Authors: R.S Burnett
I notice Kyle frowning at us but Amber winks at me so I turn my attention to Cat who gestures for me to follow her.
We stop at the bar and she orders two shots and two glasses of wine.
“They’re serious” she says turning her back to the bar, I follow here gaze and notice she’s watching Kyle and Amber, not wanting to watch I turn back to the bar.
“Well I hope so, they are getting married” I say dryly.
“Yeah but they are really in love, they can’t keep their eyes off each other”
“Good, Kyle puts everything he has into it when he’s in love and I’m glad he’s chosen Amber she’s really nice” I take a sip of my wine, not wanting to take my shot without her.
“You’re not mad?” she asks turning back to me.
“Not mad no, it’s a little uncomfortable to see him with someone else and I’m sad that I couldn’t make him as happy as he is but I’m gad that he’s finally happy, he deserves it”
“I’m mad that you’re airhead cover is blown, these things get boring after all the speeches” she sighs.
“It’s not over yet” I wink at her when I see one of the men she first introduced me to approaching us.
“What do you mean?” she asks following the direction of my eyes with her own.
“Watch and learn baby” I wink at her.
“That was an amazing speech you made up there Miss Banks”
“Please call me Louise” I smile at him.
“Louise” he smiles at me “When that young fellow introduced you as his partner I assume he meant business partner?” he asks me.
I scrunch up my face “I’m sorry I don’t understand” I shake my head at him.
“You’re in business together?” he clarifies.
“No, he works with boats, I can’t do that. The sea breeze makes my hair frizzy!” I say this in a way that he would feel stupid for even suggesting such a thing.
“Then what do you do?” he asks looking as though he regrets coming over here.
I slowly cross my legs so my dress drifts up and play with my necklace, his eyes follow the movement so I lean a little closer to him and lower my voice “I do a wide variety of things, sir”
“Is that so?” he swallow and clears his throat when his words come out a little huskily.
“Mmm hmm, I have a lot of appointments to keep” I sigh and cross them off on my fingers “Stylist, hairdresser, personal trainer, dog groomer, beautician”
He shakes his head slightly and mutters something about me being lucky to have a body like I do and walks away.
“You’re so bad” Cat laughs and nudges me playfully.
“What are we drinking too?” I ask picking up my shot.
“Good times” she announces doing the same. We both repeat it and take the shot.
“The dumb bimbo act isn’t going to work with the women though” she says challenging me with her eyes.
“No but I have others that will” I shrug.
“Can I see?” she asks excitedly.
“I’m glad I’m entertaining you by the way” I tell her rolling my eyes.
“Shut up its funny and you know it”
“I’m just glad I will never see any of these people ever again” I sigh. “I can do a good bitch, want to see that?” I ask when I see Jen coming over to us knowing that I can’t do it to anyone I don’t know.
“Oooh yes please!” she says nodding.
“Hey, great speech by the way Lou” she says standing next to us.
“Thanks” I smile “I think I forgot to tell you earlier, I really love your dress Jen”
“Thanks, I wasn’t to sure about it” she says fiddling with the hem of it.
“No it looks fine. Your ass really stands out in last seasons best”
She slaps me. Full on loud smack slaps me across the face. Cat laughs and Jen narrows her eyes at us.
“Oh god you wasn’t serious was you?” she asks remembering that we have messing with people all night.
I look around the room and notice a lot of people staring at us, waiting for an argument. I shake my head at her.
“Sorry reflex” she whispers laughing slightly.
“Great thanks” I mutter rubbing my cheek.
“You were right, you do the best
bitch” Cat points out still cracking up.
“I don’t let her out often” I admit aware that it has gotten me a few slaps in the past.
“What’s going on?” Amber asks rushing over to us.
“I was showing Cat my inner bitch” I tell her shrugging it off.
“Oh can I see?” she asks excitedly, I shake my head at her but she pouts “please, no one has ever said anything mean to me before and I want to know what I would do if they did”
I look her over thoughtfully and shrug “Okay but promise you won’t cry or not talk to me ever again”
She rolls her eyes at me and stands there expectantly.
“You know you can sue him right?” I ask her keeping my expression blank.
“Who?” she asks frowning at me and the change of topic.
“The idiot who did your nose job, fuck ups that big deserve a law suit” I point to her nose.
Her jaw drops open and she slaps me.
Twice in one night, man I’m on a roll.
I blink at her completely shocked that she would resort to violence.
Cat and Jen find it funny by the sound of them choking.
“Shit, I didn’t mean to. My hand just flew up!” she says so quickly it just comes spewing out.
“Reflex” I nod at her and rub my other cheek.
“You slap like Jen, I feel sorry for the other woman if you ever get into a cat fight”
“What the fuck is going on here?” Kyle demands, rushing over to us with Chris, Tom and Travis.
“Did you hit her?” he asks Amber not looking happy at all. Amber just stands there like a deer caught in headlights. I decide to save her because she stood in for me earlier.
“Not in the way you think” I tell him then smile and turn to everyone else.
“I should have asked one of you guys really, girls and spiders don’t mix well” I roll my eyes and laugh to lighten the situation. “Cat said I had a spider on my cheek and Jen saw it and freaked out but she hit the wrong side, Amber got it” I shrug at them “Thank you” I smile at Amber who smiles back at me silently sending me a look of thanks.
“Oh” Kyle frowns at us all.
Chris snorts and looks at Kyle as if he’s crazy for believing me.
“Dance with me” he says taking my hand and putting my wine glass on the bar, not giving me a choice in the matter.
I follow him the dance floor, not because I want to but because he’s all but pulling me along with him.
“What was that all about?” he asks me as soon as we start dancing “and don’t try any of that spider bullshit with me because I don’t buy it”
“We were just having a little fun that’s all” I smile up at him to try and reassure him.
“Is this to with Kyle?” he narrows his eye at me.
“What?” I ask truly surprised that he came up with that.
“Oh come on, your ex-boyfriend comes back, his new fiancée slaps you. It’s not hard to connect the dots” he snaps at me.
“It is if you’re looking at the wrong picture” I snap back at him but then sigh loudly when I notice Kyle watching us argue. “Why are you more effected by him being here than me?” I ask looking into his eyes trying to read him.
“I’m worried Lou, you loved him and he obviously loved you. She doesn’t know about you, you know” he says pulling me closer to him.
“What do you mean?” I ask pulling my face back to look at him.
“He hasn’t told her about you. Which makes me think that you either didn’t mean enough to him so he doesn’t think it’s worth bringing up, or and this is the or I’m worried about, he still loves you and doesn’t want her to pick up on it”
“I wish you would stop worrying about him” I look up at him and move my hand to his cheek “Don’t you have any idea how much I love you?”
“Of course, it’s just everyone’s making a big deal out of him being here asking me if you know that he’s back. Everyone thought you two were forever. It’s going to take time to it I guess. Can’t you invite Amber out with you tomorrow night?”
“On the girl’s night?” I ask I don’t know why because she’s obviously a girl so the answer to that would be yes. “I’ll ask the girls” is all I say. The CEO’s wife asks to cut in and I walk back to the bar when they start dancing.
“He wants me to invite her along tomorrow night” I sigh picking my glass back up off the bar.
“Who?” Cat asks not following my line of thought.
“Chris, he wants me to ask Amber along to our night out tomorrow”
“Are you going to?” Tom asks when Cat just stares at me.
“I don’t know” I admit watching Kyle and Amber dancing “I like her and everything but I’m not sure I want to listen to stories about how happy they are”
“I’ve been dying to ask her stuff” Cat admits herself watching the couple as well.
“I know, the masochist in me wants to know too” I turn back to the bar “She doesn’t know that I dated him either, which makes it weird”
“Wouldn’t it be worse if she did?” Tom asks
“Not really because she’s going to ask us who he dated in the past and then we can either lie to her and risk her finding out about it from someone else or tell her the truth and make her wonder why he never told her” Cat explains to him.
“I don’t wan to lie to her but I’m surprised Kyle never told her before someone else could, apparently people have been asking Chris if I know he’s back all night”
“Well I say we don’t invite her and then she can’t accuse you of trying to be her best friend when you’re her fiancé’s ex”
“That was my thought too. I’m guessing she’s not going to feel so bad about slapping me when she does find out”
“What does Chris say about it all?” Cat asks turning her back on the couple.
“He’s worried that he hasn’t told her because I either wasn’t worth mentioning or he still has feeling for me and doesn’t want to draw attention to them”
“I don’t buy the you wasn’t worth mentioning story” Cat says.
“Neither do I” Tom shrugs when we both turn to him “You meant everything to him”
“But I’m not sure I buy that he still has feelings for you either, sorry” Cat says patting my arm “You can see that he loves her and he hasn’t paid any extra attention to you than anyone else here, if anything less”
“So why then?” I ask downing my wine and getting another one.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to bring up the past, you know how hard it is to hear that the person you love has loved someone else, maybe he’s just sparing her feelings”
And hurting mine in the process, I add silently.
“As much as I missed him, I wish he didn’t come back”
“Or at least broke your heart by doing something horrible before he left” Cat doesn’t bother to keep her addition to my comment in her head.
I rub my hands over my face exhausted from everything that has happened in one day “I think I’m ready to leave” I smile when Christ magically appears at my side.
“Then let me take you home” he wraps his arm around me and I snuggle into his side.
“I’ll see you tomorrow” I wave to Cat and Tom and head home away from all the drama and history that just flipped my world around.
“I’ll see you Sunday” I say quietly leaning over to kiss Chris goodbye.
“I know you need to do this and understand why but I can’t wait until you come back to our house, I miss falling asleep and waking up with you in my arms” he replies pulling me to him closely.
“I know, me too” I sigh and walk away from him before I do something stupid like cry real tears.
I open the door and make my way to my father’s bedroom before I do anything else.