanker mirrored her action, pushing up his glasses.
The favor worked. The bouncer waved her in, and when we went through, he said, “Go have fun.”
Erica pulled me behind her, moving into the bar. Sids was packed. It was standing-room only. Hip-hop music blared from a deejay on the second floor. As Erica dragged me, I recognized other students from our college. I was right. Most of the people here were Hillcrest students.
Kian was supposed to go to Hillcrest, but then he’d gone to prison instead.
No. No thoughts of him.
I shook my head to clear it and ran into Erica.
“Hey.” I frowned at her, but she wasn’t paying attention.
She was enraptured by something on the opposite side of the bar. I didn’t need to take a guess. It must’ve been Susan. I started to look, figuring I should get this over with. Jake had said he and Tara had broken up, but I knew Tara would still be all over him. Every time he said they were broken up, I would see them cuddling on a couch at a party a day later.
Erica clutched at my arm and pointed. “You see him?”
Him.
My heart lurched for a second. She couldn’t mean…that would make no sense.
I looked…and saw someone else. It wasn’t Kian.
“Oh. Jake. Yeah.” I frowned, feeling a flutter in the bottom of my throat. I was being ridiculous, thinking she’d meant him.
“I don’t get it.” She shook her head and shoved her glasses back up her nose. “They broke up, but he’s here, celebrating with Susan? I didn’t even think Susan liked him. At the paper, she’s always complaining about Tara’s relationship with him. I’m surprised that hasn’t gotten back to Tara yet.”
Her eyes got big then, and I could see the ideas filling her head.
“No, Erica. Don’t say a word. You don’t want to step into that. Trust me.”
“Not Jake and Tara. Susan and Tara,” she clarified. “Susan talks so much crap about Tara’s relationship with Jake. If Tara knew—”
I took her shoulders and turned her in the other direction. “That wouldn’t end well either. Susan can spin it, say she was distraught as a friend, et cetera, and Tara will forgive her.” I gritted my teeth.
As much as I had been jealous of Tara seven months ago, I couldn’t find any rumors where she was mean. Everyone had tended to say the same thing. She was beautiful and nice. It would make me gag, so I’d stopped asking.
“I know,” she clipped out, sounding distressed. “But…” Her hand abruptly fell back to her side. “I just can’t stand Susan. She already thinks she’s above everyone. With this promotion, she’ll think she’s on a totally different level.”
Everyone meant Erica, Wanker, and me.
Erica’s features tightened in frustration. “Susan is not better than us. Tara is not better than us. And Jake’s an asshole so he’s really not better than us.” She added, her lips pressed tight, “Even if he is kinda dreamy to look at.”
I mused, “I doubt Wanker would enjoy hearing that.”
She flushed and rolled her eyes. “Not funny, Jo. You’re”—her hand gestured up and down at me—“you. You don’t even notice that half the guys in here are checking you out, and I know that’s why Susan hates you, but…” She stopped, and her shoulders drooped.
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Hey,” I murmured. “I can tell you one thing. Susan’s not anywhere as tough as you are. If I had to back someone in a fight—whether it were verbal, physical, or academic—I’d back you any day.”
“Really?”
“You’re tough as nails. If Susan thinks she’s on a higher level than us”—I snorted—“let her think that. You’ll be more successful than her within five years. I know it.”
One side of her mouth lifted up as the other remained down. She patted my hand on her shoulder. “Thanks, Jo.”
Definitely drunk.
I nodded and straightened my shirt, then grabbed some cash and my ID. “I’m ready.”
She didn’t move. Instead, she smiled and waved her hand up and down. “You look nice.”
I looked plain and forgettable, how I preferred it, but I reared back and looked at her. Erica didn’t dress up, not for anything, but she had a dress on.
“Damn, Erica. Is Wanker still alive?” I pretended to rub my eyes.
“What?”
I gestured to her, doing a Vanna White flourish with my wrist. “Do I need to call the ambulance? Did the sight of you stop his heart?”
“Shut up.”
I fought against my grin. “You’re hot, woman. You’re wearing a dress.”
And it was one that hugged her form. She was close to five feet four and usually dressed in shirts with sarcastic quotes over tattered jeans. All of that was gone, and Erica was transformed. Her boobs showed. She had an ass. Her stomach was flat, and she even had hips.
“Oh, this?” Her nose wrinkled, and she smoothed her hand down the front, picking at some lint on the bottom. “Ugh. Whatever. I’m sinking to Susan’s level. Don’t hate me. She’s going to be dressed to the nines, so I have to, too. So, yeah.” She waved a hand at herself. “Sexiness ensued for the night. I already can’t wait till we get back, and I can put my pajamas on. Looking good sucks major balls.”
She flounced from my room and called over her shoulder as I followed her, “We’re going, Wanker.” She grabbed her purse on the way out.
He stood from the couch, and his hand checked his zipper when he chugged the rest of his wine. His entire face and neck were beet-red. That meant one thing. Sexiness ensued had indeed ensued him.
I felt a flicker of pride for my roommate, but then Wanker was out the door, and they were halfway down the hallway, so I didn’t have time to savor the proud moment. I hurried to catch up, and the cab took off the second I shut the car door behind me.
When we got to Sids, I asked Erica, “You sure you want to go in there?” The line to get in was around the corner.
Erica shoved up her glasses. “I did an article for them. Time to call in a favor.”
Wanker mirrored her action, pushing up his glasses.
The favor worked. The bouncer waved her in, and when we went through, he said, “Go have fun.”
Erica pulled me behind her, moving into the bar. Sids was packed. It was standing-room only. Hip-hop music blared from a deejay on the second floor. As Erica dragged me, I recognized other students from our college. I was right. Most of the people here were Hillcrest students.
Kian was supposed to go to Hillcrest, but then he’d gone to prison instead.
No. No thoughts of him.
I shook my head to clear it and ran into Erica.
“Hey.” I frowned at her, but she wasn’t paying attention.
She was enraptured by something on the opposite side of the bar. I didn’t need to take a guess. It must’ve been Susan. I started to look, figuring I should get this over with. Jake had said he and Tara had broken up, but I knew Tara would still be all over him. Every time he said they were broken up, I would see them cuddling on a couch at a party a day later.
Erica clutched at my arm and pointed. “You see him?”
Him.
My heart lurched for a second. She couldn’t mean…that would make no sense.
I looked…and saw someone else. It wasn’t Kian.
“Oh. Jake. Yeah.” I frowned, feeling a flutter in the bottom of my throat. I was being ridiculous, thinking she’d meant him.
“I don’t get it.” She shook her head and shoved her glasses back up her nose. “They broke up, but he’s here, celebrating with Susan? I didn’t even think Susan liked him. At the paper, she’s always complaining about Tara’s relationship with him. I’m surprised that hasn’t gotten back to Tara yet.”
Her eyes got big then, and I could see the ideas filling her head.
“No, Erica. Don’t say a word. You don’t want to step into that. Trust me.”
“Not Jake and Tara. Susan and Tara,” she clarified. “Susan talks so much crap about Tara’s relationship with Jake. If Tara knew—”
I took her shoulders and turned her in the other direction. “That wouldn’t end well either. Susan can spin it, say she was distraught as a friend, et cetera, and Tara will forgive her.” I gritted my teeth.
As much as I had been jealous of Tara seven months ago, I couldn’t find any rumors where she was mean. Everyone had tended to say the same thing. She was beautiful and nice. It would make me gag, so I’d stopped asking.
“I know,” she clipped out, sounding distressed. “But…” Her hand abruptly fell back to her side. “I just can’t stand Susan. She already thinks she’s above everyone. With this promotion, she’ll think she’s on a totally different level.”
Everyone meant Erica, Wanker, and me.
Erica’s features tightened in frustration. “Susan is not better than us. Tara is not better than us. And Jake’s an asshole so he’s really not better than us.” She added, her lips pressed tight, “Even if he is kinda dreamy to look at.”
I mused, “I doubt Wanker would enjoy hearing that.”
She flushed and rolled her eyes. “Not funny, Jo. You’re”—her hand gestured up and down at me—“you. You don’t even notice that half the guys in here are checking you out, and I know that’s why Susan hates you, but…” She stopped, and her shoulders drooped.
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Hey,” I murmured. “I can tell you one thing. Susan’s not anywhere as tough as you are. If I had to back someone in a fight—whether it were verbal, physical, or academic—I’d back you any day.”
“Really?”
“You’re tough as nails. If Susan thinks she’s on a higher level than us”—I snorted—“let her think that. You’ll be more successful than her within five years. I know it.”
One side of her mouth lifted up as the other remained down. She patted my hand on her shoulder. “Thanks, Jo.”
